The partnership is an essential part of a European project as it impacts all levels of the evaluation of your application. Euronovia gives you with some tips to build a competitive consortium!

Understanding what makes a good consortium

• The partnership must be in line with the call. It is important to analyse the expected results of the call for projects. Some calls refer to the participation of specific countries, disciplines or sectors, while others refer to specific actors. Be sure to respect all these expectations and propose an appropriate consortium!
• Expertise, complementarity, involvement. Make sure your consortium brings together the experts in your field, avoid duplication or under-representation of some expertise, and ensure that the partners are involved in setting up the project. To do this, give each partner clear roles and motivate them!
• The “Triple I”. Most European projects, in particular under Horizon Europe, must be Intersectoral, by involving institutions from various sectors (universities, SMEs, associations, etc.); Interdisciplinary to best respond to the whole call for projects; and International by ensuring the geographical balance of the consortium.

Adopting the right strategy

• Relying on a core group. Surrounding yourself with trusted people is the key for an effective grant application process. This facilitates decision-making and the distribution of the workload. But it’s important not to limit your consortium to your existing contacts!
• Activate your networks. Solicit your network and your partners’ to finalise the consortium. We advise you to write a summary of your project that be quickly sent to identified contacts.
• Make yourself visible. It is always wise to put yourself in a position where you can be easily contacted by potential collaborators, especially through thematic platforms. Participating in events, organised by the European Commission or the National Contact Points, also enhances your visibility.

Using partner search tools

• The European Commission’s tools. The Funding & tenders portal gives you the opportunity to submit your offer of expertise or consult the offers of other institutions on the page of the call for projects you have targeted. In addition, you can use the European platform CORDIS to consult funded projects in your field and find inspiration in your search for partners.
• NCP Network Platforms. Some National Contact Point networks have launched their platform to find partners, such as the MSCA Matchmaking Platform for Marie-Sklodowska Curie projects and Greenet for Horizon Europe’s cluster 5 projects. Join them!
• Targeted tools. Other specific tools exist depending on your needs. For example, the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) platform for SMEs, or thematic platforms (e.g. LinkedIn groups, CBE JU Networking platform on a particular call, etc.).

 

Would you like to benefit from the support of an expert to set up your project and get personalised advice to build your consortium? Euronovia, a partner of 7 H2020 and Horizon Europe projects, is here to assist you with your European project grant application.

Do not hesitate to contact us to find out more!