A few tips to launch your new European project efficiently.

Your project has been selected by the European Commission, it is now time to start your activities! Euronovia gives you some advices to set a collaborative project on the right path and ensure its success from the very first months:

1. Write your Project Management Handbook. This document describes all the rules and procedures put in place to optimize the implementation of the project. This is also where you can introduce common values, for example by including a code of ethics and good environmental or recruitment practices for your Consortium.
2. Set up your monitoring tools. These are all the documents and tools that will allow you to monitor the progress of your project and prepare your reports. They must be accessible to all partners. A regularly updated list of contacts indicating the distribution of each partner within the Work Packages will prove very useful. At each meeting of your Consortium, it is also important to plan the actions for the next six months so that everyone has a clear vision of the project schedule.
3. Establish trust with your partners and the European Commission. The kick-off meeting is the ideal moment to ensure that all your partners feel involved in the project, but also to develop a close connection with the Commission by inviting your Project Officer. Remember to schedule a time for everyone to introduce themselves, ask the WP leaders to say a few words and don’t hesitate to propose an ice-breaking activity to get to know each other.
4. Keep yourself informed. It is essential to respect budgetary and financial rules when implementing your project and to communicate them correctly to your partners. The European Commission offers regular weminars on project management and the National Contact Points are also available to answer your questions.
5. Get support. Project management is an occupation, do not hesitate to rely on an experienced partner and to follow trainings.

The European Association of Innovation Consultants (EAIC) has launched a Manifesto to support professional project management in Horizon Europe. It is available here: www.eaic.eu/manifesto.html

With these few tips, you should now be ready to launch your project in the best possible conditions!