FP7: Since the project idea to the submission of a proposal

www.aetic.esOficina AproTECH de AETIC: Información y asesoramiento en la preparación de propuestas de I+D+I

FP7: Since the project idea to the submission of a

proposal


General Roadmap1.- Idea of the project2.- Find the proper call3.- Proposal preparation*4.- Proposal submission 5.- Evaluation Summary Report6.- Creation of the CA7.- Negotiation of the financial part8.- Grant agreement9.- Performance of the Project


Fundamental Concepts Summary of Key Phase Characteristics

5. Roll-Out & Implementation

Establish contacts & agreements

Partner search

Admin. & Legal Mgt

Payments & Financ. Mgt

Auditing

Reporting

IPR Mgt.

Technical Work

EC templates & submission forms

Agree on overall budget & partner shares

Role in proposal & target budget

Proposal idea & proposal summary

Explore initial contacts

Action Plan for proposal development

Final proposal submission

Allocation of proposal parts among partners

Negotiation & re-costing

Final contract signature = effective start of project

Consortium Agreement

4. Contract

Negotiation

3. Proposal Development

2. Consortium

Formation

1. Feasibility


• Three key things to consider – – (A) What projects need

• A good partner, that shares the consortium vision and is able to perform a given set of activities

• A partner who is reliable and sticks to its mission

• A partner who communicates well and understands how EU projects work from a financial and administrative point of view

– (B) What kind of project you want • A project that helps you implement a strategy or reach an important

objective– (C) How do you get onboard the project that you want

• Customizing your research offer

Entering in FP7 projectsParticipating as Partner

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The first steps• Clarify your own goals for participation• Identify Thematic Priority • Identify Strategic Objective• Identify topic(s)• Know which call and timeframe• Clarify whether you will coordinate or participate• Key decision is whether to go on the instrument applicable

to the proposal (funding scheme) • Decide which instrument best fits the proposal: * Collaborative Project, *NoE, * Co-ordination and Support

Actions


The funding schemes

Choose your “funding scheme” with care:• Collaborative Projects must show a full range of activities -

Research, Demonstration, Training, Cooperation with other programmes…..

• Networks of Excellence represent a durable re-structuring of the participating institutions

• Coordination actions/Specific Support Actions do not conduct S&T research

• Research for SMEs (CRAFT)


Key documents• The latest relevant Workprogramme • Call fiche• Participation rules• Guide for Applicants (specific for each funding scheme and

for each Programme)• Guidelines on Proposal Evaluation and Selection

Procedures• Model contract • Negotiation guidelines • FP7: Fact sheets• FP7: FAQs


Partner SearchBest sources are:• Previous/current project partners• Business partners• Targeted potential customers/distributors

For additional partners/roles use:• CORDIS: Partners and Projects Databases• Expressions of Interest data base (if applicable)• NCPs network• Specific Networks (eg. Ideal-ist: Best Practice)• Information Days

Issues to be discussed and agreed upon with the Partners• Their scientific/administrative contribution• Their share of EC funding (roughly)• IPR issues• Consortium agreement


Before you start writing

• Ensure business reasons for proposal understood• Programme & Call identified• Topic & subject understood & agreed

• Background work on previous/current projects• Identify partners who agree to participate


Fundamental Concepts Consortium Formation Core Points

• FP7 consortia MUST be characterised by a range of complementarity in terms of– Expertise– Disciplines– Geography– Organisation types (e.g. academia, SMEs, etc) – Human resources

• Number of partners depends on– Subject, tasks, project type - minimum three partners from three

Member States or Associated Countries• An experienced co-ordinator is an important plus


• Established contacts– Previous or current project partners– Business partners

• Internal organisation / company networks and communication channels

• Private Partner Search– Databases in ICT-related projects like EUROPEAN-IST, SALA+, SEE-

INNOVATION, EASIER, SECURE-FORCE, etc.

• Public Partner Search – Cordis, IDEAL-IST FP7, etc

Fundamental Concepts Finding Partners 1/2


• And also– ETP Partner Searches – Targeted potential customers / distributors– FP6 projects database– Patent databases– EU conferences and publications– Information Days and other events

– National Contact Points & Innovation Relay Centres

Fundamental Concepts Finding Partners 2/2


• Focus– There should really be only one high-level objective

• Consortium credibility and quality• Management aspects and resource allocation• Workable and realistic work plan with well-defined milestones

/ deliverables / and success metrics

• Well-identified risks and contingency plans• Exploitation and anticipated impact

Fundamental Concepts Key Proposal Elements


Fundamental Concepts Proposal Structure

• Section 1 – Scientific and/or technical quality– Concept & objectives– Progress beyond the state-of-the-art– S/T methodology and associated work plan– Exploitation and Dissemination

• Section 2 – Implementation– Management structure & procedures– Individual participants– Consortium as a whole– Resources to be committed

• Section 3 – Impact– Expected impacts listed in the work

programme– Dissemination and/or exploitation of project

results, and management of intellectual property

• Section 4 – Ethical Issues

PART B – Proposal ContentPART A – Proposal Submission Forms

• A1 – General information on proposal (title, abstract, etc)

• A2 – Information on co-ordinator and other partners

• A3 – Cost breakdown by type of cost categories and partner


Steps:1

Parts of a proposal• Part A

– A1 :Acronym, full title, summary (2000 characters)– A2: Information on partners’ organisation: one per

partner– A3: Information on Proposal’s/project budget

• Part B: The main text of the proposal


Part B1: Scientific and/or technical quality, relevant to the topics addressed by the call (1)

• 1.1 Concept and Objectives:- get right to the point - “The objective is to ....”, Do not have multiple objectives - go up a level, Indirectly show how it is beyond the state of the art

• 1.2 Contribution to the co-ordination of high quality researchInformation for this section comes from various sources, such as: • The introductory sections of the Workprogram contains good reference

material.• Via the Europa web site, http://europa.eu.int there is information on all EU

policies and they can be identified and downloaded from there. eg - Policies - Access by subject to legal instruments in force, legislative activity in progress, implementation of common policies, EU grants and loans, statistics and publications


Part B1: Scientific and/or technical quality, relevant to the topics addressed by the call (2)

• 1.3 Quality and effectiveness of the support mechanisms, and associated work planDoes not consist only of the required PERT, GANTT and WP charts and tables – they are purely summaries. You have up to fifteen pages available. This section should include:– Rationale for your implementation method - alternatives

considered, phasing and check points, system design as appropriate, potential technical risks and fall backs, reference to other work, reference to other funded projects and justification


PERT & GANTT charts• Once you have produced a draft of the WP breakdown that is

agreed by your major partners, build a final PERT chart and from it a preliminary Gantt chart that shows the start and dates of the work packages.

• A good tip is to ensure that there is a phased start up of the project as, in practice, it usually takes 2 to 3 months for all the resources to become available.

• Ensure that in the final month of the project only WP1 and WPx are ongoing in order to produce final reports etc.

• These constitute good management practice and show the evaluators you are an experienced manager


Standard PERT diagram

Start End

WP2Diss&E

WP1Project

Management

WP3 WP4Implem

WP5 WP6

Of course this can be enhanced with greater detail, according to the project’s activities


Part: B2: Implementation (2)

• 2.1 Management structure and procedures

• 2.2 Individual participants– This section has to be concise, complete and very well thought out.

This section should describe how the proposed project will be managed, the decision making structures to be applied, the communication flow within the consortium and the quality assurance measures which will be implemented, and how legal and ethical obligations will be met. Emphasise the experience and quality of the management.


Part B2: Implementation (1)• 2.2 Consortium as a whole (only if relevant):

• 2.4 Resources to be committedStart off with a short one page description of the consortium stating who the participants are, what their roles and functions in the consortium are, and how they complement each other. It is vital you identify such partners as “end user”, “exploiter or supplier” as well as “research contributor” etc.

Be very careful of sub-contracts. The Commission does not like them. Do not sub-contract R&D, or management issues.

This section should also contain a BRIEF description of each partner organisation, emphasising his relevance to the project (a third of a page, maximum). Include a brief CV of one or two staff per participant. Do not exceed one page per participant

There are important things to say and irrelevant things. The evaluator is interested in a company’s technological capability. If you have been involved in previous successful projects, name them. The CV of the nominated Project Manager is of particular importance.

Finally the overall financial plan for the project is critical. It must be brief and answer any obvious questions


Model structure: small and medium scale Collaborative Project The partners(1)

• Management Board with senior representatives of each partner: chaired by project manager

• Technical Board with technical leaders of each partner/WP: chaired by technical director

• WP1: Project Management• WP2:……• WP3:……• WP4:……• WP5:……


Collaborative Project: possible structure (2)

Management Board with senior representative of each partner

Partners

Chaired by Project Manager

Technical Boardwith technical leaders of each partner/WP

Chaired by Technical Director

WP5…WP4WP3WP2WP1Project Management


Steps: 2B part: workplan

“Other costs” per WP per partner

Cost iterations to achieve acceptable costs & distribution

Update tables with man months, deliverables, milestones

B2 add financial plan rationale

Update A3, fine tune, proof, agreement

Proposal Development

Team

Initial EPSS

submittal


Example Budget breakdown among partners for an SSA/support activities (Model based on the flat rate O/H=20%)

For flat rate Overhead=60% the estimation would be based on the following: ((x-(x*100)/160))/ x=total budget for the beneficiary/contractor

Partners & Cost Model

Man/Months

Man/month rate for the Scientific staff

Labor Cost

Business Travels

Support Activities (Events ,etc)

% Own Contribution

Own financial Contribution

Indirect Costs (Overhead: 20%)

Total for Support Activities

Total for Support Activities + Management (cost of table 3)

EC Request. funding

1. Partner 1/Co Greece

9,6 3.100 29.795,6 15.600 3.500 25 17.833,3

9.779,1 58.674,71

71.333,3

53.500,0

Partner 2 (FCF)

2,5 6.615 16.437,9 5.200 0,0 5 1.525,0

4.327,6 25.965,5

30.500 28.975,0

Partner 3 (AC)

15,9 1.400 22.304,5 10.400 3.000 0 0 7.136,7 42.820 43.500,0

43.500,0

Partner 4 (AC)

15,1 1.400 21.183,3 11.500 3.000 0 0,0 7.136,7 42.820,0

43.500 43.500,0

Partner 5 (FC)

16,9 1.400 23.593,1 11.500 3.000 3 1.391,8

7.618,6 45.711,8

46.391,8

45.000,0

Partner 6 (FCF)

10,1 2.100 21.269,6 11.500 2.200 3 1.283,5

6.993,9 41.963,5

42.783,5

41.500,0

Partner 7 (FCF)

15,6 1.300 20.314,3 11.500 2.000 3 1.237,1

6.762,9 40.577,1

41.237,1

40.000,0

Subtotal 2 85,7 154.898,3 77.200 16.700

23.270,7

49.755,4

298.532,58

319.245,7

295.975,0

Business travel estimation: 1. Coordinator (to support the events of WP3): 10 journeys * 1 person*4days*150= 6.000 euro and 10 tickets*700 euro=7.000 euro. In total for activities of WP3=13.000 euro. Moreover 2.600 euro should be available for two (at least) trips too Brussels in order to meet the appropriate officer of EC.


Part B3: Impact• 3.1 expected impacts listed in the WorkProgramme • 3.2 Spreading excellence, exploiting results,

disseminating knowledge

– Include plans for the dissemination/exploitation of the results by describing the dissemination/exploitation strategies, the user groups to be involved and how, the tools and/or means to be used to disseminate the results, and the strategic impact of the proposed project

– Exploitation is a vital part of this section. Emphasise the usefulness and range of applications, which might arise from the project. Explain the partners’ capability to exploit the results of the project and detail how in a credible way. Refer to the draft Consortium Agreement with respect to access & commercial rights. This is particularly important. Be specific and quantify things.


Part B: Other issuesIt is mandatory to include two aspects here in a positive manner:Ethical issuesOne of significant impact here: data protection acts - both at European and at National level. State that the project will comply and it is the responsibility of, say, the project manager to ensure compliance and mention this in his responsibilities under B5.

Gender issuesMention how many women you expect to be assigned to the project (it is assumed there will be some ). Assign responsibility to the project manager and mention it in B5.

Safety & Environmental issuesYou should also state you will comply with all relevant Community regulations and specifically address any conceivable impact on Safety or Conservation concerns


Fundamental ConceptsProposal Submission and Evaluation

• One stage e-submission via EPSS – Electronic Proposal Submission System

• Eligibility Check – time of receipt, min. partners, proposal complete, other specific to call

• Evaluation via 3 independent experts incl. non-EU evaluators

– Evaluators selected from central database and by invitation and checked for any conflict of interest

• 3 evaluation criteria only – for each funding scheme per Work Programme

• Feedback via ESR and later by official letter of outcome of ranking process (including unsuccessful applications)


Useful tips1. Many proposers concentrate on the scientific element, but lose marks on project

implementation or impact description

2. Clear language

3. Well-organised contents, following the Part B structure

4. Useful and understandable diagrams

5. No typos, no inconsistencies, no obvious paste-ins, no numbers which don’t

add up, no missing pages …

6. Don’t write too little; cover what is requested

7. Don’t write too much; Don’t neglect the “Other issues” : Gender issues, ethical issues, etc

8. Don’t leave the evaluators to figure out why it’s good; tell them !

9. Leave nothing to the imagination

10. Don’t change the key points of the proposal in the last minute and Submit your

proposal on time and if you need support/help call your NCP before it is too late


Writing an FP7 proposal is NOT just a creative process for A NICE IDEA

• It requires to SHOW scientific, technological and depth knowledge of the subject

• You must present references, legislatures, previous work and experience


Be precise and to the point

• Use drawings to show your methodology at once

• Use bold types in phrases that you would like to emphasize

• Present cohesion and interaction among work packages


Further Information• 7th Framework Programme of Researchhttp://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html

• Participate in FP7 http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/participate_en.html

• Find a Call:http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm

• Find project partners http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/partners_en.html

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/participate_en.html

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/partners_en.html

Documents

FP7: Since the project idea to the submission of a proposal