2 nd Training-Seminar - Bratislava 28.01.2005 How to write a successful proposal: A German SME’s...

28.01.2005 How to write a successful proposal: A German SME’s view 1

2nd Training-Seminar - Bratislava

How to write a successful proposal

• Read the manuals

• Set up a plan/schedule for the proposal creation

• How to write Part A (administrative information)

• How to write Part B (technical information)

THE PROJECT CIRCLE, TECHNICAL, FINANCIAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS OF FP6 PROJECT PREPARATION AND COMPLETION

Joachim Irion, Irion Management Consulting

Topics



Read the manuals: www.cordis.lu

http://fp6.cordis.lu/fp6/call_details.cfm?CALL_ID=174

For IST Call 4 (deadline March 22, 2005) go to

• Call text

• Work programme

• Guide for proposers

• Guidance Notes for Evaluators

• Financial guidelines

Please get (and read) all documents and all information in them. It is important! You‘ll need them all.



Read the manuals: Call text & work programme

• Needed to get Call identifier, deadlines, type of instrument, indicative budgets

• Needed for Part A (Form A1)

Call text

• Needed to get topics for proposals and information

• Needed for Part B and especially for Part B.2 (Relevance to the objectives of the IST Priority) and B.3 (Potential impact)

Work programme



Read the manuals: Guide for proposers

• Understand the forms and the explanations what to fill in• ALL questions must be answered• For Form A3 (finance) be sure to clearly distinguish between

RTD, Demonstration, Management, and Training (for IPs)

Part A

• Please READ and understand and what the EC wants from you in this section

Part B



Read the manuals: Guidance notes for evaluators

• 1. Relevance (Threshold 3/5; Weight 1)

• 2. Potential impact (Threshold 3/5; Weight 1)

• 3. S&T excellence (Threshold 4/5; Weight 1)

• 4. Quality of the consortium (Threshold 3/5; Weight 1)

• 5. Quality of the management (Threshold 3/5; Weight 1)

• 6. Mobilisation of resources (Threshold 3/5; Weight 1)

• Overall remarks (Threshold 21/30 for a STREP, 24/30 for an IP)

Learn how the evaluators are going to assess the proposal










Topics



Set up a plan for the proposal creation: when to start

• Do not start too early (loss of momentum)

• Do not start too late (low quality of proposal)

• From an SME point of view (money and resources) a start 2 - 4 months before deadline seem to be right

When to start



Set up a plan for the proposal creation: Templates

• The basic templates are given by the EPSS/EPD

• However, there is some freedom to add own subheadings and own templates for tables etc.

• Please add these at the beginning of the proposal process so that every body knows what to write where

Proposal templates



Set up a plan for the proposal creation: milestones

• Kick-off meeting

• Date for all partner contributions for Part B at coordinator

• Date for first complete draft

• Date for critical review

• Date for A2 forms

• Date for final draft and first submission (1 week before deadline)

• Date for final critical review

• Final submission (1day before deadline)

Set proposal milestones



Set up a plan for the proposal creation: Style

• Follow the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid)

– Write short and complete sentences

• Follow a logical sequence for the technical texts

– Why: What is the problem to be solved

– What: What to do about it (Objectives)

– How: How are you going to do it (Approach)

– Who: Who is going to do it (Which partners)

– How much: What resources are needed to do the job

Writing style



Set up a plan for the proposal creation: check lists

Have you informed your National Contact Point of your intention to submit a proposal? Do you have the necessary authorisations from each member of the consortium to submit

this proposal on their behalf (the Commission does not prescribe in which form the authorisations are made and will not check them; this is a matter of internal organisation of the Consortium)?

Have you completed both a Part A and a Part B? Is your Part B prepared in the approved file format (PDF), including no material in other

formats? Have you virus-checked your Part B, using up-to-date anti-virus software? Have you printed out the PDF file of your Part B, to check if it is complete, printable and

readable? Is your proposal file within the size limit of 10 Mbytes? Are you submitting to the correct call, FP6-2004-IST-4? Last but not least: Have you pressed the SUBMIT button?










Topics



How to write Part A: Forms A1 - A3

• Find the right activity codes and keywords

• Write the proposal abstract (< 2000 characters), use in Part B

Form A1

• Read the instructions and fill in completely

• Check that participant numbering is reflected in Part B

• Get a letter of commitment (LOC) from the partners to participate in the proposal and later-on in the project

Form A2

• Fill in after Part B is final with all resources defined and final

Form A3










Topics



How to write a successful proposal: Part B (STREP)

• Proposal summary page

• B.1 Scientific and technological objectives of the project and state of the art

• B.2 Relevance to the objectives of the IST Priority

• B.3 Potential impact

• B.4 The consortium and project resources

• B.5 Project management

• B.6 Work plan

• B.7 Other issues



How to write Part B: Proposal summary

• Proposal full title

• Proposal acronym

• Strategic objectives addressed

– if more than one, indicate their order of importance to the project

• Proposal abstract

– copied from Part A (if not in English, include an English translation)



How to write Part B: B1 - S&T objectives

B.1 Scientific and technological objectives of the project and state of the art

Describe in detail the proposed project’s S&T objectives. The objectives should be those achievable within the project, not through subsequent development, and should be stated in a measurable and verifiable form. The progress of the project work will be measured against these goals in later reviews and assessments. Describe the state-of-the-art in the area concerned and how the proposed project will enhance the state-of-the-art in that area. (Recommended length – three pages)



How to write Part B: B1 - S&T objectives

• State the problem you are going to address

• Describe and substantiate with facts and figures

• Describe the way ahead

State of the art (SoA)

• Derive from SoA the general objectives and how you are going about it

General objectives

• S&T objectives have a threshold of 4/5Important

• Derive from the general objectives the measurable technical objectives

Technical objectives



How to write Part B: B2 - Relevance to the objectives

B.2 Relevance to the objectives of the IST Priority

Describe in detail the manner how the proposed project’s objectives contribute to the scientific, technical, wider societal or policy objectives of the IST Priority as stated in this call. (Recommended length – two pages)



How to write Part B: B2 - Relevance to the objectives

Manual

Proposed contents for this section

• Second highest reason for rejectsImportant

• Read the work programme (also good for Part B3)

• Scientific relevance

• Technical relevance

• Societal relevance

• Policy relevance

B.2 Relevance to the objectives of the IST Priority



How to write Part B: B3 - Potential impact

B3 - Potential impact

B.3.1 Contributions to standards

Describe the strategic impact of the proposed project, for example in reinforcing competitiveness or on solving societal problems. Describe the innovation-related activities. Describe the exploitation and/or dissemination plans which are foreseen to ensure use of the project results. Describe the added-value in carrying out the work at a European level. Indicate what account is taken of other national or international research activities. (Recommended length – three pages)



How to write Part B: B3 - Potential impact


• High reason for rejectsImportant

• Strategic impact

– Competitiveness

– Societal impact

• Impact of the innovation activities

• Exploitation and dissemination

• Work at a European level

• Other research

• Standards



How to write Part B: B4 – Consortium & resources B.4 The consortium and project resources

Describe the role of the participants and the specific skills of each of them. Show how the participants are suited and committed to the tasks assigned to them; show the complementarity between participants. Describe how the opportunity of involving SMEs has been addressed. Describe the resources, human and material, that will be deployed for the implementation of the project. Include a STREP Project Effort Form, as shown below, covering the full duration of the project. Demonstrate how the project will mobilise the critical mass of resources (personnel, equipment, finance…) necessary for success; and show that the overall financial plan for the project is adequate. (Recommended length – five pages)B4.1 – Subcontracting

B4.2 – Other countries



How to write Part B: B4 – Consortium & resources


• Overview on consortium

– All needed competence on board

– Adequate size of consortium

• Consortium partnersType Company / Organisation Role in project

Supplier Company ABC Project coordinator and work package leader (WP2000);Specification, development, testing and evaluation of …

Company XYZ Specification, development, testing and evaluation of the ….



How to write Part B: B4 – Consortium & resourcesProposed contents for this section (cont‘d)• Resources

– Pie chart to show the distribution on requirements, specification, development, testing and evaluation

– Description of resources by partners1 – Coordinator Cost category Cost

(EUR)Description/explanation/justification

Cost model FC

Person months

Personnel costs (direct)

Indirect costs

Durable equipment

Travel and subsistance

Consumables

Computing

Protection of knowledge

Other Audit certificates

• Short description of each partner (ca. ½ page)



How to write Part B: B5 – Project management

B5 – Project management

Describe the organisation, management and decision making structures of the project. Describe the plan for the management of knowledge, of intellectual property and of other innovation-related activities arising in the project. (Recommended length –three pages)



How to write Part B: B5 – Project management


• Project organisation and management

– Organisation

– Coordination

– Technical management

• Decision making and conflict resolution

• Use and dissemination of knowledge

– Dissemination plan

– Communication server

– IPR handling and consortium agreement

• Management of risks and contingency planning



How to write Part B: B6 – Work plan

This section describes in detail the work planned to achieve the objectives for the full duration of the of the proposed project. The recommended length, excluding the forms specified below, is up to 15 pages. An introduction should explain the structure of this Implementation plan and how the plan will lead the participants to achieve the objectives. The plan should be broken down according to types of activities: Research, technological development and innovation related activities, demonstration activities and project management activities. It should identify significant risks, and contingency plans for these. The plan must for each type of activity be broken down into workpackages (WPs) which should follow the logical phases of the project, and include management of the project and assessment of progress and results.



How to write Part B: B6 – Workplan

• Introduction

– Short overall description (... Reiterate the objectives)

– Short description of each WP

– Summary of overall project milestones

– Risks and contingency planning

• Work planning (Gantt chart)

• Components (PERT chart)

– Work breakdown structure

– Work package list

– Deliverable list

• Detailed WP descriptions



How to write Part B: B6 – Work plan Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12WP0000: Project management and services

WP0100: Process management

WP0200: Project administration

WP0300: Controlling and finance management

WP0400: Dissemination & exploitation

WP1000:

WP1100:

WP1200:

WP1300:

WP1400:

WP2000:

WP2100:

WP2200:

WP2300:

WP2400:

WP3000:

WP3100:

WP3200:

WP3300:




Specif ication DevelopmentSubsystem 1 Subsystem 1

Prjoect Requirements Specif ication Deevelopment Integration, test & ExploitationKick-off Subsystem 2 Sumsystem 2 evaluation

Simulations

Project management

Dissemination




WP0400Dissemination & exploitation services

WP0000

WP0100Process management

WP0200Project administration

WP0300Controlling and finance management

WP1400

WP2000

WP2100

WP2200

WP2300

WP2400

WP1100

WP1000

WP1200

WP1300

WP3000

WP3100

WP3200

WP3300



How to write Part B: B6 – Work plan Work-

packageNo[1]

Workpackage title Lead contracto

rNo[2]

Startmonth

[3]

Endmonth

[4]

Deliv-erableNo[5]

TOTAL




[1] Please indicate the nature of the deliverable using one of the following codes:R = ReportP = PrototypeD = DemonstratorO = Other

[1] Please indicate the dissemination level using one of the following codes:PU = PublicPP = Restricted to other programme participants (including the Commission Services).RE = Restricted to a group specified by the consortium (including the Commission Services).CO = Confidential, only for members of the consortium (including the Commission Services).

DeliverableNo

Deliverable title Delivery date

Nature Disseminationlevel




Workpackage number Start date or starting event:

Workpackage title

Participant id

Person-months per participant:

Objectives

(Why and What)

Description of work

(How, which tasks)

Deliverables

(What is delivered)




Milestones and expected result

(when and what)

Individual partner contributions (who and how much)

WP Company Contribution Expected result Start Stop Person months

1100

1100

1100



How to write Part B: B7 – Other issues

B.7.1. If there are ethical or gender issues associated with the subject of the proposal, show they have been adequately taken into account - indicate which national and international regulations are applicable and explain how they will be respected. (For gender issues see annex 4). Explore potential ethical aspects of the implementation of project results. Include the Ethical issues checklist given below (No recommended length – depends on the number of such other issues which the project involves).B.7.2. Are there other EC-policy related issues, and are they taken into account? Demonstrate a readiness to engage with actors beyond the research to help spread awareness and knowledge and to explore the wider societal implications of the proposed work; if relevant set out synergies with education at all levels. (No recommended length – depends on the number of such other issues which the project involves).






Thank you for your attention!

2 nd Training-Seminar - Bratislava 28.01.2005 How to write a successful proposal: A German SME’s...

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