Introduction to EU funding Ben Rattenbury, Euclid Network

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Introduction to EU fundingBen Rattenbury, Euclid
Network
Institutional Funding and Partnerships A Workshop
for Muslim-led NGOs London, 10 December 2009

• Euclid Network is an institutional partner of and
  supported by the European Commission, DG
  Education and Culture, Active Citizenship

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• What is Euclid Network?
• Introduction to EU funding
• 2.1 Where to look
• 2.2 How to apply
• 2.3 Considerations
• 2.4 Long term trends
• 2.5 Grants vs. contracts
• Questions

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1. What is Euclid Network?
The European network of third sector leaders
For a professional and innovative third sector
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What do we do?

• Develop
• Professional development courses (e.g. Harvard)
  facilitating peer learning
• Connect
• Events, both online and in real life access to
  database of members facilitating partnerships
  across sectors
• Support
• Providing tailored support and advice services
  enabling members to respond to relevant
  consultations information services

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Who are we?

• Over 300 members in 24 countries
• These members collectively
• ? Turnover 3 billion per year
• ? Employ 52,000 staff
• ? Manage over 1.2 million volunteers
• Offices in London and Paris, Stockholm
• Pan-European governance

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Strategic priorities
Euclid Network has four programme
areas Cross-border leadership Sustainable
funding Good governance Soft power
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Strategic partnership

• Half price membership

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2. Intro to European Funding

• 2.1 Where to look
• 2.2 How to apply
• 2.3 Considerations
• 2.4 Long term trends
• 2.5 Consider contracts and consortia

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2.1 Where to look (option 1)
http//ec.europa.eu/grants/index_en.htm
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2.1 Where to look (option 2)
Look at the instruments

• For the 2007 to 2013 financial perspective, the
  EU has adopted a package of six new instruments
  for the implementation of external assistance
• European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument
  (ENPI)(Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
  Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya,
  Moldova, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority,
  Russia, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine)
• European Development Fund (EDF)(Off-shoot of
  Cotonou Agreement involving wider ACP with
  partner-states including Sudan, Mauritania and
  Somalia)
• Development Co-operation Instrument
  (DCI)Identifies involvement of non-state actors
  and local authorities in development among its
  thematic priorities aims at co-operation with
  Asia and Middle East (if not included in ENPI or
  EDF)
• European Instrument for Democracy Human Rights
  (EIDHR) worldwide
• Instrument for Stability (IfS)
• Nuclear Safety Co-operation Instrument (NSCI)

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(No Transcript)
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2.1 Where to look (option 3)
https//webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-serv
ices/index.cfm?ADSSChck1224846858672dopubli.wel
comeuserlanguageen
or google europeaid grants
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2.2 How to apply
Two approaches

• Start with a problem and find funds
• Start with the funds/programmes and find a
  problem

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2.2 How to apply
European Guidelines

• All EU programmes have Guidelines
• Can be difficult to understand, and/or very
  specific or very vague
• It can be a challenge to make your problem fit in
  the programme
• Carefully check eligibility, requirements,
  budgetary regulations and timescales

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2.2 How to apply
Other requirements

• Normally require partnerships or consortia
• High administrative burden
• Need official declarations and forms
• May require PADOR registration
• Personal contacts are very important get to
  know people in the Commission, (and to a lesser
  extent, the delegations)
• Always need co-financing (10-50)

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2.3 Considerations
If you want the money, beware!

• Grant applications take time,energy,staff and
  resources
• Can be hard to succeed
• Often not huge sums(generally 50,000 - 150,000)
• Sometimes not financially viable, e.g. 7 for
  overheads

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2.3 Considerations
So why apply?

• More meritocratic than most donors
• Less political than most donors
• Lots of
• Internal expertise (in places)
• Different activities funded
• Countries covered
• Money available

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2.4 Long term trends

• EC famously risk averse avoid corruption at all
  costs, therefore low focus on innovation
• BUT
• Reform of the financial regulation now possible

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2.4 Long term trends
European Financial Regulation
Worth 50 billion per year (?)
- Official review process due to start January
2010 - EN started independent consultation in
August (DG Budget hadn't announced any public
consultation including civil society) - DG EaC
helped using the newly established Working Group
on European Funding, hosting the first meeting of
the working group in September inviting DG Budget
officials - Budget Commissioner finally
launched a consultation (including civil society)
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2.5 Grants vs. Contracts
A big new question

• Contracts are where the real money is to be found
• BUT civil society must
• compete with private sector
• professionalise
• build strong consortia

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• Questions?

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For further information
Thank you!

• www.euclidnetwork.eu
• ben.rattenbury_at_euclidnetwork.eu