Discover practical examples from organisations across Europe on accessing EU funding, working with Managing Authorities, overcoming challenges and making projects sustainable.
Country: Czech Republic
Organisation: Slezská diakonie
Focus: Developing a strong project proposal
About the practice:
Housing First provides an example of how EU funding was used to develop an integrated, person-centred approach to tackling homelessness.
What worked
A clear focus on identified needs, a well-defined project approach and cooperation between relevant partners helped support successful implementation.
Country: Spain
Organisation: Fundación ONCE
Focus: Building successful partnerships
About the practice
Unidiversity brought together social organisations, universities and employers to develop an inclusive education and employment initiative supported by EU funding.
What worked
Strong cooperation between partners, combining different areas of expertise and maintaining links with employers helped make the initiative successful.
Country: Sweden
Organisation: Swedish City Missions
Focus: Developing and testing new approaches
About the practice
The initiative used EU funding to develop and test new approaches to labour market integration through cooperation between different organisations and sectors.
What worked
A strong partnership approach, local testing and the opportunity to adapt the approach based on experience supported the project's implementation and development.
Country: Finland
Organisation: Oulu Deaconess Institute
Focus: Involving beneficiaries in project design
About the practice
The project worked with the Roma community to improve health and wellbeing while involving community members in planning and implementation.
What worked
Direct involvement of the target community helped shape the project around real needs and strengthened participation in its implementation.
Country: Spain, Portugal and France
Organisation: MOAI LABS / INTRAS Foundation
Focus: Support during the application process
About the practice
MOAI LABS highlights the importance of guidance and capacity-building when developing EU-funded projects.
What worked
Training, dissemination activities and personalised guidance from national Managing Authorities during the proposal stage helped organisations better navigate the process and access EU funding.
Country: Portugal
Organisation: AD&C and Managing Authorities / Intermediate Bodies
Focus: Making funding information easier to access
About the practice
Portugal created a national Funds Desk and Funds Line to provide information and support to organisations applying for and managing European funding.
What worked
A centralised support service gives applicants access to information, answers and guidance through several channels, including phone, webform, chatbot and video calls.
Country: Czech Republic
Organisation: Kraj Vysočina
Focus: Working effectively with Managing Authorities
About the practice
The Vysočina Region maintained active communication and cooperation with its Managing Authority throughout the project.
What worked
Regular consultation and open communication helped the partners find solutions together and made project documentation and reporting smoother.
Country: Poland
Organisation: Association for Regional Cooperation
Focus: Building successful project partnerships
About the practice
SWR secured EUR 420,000 through the Regional Operational Programme for a project supporting Ukrainian refugees and creating employment opportunities.
What worked
An in-person networking and information day brought consortium members together before the project started, helping them understand the project structure and identify potential collaborations.
Country: Portugal
Organisation: Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa
Focus: Project planning and management
About the practice
Live2Work provides an example of how clear planning and organised project management can support the delivery of an EU-funded project.
What worked
Clear roles, effective communication, defined milestones and thorough preparation helped partners coordinate their work and address issues during implementation.
Country: Czech Republic
Organisation: Association of Social Care Providers of the Czech Republic
Focus: Building organisational capacity
About the practice
The initiative developed quality audits in social services while creating opportunities for continued learning and knowledge sharing.
What worked
Clearly defined roles and responsibilities, combined with ongoing access to resources, seminars and online materials, supported consistent implementation and quality assurance.
Country: Finland
Organisation: Caritas Finland
Focus: Building partnerships
About the practice
The project brought together people with disabilities, employers and educational institutions to support access to the open labour market.
What worked
Cooperation between different stakeholders helped connect employment support with employers' needs and create opportunities for people with disabilities.
Country: Romania
Organisation: Fundatia Filantropia Timisoara
Focus: Building capacity for future funding and policy work
About the practice
The project brought together NGOs and public authorities to strengthen skills and develop proposals in the field of health policy.
What worked
A structured working group, capacity-building activities and cooperation with public administration helped build the organisations' ability to participate in policy development and future initiatives.
