Project Roadmap

This roadmap was developed to allow organizations to better understand and prepare for writing a project proposal. You can find more information about each step below:

Step 1: Impact

Dare to dream big and act on that dream.

Start with your dream in mind and back cast on what concrete steps you need to take to achieve it. For more information, please see the Impact Tool developed by the National Agency of Erasmus+ NL here.

Step 2: Policy Triangle

There are 3 policies that need to be align – regional, national and European. If your project goal is in the middle, where all the mentioned policies overlap, it is more likely to be approved. A tip that was given by Hendrik Jan Hoekstra (Friesland College) is to have an eye on European goals, which can give your organization a framework to build on.

Step 3: Correct EU Framework

While your idea for a project can have different angles, finding the correct European framework can be crucial for getting financing. We also include two websites that provide a good overview to the different EU frameworks and concrete calls: https://www.up2europe.eu & https://www.vleva.eu

Step 4: Collecting information

Take your time to collect all the required application documents from policy frameworks to EU priorities. View data from information meetings and the deadline for submission. The name of the call (for example Erasmus+ Sector Skills Alliances for the development of sectoral approaches through transnational Platforms of vocational excellence “) tells you the gist of the call. Print it in big letters and hand it on the wall in your office. That’s how you won’t lose track of how the evaluators will assess your application.

Step 5: Start writing!

The best way to start is with a description of your project idea, where you mention all the aspects of the application form. This will ensure a coherence with your draft and the final project proposal and makes it easy to communicate your idea to the potential partners.

Step 6: Involve your (Frisian) partners

Involve your regional or national partners in your European cooperation project. You can include them as main partners (with a budget and tasks) or as additional partners.

Step 7: Find your European partners

In order to do so, you can use the EU network of your regional partners or get in touch with intermediaries. When the cooperation is good in other project, the partners are more likely to work together again.
Or you can contact the internationalization advisor of your local and regional governments. They have European networks and contacts and will be willing to help you in finding international partners.

Another way to find EU partners would be to attend matchmaking meetings in Brussels, sign up for different kinds of newsletters in your field on the project or through such organizations as Learning Hub Friesland.

Step 8: Create the link

Actively make the connections between different partners and make them involved. This is an important step not only when the project is running, but also when it is being written. To do so you can frequently ask them questions in your (online) meetings. You can also match partners based on their goals or fields of expertise.

Step 9: Write a bit more!

Create a project schedule (Gantt chart) to get a full overview of how your project is going to run. Its best to do it in Excel or on a big A3 paper. Think about what developments and activities you want to execute and when. When do you plan events? What are the logical moments for partners to meet? Should these meetings be physical or online?

Step 10: Get input from partners

Share what you have written on Google Drive or Dropbox for your partners. Ask them specific questions or for precise input.

Step 11: Contact the agency

Remember that the goal of the local and EU agencies is to give you tools to achieve a good project and a good project application, for that matter. Make use of this benefit.

Step 12: Write the final version

Think about peripheral issues such as project management, dissemination, evaluation, etc.

If you need help, Learning Hub Friesland is happy to provide support – Please contact frank@learninghubfriesland.nl or erna@learninghubfriesland.nl

For the in-depth guide to project writing please see this video from a Europe Ready Friesland workshop.

How do you use it?

Please follow the steps & instructions above