EU Funding for projects by the voluntary sector


Accessing European funding can seem complicated. This briefing is a simple introduction aiming to clarifying the process.

Firstly, the most important thing to be aware of is that most EU funding is not paid directly by the European Commission in Brussels but via the national and regional authorities of the Member States. This is the case with most payments under the Structural Funds which make up the great bulk of EU funding.

The Commission does, however, pay grants directly to public or private bodies such as universities, businesses, interest groups, NGOs and, in some cases, to individuals for other common policies in the fields of research and development, education, training, the environment, consumer protection, and information. It also pays direct grants in relation to EU external policies.

Structural Funds are aimed at relieving poverty in the poorest areas of the EU and are distributed through each Member State - and for London by the Government Office for London. Their contact details can be found below.

This briefing will concentrate on how to access the direct funding administered from Brussels. However, much of the advice here on is still relevant if you are applying for Structural Funds.

Where to start: Identifying a budget line

The first task in accessing funding is to identify the relevant budget line. Budget lines are the designated funds for each policy and there are 150 budget lines for the non-profit sector covering numerous policy areas. You have to find the one that is most similar to your proposal. The amounts available per budget line vary between a few million to a few hundred million ?s - grants for most of the larger budget lines are mostly spent outside the non-profit sector. You cannot expect a grant of 1 or 2 million ?s from a budget line of ?20 million.

You cannot identify the ideal budget line for your application merely by the title - this can sometimes be misleading. The best way to search is to categorise your proposal in terms of:

  • Fields of activity (such as environment, training, human rights)
  • Target groups (such as disabled people, migrants, the unemployed)
  • The location of your project (inside or outside the EU)

Tips

  • Be systematic, patient and persistent.
  • Think creatively: find unexpected budget lines from references by target group, subject and location.
  • Compare your activity with EU grants given earlier (most DGs publish lists of grants previously awarded on their websites or supply them on request).
  • Shortlist several options, then narrow down to one or two for in-depth investigation.

Preparing your application

Once you have identified the relevant budget line, you need to prepare some documentation on your proposal. You then need to contact the relevant DG (Directorate General) at the Commission (best by fax or email) for advice about your proposal. For the larger grant programmes you will then be referred to the Technical Assistance Office (TAO).

You could also contact one of the EU-wide umbrella organisations of NGOs based in Brussels, who may be able to help you translate your plans into the necessary EU format and help with finding partners if you need or want them.

Co-financing

You will need other sponsors at the same time. The EU does not fund 100% (or even 90%). The co-financing rate usually means that the EU pays 60-80%, but sometimes this can be well under 50%. These rates are negotiated on a case by case basis.

Partners needed

Most EU funding schemes are conditional on the project having an EU dimension. In many cases you will have to design and implement your project jointly with partners in other EU countries so that you can complement and learn from each other and create this 'EU added value'. Usually a minimum of three partners is required, of which one will be the 'lead partner' that the European Commission will primarily deal with. If a project is set up in a Central or Eastern European or a developing country, the EU may require that the lead partner is located in the beneficiary country. If no partners in other EU countries are needed, the project must fit in with the EU's aims and policies and it is often required that its results are relevant for your sector as a whole and beyond your own country.

Timetable

The Commission invites organisations to send in applications in the form of a 'call for proposals'. This is published in the Official Journal, but the deadline for sending in applications is very short (2 months), so the best idea is to find out what calls for proposals are in the pipeline. They are usually based on annual work plans and general programme descriptions, which are on the website of the EU (www.europa.eu.int) or in the individual DGs (www.europa.eu.int/comm/dgs). These sites will have a lot of background documentation on the general policies. Calls for proposals also appear on (www.europa.eu.int/geninfo/whatsnew.htm).
If you have just missed a deadline, check that there aren't several application dates a year. There may be less money for the last one though. It may be worth getting tactical advice on whether it is worth to apply for these leftovers, or re-apply for the following year.

All subsidies must be applied for through fixed procedures. These procedures vary according to the DG concerned, but should follow guidelines introduced by the Commission in the Vademecum on Grant Management in 1999 (accessible on the Commission website).

Arguing for your project

Most important question to answer: What is the 'good reason' for the EU to give you the funding?

Demonstrate the importance and quality of your activities in relation to EU policy. Convince the EU officials that a financial contribution to your activities is helpful to achieve their policy targets.

'EU compatible'. Your project needs to fit in with existing policy competences and political priorities. The EU is not over-keen to subsidise activities that oppose its policy, but democratic principal means it doesn't only support its fan clubs.

'EU added value'. High on the list of selection criteria. As explained above, you must state why your project has a relevance at a European level.

USEFUL CONTACTS

A comprehensive description of EU funding can be found in Grants and loans from the European Union.
www.europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgc/aides/index_en.htm#1

The Government Office for London
www.go-london.gov.uk
Tel: 020 7217 3328, Fax: 020 72173450
This is the body which distributes the EU Structural Funding in London and should be your first point of contact for access to this type of funding.

The Commission's representative office in London
www.cec.org.uk
Tel: 020 7973 1992; Fax: 020 7973 1900, 020 7973 1910

The Association of London Government
www.alg.gov.uk
Tel: 020 7934 9999; email: info@alg.gov.uk

The Local Government International Bureau
www.lgib.gov.uk
Tel: 020 7664 3100; Fax: 020 7664 3128 Email:enquiries@lgib.gov.uk

Euro Info Centres (essentially for small businesses)
www.euro-info.org.uk
Tel: 020 7489 1992 Fax: 020 7489 0391
email:europe@londonchamber.co.uk

European Documentation Centres and libraries, The University of North London:
Tel: 020 7753 5142 email: j.bacchus@unl.ac.uk

A very good website offering information for development NGOs is at: www.eurforic.org

A very good reference book is 'A Guide to European Union Funding for the voluntary sector? by P. Sluiter and L. Wattier published by the Directory of Social Change and available via email: info@dsc.org.uk


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