How to prepare a proposal for FP6

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How to prepare a proposal for FP6

• Elina Zicmane

Riga, April 6, 2005
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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!

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Ideal proposal preparation

• Project idea
• Find partners
• Find a call
• See the proposal requirements
• Elaborate a proposal
• Submit a proposal

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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.

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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

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6 main questions

• How do I find a call?
• How do I know what is the SO?
• What is the best instrument for my proposal?
• How do I find partners?
• How do I write a proposal?
• How do I submit?

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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, ...

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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!
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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

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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.

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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

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A3 the budget
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Part B

• B.1 ST 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!
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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

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B.1 ST objectives of the project and state of
the art

• Describe in detail the proposed projects ST
  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

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B.2 Relevance to the objectives of the IST
priority

• Describe in detail the manner how the proposed
  projects 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

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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
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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

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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
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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
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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

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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
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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
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Cross-check with the evaluation form
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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

Pdf the B part
You will receive an immediate acknowledgment of
receipt by e-mail
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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

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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.[phone], Fax 32 2
  648 70 77, e-mail ezicmane_at_carsa.es, www.carsa.es