Applying successfully: How does it work?

1. Applying successfully: How does it work? Vassilia Argyraki Project Officer Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation Renewable Energy Unit La Valetta, 2 March 2012

2. Topics • The IEE evaluation: principles & timing • Before you (effectively) start… • Effective proposals: the award criteria • Get advice: your way to IEE information • Being successful in IEE: tips and hints in a nutshell 2

3. IEE evaluation: Principles Fair and equal treatment of all proposers Based on the criteria announced in the Call Confidential process, no conflicts of interest Independent external experts as advisers Competitive process Indicative budget (per field) as guidance 3 steps of the evaluation process Eligibility criteria Selection criteria Award criteria 3

4. Call 2012 timeline : from proposal to Grant Agreement Deadline 8 May* Results Nov 2012 Project implementation Evaluation Contractnegotiation Your proposal preparation March/April 2013 * Exception: separate deadlines for BUILD UP Skills 4

5. The IEE evaluation: principles & timing • Before you (effectively) start… • Effective proposals: meet the award criteria • Get advice: your way to IEE information • Being successful in IEE: tips and hints in a nutshell 5

6. Do not miss the ‘musts’:eligibility & selection criteria … Proposals can ONLY be submitted through on-line application system (EPSS) Proposals must be on time Proposal must be complete Minimum 3 independent partners from 3 different eligible countries**(EU, Croatia, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) Proposers must prove their financial & technical capacity ** Different/additional Criteria for ‘BUILD UP Skills’ and ‘MLEI – Project Development Assistance’: refer to Call text 6

7. Key documents ‘Call for Proposals’:eligibility & selection & award criteria, priorities and deadlines ‘Work Programme’:background, priorities and budgets Application forms & Guide for Proposers*: essential forms and guides to draw up and submit your proposal (These are annual documents – not identical to Call 2011 !) EACI’s help to you: • Enquiry service:questions related to the call & rules & forms through the ‘contact’ area of the IEE website • Pre-proposal check:check of your proposal idea with regard to fitting-to-priority (no “pre-evaluation”!) * Different/additional Criteria for ‘MLEI – Project Development Assistance’ and ‘BUILD UP Skills’: refer to Call text

8. Before we start: to lift the fog of the IEE terminology • Proposal: Your application • Part A -- on-line forms with administrative data + proposal abstract • Part B -- your (technical) work programme (idea, your objectives & targets, work plan, the team CV’s and records/list of previous projects) • Part C -- your budget in summary and by partner • Annexes -- financial & legal documents + letters of support • EPSS: On-line proposal submission tool – obligatory for IEE proposals • Consortium: A team of organisations submitting the IEE proposal – with one defined Coordinator.

9. The IEE Call triggers your inspiration… • Reflect on your motivation and criteria to decide to go for a project proposal …first check carefully the 2012 Call priorities and the market need – about 20% of proposals fail because of their low match to the call priorities (criterion 1)

10. … then define your specific objective & target group • What concretely would you like to achieve? • Whom do you want to address? • Make sure you know the current (market) situation and your starting point • Make sure you check IEE project database http://www.eaci-projects.eu/iee/page/Page.jsp • Invest in a reality check: investigate the interest amongst target group and major stakeholders

11. … then start writing the detailed proposal – Work Plan • Fine-tune your aim and your target group • Take your time to decide the best methodology to be applied – can it deliver? Think impact! • Define your main working steps • Follow the guidance of the Guide for Proposers and make your partners read them too! • Follow the guide on number of pages – an average proposal must be able to convince with around 45 pages of main text (excluding description of organisations & CV’s)

12. …and finish with the fine-tuning - Work Programme • Work out Work Packages. Do not write extensive text. 3-5 pages per WP will be fully enough in most casesBUT: explain your activities sufficiently • Invest time in planning your outputs and deliverables – what are useful, meaningful, attractive products for your target group? • Involve your partners – in particular Work Package Leaders BUT: a Coordinator must understand the various starting points and all work packages. • Think smart to increase your chances: You can add a scheme, a time line, a table with extra information if that helps increase clarity.

13. Translate hours into EUR Estimate efforts needed (hours of work) Define tasks Establish the budget • Design your budget “bottom-up” • 4 main issues to highlight: • Hourly rates – understand the concept of real cost • Balance – Volume of hours against activities • Balance – Sharing of skills and EU sharing between partners • Co-financing: avoid identical arguments – make a short, but honest case of the motivation of the partners

14. Topics • The IEE evaluation: principles & timing • Before you (effectively) start… • Effective proposals: the award criteria • Get advice: your way to IEE information • Being successful in IEE: tips and hints in a nutshell 14

15. …and convince on the award criteria: 5 criteria with 3 sub-criteria each 0-10 points per criterion threshold 50% (6+) Threshold for recommended proposals: 70% (score 35+) No secret – published in Call for proposals Instructions & Advice included in ‘Guide for proposers’

16. Relevance of the proposed action Quality of implementation methodology Ambition and credibility of the impacts of the proposed action EU added value Resources allocated to the proposed action each with 3 sub-criteria Award Criteria** ** Different/additional Criteria for ‘BUILD UP Skills’ and ‘MLEI – Project Development Assistance’: refer to Call text 16

17. Criterion 1: Is our project idea relevant? • Focus on 2012 Call priorities • Show how you solve user needs and market barriers • Explain how you complement existing activities • Find the priorities for 2012 in the Call text – look out for: “Priorities for action in 2012” • Do not plan a major part on ‘state of the art’. • Bring in market players from the start 17

18. Criterion 2: How to convince on methodology? • Care about methodology. Engage your target groups / stakeholders • Set up a clear work programme and time plan. Reflect on how to measure and monitor your performance. Show it in your work steps. • Communication is key to the IEE programme - and to your project. Provide a comprehensive plan, be tailor made, hire professional expertise. • Be precise, clear, explain. Define your terminology. • Methodology must fit to project aim • Make the different parts of your proposal fit together 18

19. Criterion 3: What’s “ambitious and credible” impact? • Visualise the scale of services/outcomes you plan to produce and deliver • Visualise the expected impact within and after project duration • Show the sustainability of your solutions beyond the IEE funding – what will continue to trigger effects? Use SMART indicators. Show your ambition. Use them in your work programme! • Specific • Measurable • Achievable • Relevant • Time-bound 19

20. Criterion 4: How to achieve «European added value» ? • Evidence that EU collaboration leads to greater benefits • Argue and convince on the appropriate geographical focus • Show a clear plan and commitment for how and to whom your results will be transferred • EU added value is more than assembling several countries • Explain your choices • Include transfer activities within your work programme 20

21. Criterion 5: Score high on resources Efficient team composition, responsibilities, management Level of working hours for each work package and main task Justification of costs and co-financing • Budget must be realistic and bottom-up • Make it fit: management plan fits to challenge, skills fit to tasks, volume of hours fit to tasks etc • Own co-funding needs sincere reasoning 21

22. Recall of important budget principles: IEE projects are cost-shared projects: no profit making allowed staff costs + overhead costs are predominant cost items staff costs based on actual, real salary + social charges evidence required for staff costs (e.g.: copies of payslips, timesheets) Flat Rate of 60% on staff costs to cover indirect costs (“overheads”) – do not need to be justified No basic research or hardware costs accepted EU Funding of up to 75% of total eligible costs 22

23. The IEE evaluation: principles & timing • Effective proposals: the award criteria • Get advice: your way to IEE information • Being successful in IEE: tips and hints in a nutshell 23

24. IEE Key documents & EACI assistance How can the EACI (further) guide you: • EACI IEE enquiry service: questions related to the call & rules & application form through the ‘contact’ area of the IEE website • Pre-proposal check: check your proposal idea with regard to 2012 priorities / Stop: 30 March • Application Forms: assist in understanding the forms and instructions What can we not do: • No pre-judgement of your proposal idea • No recommendation on consortium partner

25. Who can help finding partners ? Regional/national associations Nationals Contact Point (NCP) (see IEE website) Partner search facility of ManagEnergy EACI cannot recommend partners • www.managenergy.net

26. IEE website as source of information IEE News Calls information Project database Call for evaluators Information on how to implement a project Contacts & help 26 http://ec.europa.eu/energy/intelligent/

27. The IEE evaluation: principles & timing • Effective proposals: the award criteria • Get advice: your way to IEE information • Being successful in IEE: tips and hints in a nutshell 27

28. Making a successful application– the essence in short • Strong competition: be ambitious • Start: start early – a proposal needs time and evolution • Project objective & Target group: well-defined? sufficiently focussed? EU added value? • Consortium: fit for purpose? All have a clear & justified role? Balance is right for truly sharing a project? They are THE voice of the market to make a difference? • Indicators: ambitious enough to convince for value for funding? Suitable to monitor success/problems? • Communication tools and channels: sufficient resources and professional skills? Tailor made for this project? 28

29. Budget: cost-efficient and bottom-up? Based on clear indications from each partner? Follows the basic IEE budget rules? • Co-financing: be transparent and explain your co-financing scheme – don’t leave blank, don’t put the same for all partners… • Geographical outreach: « appropriate » focus is key • Transferability: demonstrate that public money is well invested in your project – show how more users can take up your results! ! AND: • Easy to understand?: Be clear and comprehensive. Only information contained in your application counts, evaluators have 2-3 hours to assess 29

30. THANK YOUfor your attention Vassilia Argyraki Vassilia.argyraki@ec.europa.eu