For the period 2021-2027, there are many European funds and for a project leader, it is sometimes not easy to clearly identify the ones that would best meet its needs. In this article we will help you to know better the different European funds, to identify the most adequate ones for your project and we will see how to carry out a watch in order to identify the most relevant funds.
What are the European funds?
In order to identify the most appropriate fund for a project, it is necessary to identify the needs of the project. Financing a service or financing the construction of an infrastructure will not call for the same type of grant. For this, a general knowledge of the different existing schemes is necessary.
The Structural Funds
Within the framework of the cohesion policy, the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) are of 4 types:
- European Social Fund+ (ESF+): with a social vocation, this fund aims to help people find a job, to improve the quality of jobs as well as the professional perspectives of European citizens, in particular people in a precarious situation or in exclusion. The managing authorities are the Region and the State and the priorities of ESF+ are defined at regional level.
- European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): the ERDF aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union. It will rather finance infrastructure projects on the territory. The managing authority is the Region and the ERDF priorities are defined at regional level.
- European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD): this fund is the counterpart of the ERDF for rural areas. Here again, it finances infrastructure projects. Its primary objective is to ensure the development of rural and agricultural territories. The managing authority is the Region and EAFRD priorities are defined at regional level.
- European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF): this fund finances small-scale coastal fishing, young fishermen and promotes sustainable aquaculture. The managing authority is the Region and the priorities of EMFAF are defined at regional level.
The different intra-EU funds
Intra-EU funds are managed by the European Commission. There are many programmes:
- Horizon Europe: research, development and innovation programme
- Erasmus+: education and training programme
- Creative Europe: for European projects in the cultural, media and European languages sector
- LIFE: programme promoting environmental protection through circular economy, sustainable development, clean energy development and environmental protection
- Digital Europe: programme for projects related to digital technologies, Artificial Intelligence or cyber security
- SMP (Single Market Programme): programme aimed at strengthening the governance of the internal market by focusing on SMEs and start-ups.
These are examples of the main funds, but it is advisable to carry out a more in-depth search in order to identify the fund that is most consistent with the themes of the project.
Monitor the various calls for projects
What do you apply for?
To benefit from a European grant, you must apply to a call for proposals. A call for proposals is launched within the framework of a European programme, on a particular theme and specifies the projects and actions expected. Before applying for a grant, it is essential to check that the project meets the eligibility criteria of the call. If it does not, the project can be made consistent, or the grant application can be continued. It is therefore very important to choose the right call for proposals to maximise your chances of obtaining the grant.
In the case of the ESIF, the calls for proposals are published in the framework of the Regional Operational Programmes (ROP) which set out the Specific Objectives (SO) and the areas that will be co-financed by defining them in the form of Actions. Each region has its own ROP validated by the European Commission, which sets out the priorities it wishes to pursue.
In the case of intra-EU programmes, Work Programmes are published by the European Commission, which list the various calls for proposals. These calls can be subdivided into topics, which further specify the field and the co-financed projects. These Work Programmes are adopted for 1 or 2 years and are based on the regulation for the multi-annual budget period (here 2021-2027).
The different websites for monitoring
To identify the most relevant funds and calls for proposals and thus benefit from European funding, it is advisable to monitor the situation. To do this, there are several websites that list the various calls for proposals:
- Funding and Tenders: this site lists the different calls for proposals of intra-EU programmes. It gives access to the Work Programmes which list the different calls.
- Europe is committed in [name of the Region] (L’Europe s’engage en [nom de la Région]): each Region has a Europe is committed in [name of the Region] website. Each Region can then present the European actions on its territory and also give access to the different calls for projects set up in the framework of the ESIF.
- ESF.gouv.fr (FR): this website lists all the ESF+ calls for proposals for each Region, as well as the calls for proposals managed by the State (within the framework of the national component and the DREETS)
Check eligibility
Eligibility is crucial if you want to get a European grant. When looking for calls for proposals, this is the first thing to check. This consists in identifying the calls for proposals that could be interesting for a given project, according to several criteria:
- What the fund is financing (services, infrastructures, studies, research projects…)
- The needs of the project (which expenses will have to be co-financed)
- The location of the project (some funds only finance projects located in a given territory)
- The beneficiary of the funding (association, company, SME, local authorities, municipalities, etc.)
For project leaders, identifying European funds therefore requires real work to identify the needs of the project, but also a certain knowledge of existing funds. Identifying the fund is the first step in obtaining European funding. It is possible to call on professionals who can help with the grant application but also with the monitoring and management of the project, because once obtained, the use of the grant can be controlled through reportings. Documents must be sent to the Managing Authority throughout the life of the project (salary slips, invoices, etc.). The use of professionals will thus make it possible to ensure maximum security in the event of an audit.
