how to prepare a proposal for fp6 elina zicmane riga, april 6, 2005
TRANSCRIPT
How to prepare a proposal for FP6
Elina Zicmane
Riga, April 6, 2005
Situating the preparation phase
Initial phase: project idea + need for EU financing
Preparation phase: identification of a call, finding partners, writing and submitting a proposal
Evaluation phase: transparent yet long process Negotiation phase: setting the rules Signing the contract + implementation of
the project: the real work starts here!
Ideal proposal preparation
Project idea Find partners Find a call See the proposal requirements Elaborate a proposal Submit a proposal
Some available calls for 2005
IST Call 5: September 21, 2005 ICT for Networked Businesses, Collaborative Working Environments, Access
to and Preservation of Cultural and Scientific Resources, eInclusion, ICT for Environmental Risk Management, etc.
Other:– Innovation Call 7: June 15, 2005 Identification of New Methods of Promoting and Encouraging Transnational
Technology Transfer– NMP Call 4: September 25, 2005 Specific activities under Nanotechnologies and nano-sciences, knowledge-
based multifunctional materials and new production processes and devices– Calls for SMEs: FP6-2004-SME-COOP, FP6-2004-SME-COLL, etc.
Realistic proposal preparation
Several ideas / areas of work Find a suitable / available call Choose the most suitable Strategic Objective
of the call in the Work Programme Find the best instrument available for the SO Find partners, elaborate and submit the
proposal accordingly
6 main questions
1. How do I find a call?
2. How do I know what is the SO?
3. What is the best instrument for my proposal?
4. How do I find partners?
5. How do I write a proposal?
6. How do I submit?
How do I find a call?
Published calls: – CORDIS web site www.cordis.lu– Find a call
Future calls:– Thematic CORDIS web sites www.cordis.lu/ist– Work Programme with all calls information
Alternative: news services (CORDIS and other), national contact point, ...
How do I know what is SO?
Call text: SO number and title Work Programme: SO description
Strategic objective can be priority in other programmes
The proposal has to correspond fully to the objective
The proposal has to be in line with overall objectives of the programme
What is the best instrument? IP: Integrated project STREP: Specific targeted research project NoE: Network of excellence CA: Coordination action SSA: Specific support action Specific instruments for SMEs
Choose the one that suits you the best according to its objective, type and number of partners and
duration
IP: Integrated project
Objective: Ambitious objective-driven research with a ‘programme’ approach
Partners: 10-20 participants from industry (incl. SMEs), research institutions, universities – and in some cases potential end-users
Duration: 36-60 months Budget: total EU contribution: €4-25M (average ~ €10M)
Flexibility in implementation: Yearly update of workplan,
possibility for competitive calls for enlargement of consortium
Specific targeted research projects
Objective: Objective-driven research more limited in scope than an IP
Partners: 6-15 participants from industry incl. SMEs, research institutes, universities
Duration: 18-36 months Budget: total EU contribution: €0.8-3M (average ~
€1.9M)
Fixed workplan and fixed partnership for the duration
Networks of Excellence
Objective: Durable integration of participants’ research activities
Partners: 6-12 participants from research institutions, universities, Mainly indirectly: industry – through governing boards, etc.
Duration: 48-60 months (with continuous integration) Budget: total EU contribution: €4-15m (average ~ €7M)
Flexibility in implementation: Yearly update of workplan,
possibilities for enlargement of consortium
Coordination Actions
Objective: Co-ordination of research activities Partners: 13-26 participants from research
institutions, universities, industry incl. SMEs Duration: 18-36 months Budget: total EU contribution: €0.5-1.8M (average
~ €1M)
Fixed overall workplan and partnership for the duration
Specific Support actions
Objective: Support to programme implementation, preparation of future actions, dissemination of results
Partners: 1-15 participants from research organisations, universities, industry incl. SMEs
Duration: 9-30 months Budget: total EU contribution: €0.03-1M (average ~
€0.5M)
Fixed overall workplan and partnership for the duration
How do I find partners? Choose your business / research partners Search via CORDIS “Find a partner” Look on the Internet, use other contacts
Check the eligible partner countries and type of activity
Objective: to create a competent and complete consortium
It takes time for partners to decide on participation
Eligible countries and type of activity
Eligible countries: IP, NoE, STREP, CA
– 2 mutually independent participants from an EU Member State (25) or Associated Candidate Country (Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey)
– 3rd participant as above, or from an Associated state (Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland)
SSA: no restrictions
Eligible type: for some Work Programmes, only SMEs or public bodies
How do I write a proposal?
Register for the correct call and instrument:– Online preparation: EPSS
– Offline preparation: EPT tool + package of A forms and B template Choice of submission (online / offline) is final! Save the username / password for the submission
Prepare the Part A:– Fill in the A forms
Prepare the Part B:– Fill in the B template
Fill in the forms as soon as you can!
Part A: administrative part
A1: General information on the proposal Filled in by Coordinator
A2: Information on participants Filled in by each participant, incl. Coordinator
A3: Financial information Filled in by Coordinator
Use the Guide for Proposers for details, such as:
•Activity Type: HE, RES, IND, OTH
•Legal status: GOV, INO, JRC, PUC, PRC, EEIG, PNP
A3: the budget
Cost model: FC (full-cost): all eligible direct / indirect costs
included. – All legal entities except physical persons
FCF (simplified full-cost): all eligible direct costs + flat rate for indirect costs (+20%).
– SMEs, non-commercial, non-profit and international org.
AC (additional-cost): all eligible direct costs + flat rate for indirect costs (+20%).
– Physical persons, non-commercial, non-profit and international org.
A3: the budget
RTD activities: all activities directly aimed at creating new knowledge. Core of a STREP
Demonstration activities: testing of new product to prove its viability
Innovation-related activities: protection and dissemination of knowledge, impact studies, exploitation of results, take-up actions
Management activities: technical project management, coordination and reporting
A3: the budget
Activities Maximum grant, FC / FCF
Maximum grant, AC
RTD 50% 100%
Demonstration 35% 100%
Innovation-related 50% 100%
Consortium management
100% (up to 7% of the EC contribution)
100% (up to 7% of the EC contribution)
Part B B.1 S&T objectives of the project and state of the
art B.2 Relevance to the objectives of the IST priority B.3 Potential impact + Contribution to standards B.4 The consortium and project resources B.5 Project management B.6 Detailed implementation plan B.7 Other issues:
Ethical / gender Other EC-policy related issues
Use the Guide for Proposers!
Cross-check with the Guide for Evaluators!
Overall rules
Language: free to write in any EU language but preferably in English
Explanations: follow thoroughly the short explanations given at the beginning of each part. Go beyond them
Volume: do not exceed the requested number of pages
Style: short, clear and concise text, useful tables
Contents: prove that your proposal is well-focused and well-planned and that you have all the necessary resources for carrying it out
B.1 S&T objectives of the project and state of the art
Describe in detail the proposed project’s S&T objectives
The objectives should be those achievable within the project, not through subsequent development, and should be stated in a measurable and verifiable form. The progress of the project work will be measured against these goals in later reviews and assessments
Describe the state-of-the-art in the area concerned and how the proposed project will enhance the state-of-the-art in that area
3 pages
B.2 Relevance to the objectives of the IST priority
Describe in detail the manner how the proposed project’s objectives contribute to the scientific, technical, wider societal and policy objectives of the IST Priority as stated in the call
Relevance to the IST priority Relevance to other programmes, such as eEurope Relevance to wider policies, such as the Lisbon strategy 3 pages
B.3 Potential impact The strategic impact, for example in reinforcing competitiveness or on solving
societal problems Impacts on regional (national) and European levels Contribution to various EU policies
Describe the innovation-related activities
Describe the exploitation and/or dissemination plans Exploitation of the project results Dissemination of the project results / as a part of project goals
Describe the added-value in carrying out the work at a European level Collaboration among several European countries
Indicate what account is taken of other national or international research activities
Describe contributions to national or international standards, if any
3 pages
B.4 The consortium and project resources
Describe the partners – Describe the specific skills of each of them
Show the complementarity between participants– Show how the participants are suited and committed to the tasks
assigned to them– Description of their role in the project scheme
Describe how the opportunity of involving SMEs has been addressed
Describe the resources, human and material, that will be deployed for the implementation of the project
How many man-month per partner What is the necessary equipment How is the budget composed
B.4 The consortium and project resources
Detail the overall financial plan and show that it is adequate
Research/innovation/demonstration activities Management activities, incl. Travel, organisation of meetings,
consumables
Include a STREP Project Effort Form Person-months per partner
Describe sub-contracting, if any
Justify participation of other countries, if any
5 pages
B.5 Project management
Describe the organisation, management and decision making structures of the project
Describe the plan for the management of knowledge, of intellectual property and of other innovation-related activities arising in the project
Project management and coordination at various levels Steering Committee, Project Coordination, Quality & other issues Reporting
Risk Management Intellectual Property Rights
3 pages
B.6 Detailed implementation plan Introduction:
Structure of the workplan How the plan will help to achieve the objectives
Breakdown per Workpackages (WP): A WP represents a major sub-division of the project A WP has a verifyable end-point: deliverable, milestone A WP is divided in tasks
Significant risks and contingency plans
15 pages
B.6 Detailed implementation plan
Graphical presentation of the components Gantt diagram Pert diagram
Deliverables list
WP list
WP description: Duration, effort per partner Description of work (objectives, description per task)
You can use MS Project
B.7 Other issues
Ethical issues– Main ethical issues, directives and regulations– Ethical issues checklist
Gender issues:– Situate in the context– Describe the overall gender policy
Contribution to other EC policies:– Are there other EC-policy related issues taken into account?– Demonstrate engagement with actors beyond the research– Demonstrate synergies with education at all levels
Use the Guide for Proposers but do not Copy
Paste
Cross-check with the evaluation form
Criterion Threshold Max. Score
Relevance 3 5
S&T Excellence 4 5
Potential impact 3 5
Quality of the consortium 3 5
Quality of the Management 3 5
Mobilisation of resources 3 5
Overall 21 30
How do I submit? Online preparation / submission:
Upload the B part to the server Press submit button
Offline preparation / online submission: Package A and B parts using the EPTool Validate the package Go on the submission page, use the username/password Press submit button
You will receive an immediate acknowledgment of receipt by e-mail
Pdf the B part
Submission tips
Register early You have to change the passwords It helps the EC to choose evaluators
Fill in all forms early It takes a lot of time
Submit early and submit often You can submit as many times as you wish The last submission before deadline will count Avoid late submission: avoid technical problems
Thank you and good luck!
More sources: CORDIS web site Work Programme Guide for Proposers Guide for Evaluators IST Information desk EPSS helpdesk and user guides National contact points Elina Zicmane: CARSA, Bd de la Cambre 52, Brussels,
Belgium. Tel.+32 2 645 08 83, Fax +32 2 648 70 77, e-mail [email protected], www.carsa.es