What funding opportunities for ALE are available? How to link an idea to a funding scheme?
Tina Mavrič, Head of Capacity Building, presented various funding opportunities for Adult Learning and Education (ALE) projects, highlighting programmes such as Erasmus+, ESF+, Horizon Europe, Interreg Europe, and national funding sources. She specifically focused on Erasmus+ actions KA1, KA2, KA3, and Jean Monnet. Participants from across Europe discussed other programmes they had taken part in, and gained inspiration from each other’s project ideas.
On the second day, Charlotte Ede, Project Coordinator at EAEA, conducted a session on the importance of storytelling in project proposals, emphasising structure, clarity, and coherence. Working in groups, participants developed their project narratives by defining the core problem and proposed solutions. They then linked their ideas to Erasmus+ horizontal and educational priorities, ensuring alignment with relevant funding schemes.
How to build an effective team and partnership?
Angeliki Giannakopoulou, Policy and Project Coordinator at EAEA guided participants through the process of team formation, building strong partnerships, and developing effective collaboration strategies.
Participants explored the distinction between internal and external roles in project design and considered key factors when forming a partnership, such as geographical diversity, the inclusion of organisations with no prior experience in such projects, and determining the optimal team size.
Through a voting process, participants identified the ideas that resonated most with them, found common interests, and established teams. Together, they defined their roles, set priorities, and selected potential partners for their projects.
Transforming a project idea into a proposal
On the third day, Angeliki Giannakopoulou outlined the essential steps needed to transform a project idea into a well-structured proposal. Participants learned how to effectively plan their proposals by defining the problem statement and project vision, setting clear goals and objectives, and outlining desired outcomes. They explored the creation of an action plan, identifying key stakeholders, beneficiaries, and final users. Additionally, they analysed key assumptions, milestones, risks, and constraints, structuring their projects within a clear timeline.
Tina Mavrič delivered a session on budget planning, emphasising its crucial role in the project proposal. She presented strategies for funding allocation, covering daily rates, travel costs, and other expenses. Participants learned how to estimate the overall cost of the project, identify the appropriate lump sum amount to request, and adapt the project budget accordingly. They also explored how to allocate financial resources effectively, distributing the budget across specific activities and partners to ensure smooth project implementation.
Proposal evaluation, dissemination, and communication strategies
On the final day of the training, Angeliki Giannakopoulou led a session on proposal evaluation, guiding participants through evaluation forms, assessment criteria, and review processes. Charlotte Ede highlighted the importance of integrating dissemination and communication strategies into projects as part of a Work Package. She also clarified the differences between impact, outcomes, and outputs, helping participants define these concepts effectively in their project proposals.
Marina Sakač Hadžić, Communication and Capacity Building Officer, outlined how to structure Work Package activities and deliverables, such as newsletters, social media posts, online workshops, and policy recommendations. She demonstrated tools for creating interactive presentations of results and emphasised the importance of defining target audiences in a communication plan while continuously monitoring performance throughout the project.
The training concluded with a group reflection session, where participants shared their feedback on the programme. They rated their confidence in project writing before and after the training on a scale from 0 to 5. The results showed a notable improvement across all participants, demonstrating the programme’s effectiveness in enhancing their skills and knowledge. Participants received certificates of attendance, recognising their engagement and successful completion of the session.
Text: Olga ChizhevskayaPhotos: Marina Sakač Hadžić