2 Days Training Course

Proposal Writing for Research & Innovation Projects

From the Fundamentals to Developing Winning Proposals

2 Days Training Course & Certification

Proposal Writing for Research & Innovation Projects

From the Fundamentals to Developing Winning Proposals

Upcoming Courses

Short Course Description

Quick Facts:

  • Duration: 2 Days
  • Format: In-class (scheduled in various cities across Europe)
  • Who Should Attend: Researchers, proposal writers, project managers from universities, NGOs, SMEs, and other organisations
  • Focus: Horizon Europe and other EU funding programmes for R&D and Innovation projects

Why Choose This Course

This 2-day, in-class training is designed to provide participants with the essential tools to develop winning proposals for Research & Innovation projects, particularly under Horizon Europe. The course takes a practical approach, focusing on real-world examples and interactive exercises to help participants understand how to match their project ideas with the right funding streams, develop a compelling project concept, and create a strong proposal that meets evaluation criteria.

By attending this course, you will enhance your ability to write competitive proposals while benefiting from face-to-face interactions, group discussions, and hands-on workshops.

Key Benefits

  • Master the proposal writing process for R&D and Innovation projects
  • Learn how to align your project with Horizon Europe priorities and funding streams
  • Engage in hands-on workshops to develop real-world proposal components
  • Build a strong work plan, budget, and risk management strategy
  • Gain insights into writing a convincing impact statement and designing effective dissemination and exploitation plans

What You Will Learn

  • Identify the right funding stream and interpret call requirements
  • Differentiate between R&D and innovation proposals
  • Develop a project concept with a clear intervention logic
  • Build a work breakdown structure (WBS) and create a well-justified budget
  • Design risk management and impact pathways to strengthen your proposal

This course is aimed at equipping individuals in organisations of all types and sizes (Universities, NGOs, SMEs, Cities, etc) - who have the responsibility for developing project proposals - with the necessary skills and know-how in order to produce engaging, high quality, successful bids. While, the material taught is useful for any type of proposal irrespective of funding stream, the course does have a special focus on R&D / innovation-style proposals for Horizon Europe and especially proposals for the following funding streams concentrating 67% of the funds under Horizon Europe:

  • Global Challenges & Industrial Competitiveness, and
  • Innovative Europe

The course offers a complete insight into writing and submitting competitive proposals in response to Horizon Europe calls with tips, guidelines and practice sessions. The combination of examples and hands-on online exercises will introduce you to all aspects that you need to know from identifying the right call for your project idea, to developing a convincing project concept, a carefully planned implementation and risk management plan, a powerful impact statement, and a well-constructed dissemination and exploitation plan: in essence, everything required to submit a competitive proposal, plus guidelines on how to evaluate and score your own proposal before submitting it.

With the new programming period 2021 – 2027, the EU budget envisages even more important investment focus on Research and Innovation, with a strengthened budget under framework Horizon Europe and many innovation funding opportunities under both the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and Next Generation EU (NGEU). We will discover together all these funding opportunities while exploring the different notions of innovation.

This is an “applied”/interactive course which concentrates on the most important elements evaluators look for in project proposals and systematically works with the participants to produce mastery of those elements. 

Participants of the 2-day training will learn:

  • How to discover Funding streams under Innovation Policy for 2021-2027.
  • How to differentiate between R&D and Innovation projects and explore where on the R&D-Innovation continuum their project lies.
  • How to ensure the best fit between their project and an available funding stream in order to increase their chances for funding.
  • Which proposal features are essential for convincing project evaluators and receiving the highest scores.
  • How to write a well-constructed proposal with a clear intervention logic and use effective writing styles.
  • How to develop a detailed work breakdown structure (WBS) and an effective project timeplan and how to identify and deal with project critical paths.
  • How to develop a risk management and monitoring plan.
  • How to identify impact pathways, how to approach quantification and documentation issues and how to strengthen impact through a sound dissemination and exploitation plan.

Day 1 - MATCHING PROJECTS TO FUNDING SOURCES

1 Overview of the Programming Period 2021-2027 funding opportunities.

2 Types of funding streams under Innovation Policy 2021-2027 and the small details under each funding stream that matter.

3 How to ensure the best fit between your project and an available funding stream/Call.

4 Exploring the different notions of innovation.

5 Questions/answers on funding streams and discussion.

Day 2 - ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF WINNING PROPOSALS

1 An overview of winning proposal essential features (precision & clarity, planning & research, realism, grasping text, documentation & data).

2 Developing the best project justification (vision, need, opportunity, goals & objectives, outcomes).

3 Demonstrating impact.

4 Pulling together the right assets (partners, experience, intellectual property, tangible & intangible resources).

5 Putting yourself in the role of the “evaluator”.

6 Workshop/exercise session (short proposal on “imaginary agreed project”: participants will work on justification and impact pathways).

  • Become familiar with the current EU funding opportunities and rules under each programme
  • Learn to write successful proposals
  • Avoid mistakes that can compromise your project
  • Improve the success rate of your proposals through good proposal structure and appropriate writing skills
  • Increase your organisation’s ability to plan and implement projects successfully
  • Benefit from practical workshops and exercises
  • Learn from best practice examples
  • Benefit from key insights and tips
  • Receive tangible and actionable advice on your individual questions
  • Network and exchange experience with peers and possible partners from across EU
  •  

This course includes everything a good project planner and manager should know in order to first design successful and meaningful projects and then present them in a way that is both understandable by evaluators and convincing. Preparation is the most important tool for a winning project proposal, so it takes more than a few tips on writing skills and proposal structure in order to produce good project proposals. It requires a clear project vision and intervention logic, a sound framework of suitable and complementary project assets, and effective project management and control structures. It also requires critical skills that will help you review, evaluate and improve your proposal before submitting it.

This course covers all these skills but does a lot more: it encourages application through an interactive approach and workshop activities. Participants stand to benefit from good practice examples, continuous interaction with an experienced instructor (35 years of general professional experience, 20 years’ experience in the field of EU-funding) and practical in-class applications.

Participation fee for the 2 days training:

In-class €1490 excl. VAT

Training package includes:

  • Admission to the course

  • Hard copies of: the course’s Handbook

  • European Academy’s delegate’s bag with supporting training material & memorabilia 

  • Certification of “Proposal Writing for Research & Innovation Projects” training completion

  • Certificate of attendance

  • Complimentary coffee & snack breaks

  • Complimentary networking lunch breaks

CHRISA PETRITSI

The course is led by Chrisa Petritsi, professional development planner and evaluator with 35 years of experience in development planning at local, national and international level (providing management advisory services and operational/project support focusing on resource management and efficiency; in designing and evaluating regional and socio-economic development policy, in drafting technical reports, in working with businesses and other beneficiaries.

Working experience with programme beneficiaries, Managing Authorities/Intermediaries, Local/Regional Development Agencies, IFS, etc.; services to programme beneficiaries included: Financial and technical feasibility studies, Preparation of business-plans, Preparation and management of business clusters, Applications for EU-funding and TA during project/grant implementation. 

Chrisa has worked for the University of Illinois from 1985 to 1989 where she taught to Master’s level students project planning and various other subjects around it such as project evaluation.

From 1989 to 1997, Ms. Petritsi worked for various levels of Government in the USA (Village of Rantoul, State of Wisconsin, City of Savannah), where she participated in the design of projects and taught problem-solving tools and methods and Total Quality principles.

From 1997 to 1999, she worked for an international mining company where she taught management-related courses such as team building, and performance management.

From 1999 and onwards, Chrisa has been working as a consultant for EU-related programmes (public and private investments) either in programme/project development or in programme/project evaluation. 

Her EU-related thematic experience includes infrastructure projects (mostly transport, public buildings, urban utilities and waste management), environmental projects, entrepreneurship projects (mostly private investments and entrepreneurship services), and various others (civil society, employment, etc). She has worked in Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia – Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus, Serbia, Turkey, Greece, Italy, USA. 

Chrisa’s experience in training includes: «Training on Monitoring and Evaluation», «Developing EU Structural Fund Programme Complements», «Programme Indicators: Development & Quantification», «The Structural Funds & the EU Planning Process», “Statistics & Regional Development”, “Regional & Local Support to SMEs”, “Problem Solving for Local Governments” «Economic Analysis of Public Plans & Policies», «Analytic Methods in Urban Planning».

Edit Content

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COURSE

PM² is a project management methodology developed by the European Commission to help project managers deliver successful outcomes by managing projects throughout their complete lifecycle. Designed with the needs of EU institutions and projects in mind, PM² integrates globally accepted best practices, standards, and the operational experience of the European Commission. It provides a clear and structured framework that includes a project governance structure, process guidelines, artefact templates, and effective mindsets. PM² is light, easy to implement, and adaptable, making it suitable for a variety of project environments.

PM² offers several key benefits for managing EU-funded projects. It provides a structured framework that ensures alignment with EU standards, facilitating compliance with regulatory requirements and improving the overall governance of projects. PM² promotes effective collaboration among project partners by clearly defining roles and responsibilities, improving communication, and ensuring that all stakeholders are engaged throughout the project lifecycle. Its’ well-defined processes and artefacts help teams manage resources efficiently, monitor progress, and control risks. By fostering a comprehensive approach to planning, execution, and monitoring, PM² supports the successful delivery of projects within the defined scope, timeline, and budget, ultimately maximizing the benefits and impact of EU-funded initiatives.

PM² distinguishes itself from other project management methodologies through its focus on the European context, emphasizing compliance with EU regulations and facilitating cross-border collaboration. While it integrates best practices from established methodologies, PM² is specifically designed to address the governance, transparency, and stakeholder coordination challenges often encountered in European projects. Its’ adaptability and simplicity make it an ideal framework for diverse project environments, offering practical tools that can be customised without compromising on robust oversight.

PM² is highly adaptable and can complement existing project management practices by introducing specific tools and processes that enhance project efficiency, particularly in regulated or multi-stakeholder environments. It can be seamlessly integrated alongside methodologies such as PRINCE2 or Agile, allowing teams to benefit from PM²’s emphasis on governance and risk management, while maintaining flexibility in execution. This makes it especially valuable for organisations managing EU-funded or complex international projects, as it aligns project activities with strategic goals and compliance requirements.

PM² ensures project success by offering a structured approach that integrates clear phases, practical tools, and defined roles and responsibilities. It provides teams with artefact templates, process guidelines, and effective mindsets, helping them manage resources, risks, and stakeholder engagement efficiently. PM² also emphasizes setting clear milestones, maintaining strong communication, and focusing on quality management. This comprehensive framework helps teams stay on track, deliver results within scope and budget, and meet project objectives with greater confidence and control.

PM² ensures project success by offering a comprehensive framework that combines structured governance, clear process guidelines, and practical tools. It provides project managers with a governance structure, artefact templates, and detailed guidelines for using these artefacts throughout the project lifecycle. By clearly defining roles and responsibilities, setting project milestones, and promoting effective communication, PM² helps teams manage resources efficiently, mitigate risks, and engage stakeholders effectively. Additionally, its focus on quality management and continuous monitoring ensures that projects stay on track, delivering results on time and within budget, while aligning with the organization’s strategic objectives.

Yes, the course includes an in-depth session on risk management within the PM² framework. Participants will learn the importance of identifying and managing risks, PM²'s specific approach to risk management, and practical techniques for analysing and mitigating risks. The session also includes a hands-on workshop where participants will work on real-world scenarios, develop mitigation strategies, and share solutions to common project risks.

The PM² Methodology consists of four main phases: Initiating, Planning, Executing, and Closing. These phases represent distinct periods in a project's lifecycle, guiding project teams through key activities from project inception to completion. While each phase has a primary focus (e.g., planning activities peak during the Planning phase), activities often overlap across phases. Throughout the entire lifecycle, the methodology emphasises continuous Monitoring and Controlling to track progress, manage risks, and ensure project objectives are met. This structured, phased approach helps ensure project deliverables are well-defined, effectively executed, and successfully completed.

PM² fosters collaboration by clearly defining project roles and responsibilities, ensuring that every team member understands their specific tasks and accountability. The methodology encourages the documentation of roles, with any deviations or new roles justified and outlined in detail. Additionally, PM² promotes regular communication and alignment through structured meetings and the use of collaborative tools. This clarity and structured approach help ensure that all stakeholders and team members are working cohesively towards shared project objectives.

Yes, PM² can be effectively adapted to Agile environments. It provides a structured framework that complements Agile practices, allowing teams to maintain flexibility while still adhering to governance, compliance, and audit requirements. The PM²-Agile Guide (v3.0.1) offers detailed guidance on how to integrate Agile principles within the PM² framework, supporting the iterative nature of Agile projects. It enables self-organising teams to work autonomously while staying aligned with organisational governance and project objectives. This integration helps Agile teams navigate challenges such as coordinating with non-Agile teams, managing external collaborations, and ensuring proper documentation and compliance. By blending Agile principles with PM²'s structured approach, teams can achieve both agility and control, making it suitable for various project types and contexts.

PM² provides a structured approach to Project Portfolio Management (PPM) by linking project activities to an organisation’s strategic objectives. The PM² Portfolio Management Guide (v1.5) offers detailed guidance on how to effectively select, prioritise, and manage a portfolio of projects and programmes. It helps organisations allocate resources, minimise risks, and optimise performance across multiple projects. By aligning portfolio management with strategic goals, PM² ensures that project investments are effectively managed and reported to senior management, enabling better decision-making and improved alignment with long-term objectives.

Yes, the course offers a series of interactive workshops where participants actively apply PM² principles to real-world project scenarios. These hands-on sessions cover crucial elements like project initiation, risk management, stakeholder analysis, and project monitoring. Through group activities, peer reviews, and practical exercises, participants gain direct experience in using PM² artefacts and processes, ensuring they leave the course with practical skills to implement the methodology effectively in their own projects​.

GENERIC QUESTIONS ON COURSES PROCESS

To reserve a seat, you need to complete the course registration form on the course webpage, providing your personal details and your organisation's invoicing information. Within one working day, a member of the European Academy's Communications Team will contact you with a pro-forma invoice and further details. Pro-forma invoices are typically paid within two weeks of issuance, except in specific cases with exceptional circumstances. Your seat is tentatively reserved until payment is received, and your registration is finalized once payment is confirmed. For those paying online during registration, your seat is confirmed immediately, and a final invoice will be sent to you within one working day. If your organisation has specific payment requirements (e.g., adding a purchase order number or paying after course completion), you can note this in the comments section of the registration form for added flexibility.

Payments can be made via bank transfer or credit card, and all major credit cards are accepted. After registration, you will receive a pro-forma invoice to proceed with the payment via bank transfer. If your organisation requires a regular invoice instead, please let us know and we will be happy to accommodate your request. For those who choose to pay online during the course registration form submission, a final invoice will be sent within one working day. The payment is considered complete once the full amount is credited to the provider’s bank account. Please note that any bank charges or payment processing fees are the responsibility of the participant. The participation fee does not include travel, accommodation, or personal expenses, and VAT is applied separately if applicable.

After your registration is confirmed, you will receive a link to the Pre-Training Survey, which is sent one week before the course. This survey assesses your level of knowledge and understanding, and expectations from the course, allowing the expert to adjust the content to the specific needs of the group. In the week before the course begins, you will also gain access to the e-learning space, which remains available for 6 months after course completion. For online training, you will receive Zoom credentials and hard copies of the course materials delivered to your address via courier services. For in-class courses, venue information and directions will be provided, and hard copies of the materials will be distributed on the first day of training. Upon course completion, you will receive a link to the Post-Training Survey to provide feedback, along with hard copies of your Digital Certificate of Training Completion and a free voucher for the PM² Basic Certification Exam.

The training is offered both online and in-class at various locations across Europe, with upcoming cities announced on our website. Whether you attend online or in-person, the course combines lectures, interactive sessions, and practical group exercises. The online training is conducted through Zoom and uses collaborative tools to ensure high levels of interaction, allowing participants to engage with trainers and peers, take part in group discussions, and collaborate on exercises in real time, ensuring a dynamic and engaging learning experience.

For online courses, all sessions follow Central European Time (CET), which is the time zone of Brussels. In-class courses, however, follow the local time zone of the specific country where the course is being held. Please make sure to check the time zone when planning your participation, especially for online sessions.

Yes, all participants receive both soft and hard copies of the course materials. Soft copies are accessible through the e-learning space, which remains available for 6 months after the course completion. For online training, hard copies are delivered via courier services to the shipping address you provide during registration. For in-class training, hard copies will be handed out at the course venue on the first day, before the training begins.

Yes, upon successfully completing the course, you will receive a digital Certificate of Training Completion. This certificate will acknowledge your commitment and accomplishments throughout the training. You will have the convenience of easily accessing, downloading, and sharing your certificate, which can also be added to your professional LinkedIn profile, or shared with potential employers to highlight your new qualifications.

We understand that plans can change. Should you be unable to attend the course, you can request a cancellation at any time before the course start date. In some cases, full or partial refunds are available, depending on the timing of your cancellation. Additionally, you have the option to transfer your registration to a future course. For full details, please click here to view the course's terms and conditions.

Yes, you can transfer your registration to another participant without any additional fees. To do so, simply submit your request via email to [email protected] at least 7 days before the course start date. In exceptional circumstances, if you are unable to meet the 7-day notice for transferring your registration, you can still notify us via email, and we will review the request on a case-by-case basis to accommodate the transfer where possible.

Yes, group discounts are available for organisations registering multiple participants for the same course session. For more details, please contact us at [email protected], and we will be happy to provide information on the discount structure for group bookings.

Yes, we offer in-house delivery of our full range of training courses, either online or on-site. For larger teams or organisations requiring specific project assistance, this is an ideal option. If you are interested, simply send your request to [email protected], and we will be happy to prepare a comprehensive proposal tailored to your needs

Participants of the 2-day training will learn:

  • How to discover Funding streams under Innovation Policy for 2021-2027.
  • How to differentiate between R&D and Innovation projects and explore where on the R&D-Innovation continuum their project lies.
  • How to ensure the best fit between their project and an available funding stream in order to increase their chances for funding.
  • Which proposal features are essential for convincing project evaluators and receiving the highest scores.
  • How to write a well-constructed proposal with a clear intervention logic and use effective writing styles.
  • How to develop a detailed work breakdown structure (WBS) and an effective project timeplan and how to identify and deal with project critical paths.
  • How to develop a risk management and monitoring plan.
  • How to identify impact pathways, how to approach quantification and documentation issues and how to strengthen impact through a sound dissemination and exploitation plan.

Day 1 – MATCHING PROJECTS TO FUNDING SOURCES

1 Overview of the Programming Period 2021-2027 funding opportunities.

2 Types of funding streams under Innovation Policy 2021-2027 and the small details under each funding stream that matter.

3 How to ensure the best fit between your project and an available funding stream/Call.

4 Exploring the different notions of innovation.

5 Questions/answers on funding streams and discussion.

Day 2 – ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF WINNING PROPOSALS

1 An overview of winning proposal essential features (precision & clarity, planning & research, realism, grasping text, documentation & data).

2 Developing the best project justification (vision, need, opportunity, goals & objectives, outcomes).

3 Demonstrating impact.

4 Pulling together the right assets (partners, experience, intellectual property, tangible & intangible resources).

5 Putting yourself in the role of the “evaluator”.

6 Workshop/exercise session (short proposal on “imaginary agreed project”: participants will work on justification and impact pathways).

  • Become familiar with the current EU funding opportunities and rules under each programme
  • Learn to write successful proposals
  • Avoid mistakes that can compromise your project
  • Improve the success rate of your proposals through good proposal structure and appropriate writing skills
  • Increase your organisation’s ability to plan and implement projects successfully
  • Benefit from practical workshops and exercises
  • Learn from best practice examples
  • Benefit from key insights and tips
  • Receive tangible and actionable advice on your individual questions
  • Network and exchange experience with peers and possible partners from across EU

Participants should have some experience with project proposals.

Participation fee for the 2 days training:

In-class €1490 excl. VAT

Training package includes:

  • Admission to the course

  • Hard copies of: the course’s Handbook

  • European Academy’s delegate’s bag with supporting training material & memorabilia 

  • Certification of “Proposal Writing for Research & Innovation Projects” training completion

  • Certificate of attendance

  • Complimentary coffee & snack breaks

  • Complimentary networking lunch breaks

This course includes everything a good project planner and manager should know in order to first design successful and meaningful projects and then present them in a way that is both understandable by evaluators and convincing. Preparation is the most important tool for a winning project proposal, so it takes more than a few tips on writing skills and proposal structure in order to produce good project proposals. It requires a clear project vision and intervention logic, a sound framework of suitable and complementary project assets, and effective project management and control structures. It also requires critical skills that will help you review, evaluate and improve your proposal before submitting it.

This course covers all these skills but does a lot more: it encourages application through an interactive approach and workshop activities. Participants stand to benefit from good practice examples, continuous interaction with an experienced instructor (35 years of general professional experience, 20 years’ experience in the field of EU-funding) and practical in-class applications.

CHRISA PETRITSI

The course is led by Chrisa Petritsi, professional development planner and evaluator with 35 years of experience in development planning at local, national and international level (providing management advisory services and operational/project support focusing on resource management and efficiency; in designing and evaluating regional and socio-economic development policy, in drafting technical reports, in working with businesses and other beneficiaries.

Working experience with programme beneficiaries, Managing Authorities/Intermediaries, Local/Regional Development Agencies, IFS, etc.; services to programme beneficiaries included: Financial and technical feasibility studies, Preparation of business-plans, Preparation and management of business clusters, Applications for EU-funding and TA during project/grant implementation. 

Chrisa has worked for the University of Illinois from 1985 to 1989 where she taught to Master’s level students project planning and various other subjects around it such as project evaluation.

From 1989 to 1997, Ms. Petritsi worked for various levels of Government in the USA (Village of Rantoul, State of Wisconsin, City of Savannah), where she participated in the design of projects and taught problem-solving tools and methods and Total Quality principles.

From 1997 to 1999, she worked for an international mining company where she taught management-related courses such as team building, and performance management.

From 1999 and onwards, Chrisa has been working as a consultant for EU-related programmes (public and private investments) either in programme/project development or in programme/project evaluation. 

Her EU-related thematic experience includes infrastructure projects (mostly transport, public buildings, urban utilities and waste management), environmental projects, entrepreneurship projects (mostly private investments and entrepreneurship services), and various others (civil society, employment, etc). She has worked in Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia – Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus, Serbia, Turkey, Greece, Italy, USA. 

Chrisa’s experience in training includes: «Training on Monitoring and Evaluation», «Developing EU Structural Fund Programme Complements», «Programme Indicators: Development & Quantification», «The Structural Funds & the EU Planning Process», “Statistics & Regional Development”, “Regional & Local Support to SMEs”, “Problem Solving for Local Governments” «Economic Analysis of Public Plans & Policies», «Analytic Methods in Urban Planning».

or select below the training of your preference to see venue information and discover travel suggestions

Our courses have been attended by

Other similar courses

Are you traveling to the course from outside the european union?

Start your enrolment process today by applying for an Invitation Letter for your Visa Application

Share this page