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–Centre Européen des Régions (IEAP-CER)
–European Centre for the Regions (EIPA-ECR)

Subject:
Practical seminars on “How to Develop a Convincing Project Strategy for
EU Funding: Do’s & Don’ts for Local and Regional Actors”,
Barcelona (ES), 23, 24 and 25 May 2007 and 1, 2 and 3 October 2007
Dear Sir/Madam,
The European Centre for the Regions (EIPA-ECR) – the Barcelona Antenna of the
European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) – is pleased to announce a series of
practical seminars entitled “How to Develop a Convincing Project Strategy for EU
Funding: Do’s & Don’ts for Local and Regional Actors”. The first activity is scheduled
to take place on 23, 24 and 25 May in Barcelona (ES).
This newly developed “product” of the ECR aims to take stock of the needs (dos & don’ts)
of local and regional actors regarding the new funding period 2007-2013, and aims to equip
the participants with the “new skills” required to improve their performance in developing a
project strategy and their capacities in absorbing funds. As commonly known, there is a
wide range of support initiatives and each EU action has its own objectives and specific
characteristics; however, the “basic rules of the game” show an increasingly harmonised
pattern. All these matters will be addressed at this 2.5-day seminar.
Through a variety of training methods, the EIPA-ECR, with its public and private partners
(“Partnership is key!”), will provide practical advice on the guiding principles and rules
when it comes to preparing a bid for EU funding.

For further information, please find enclosed the programme, more details on the course
objectives and target groups, some general information and the registration form. We would
be most grateful if you could circulate this information among any other persons who may
be interested in this seminar. Up-to-date information on this event can also be found on
EIPA’s website
Should you have any queries about the practical organisation of the seminar, please contact
Ms. Caroline Layous Dit Chicoy (tel.: +34/ 93 567 24 18; fax: +34/ 93 567 23 56; e-mail:
[email protected]), who will provide you with any further details you may require.
We very much look forward to welcoming you to Barcelona.
Yours faithfully,
–Centre Européen des Régions (IEAP-CER)
–European Centre for the Regions (EIPA-ECR)
Series of practical seminars
HOW TO DEVELOP A CONVINCING
PROJECT STRATEGY FOR EU FUNDING:
DO’S & DON’TS FOR LOCAL AND REGIONAL ACTORS
Barcelona (ES)
23, 24 and 25 May 2007 and 1, 2 and 3 October 2007
European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) -
European Centre for the Regions (EIPA-ECR), Barcelona (ES)
INTRODUCTION


Introductory remarks and objectives
Based on the co-funding principle, EU aid and programmes constitute a rich well of resources
for European municipalities and regions. The final decision for the new programming period
2007-2013 came late, which does not mean however that EU financial involvement in all the
Member States will decrease. On the contrary, there are hundreds of EU support actions
available to regional and local players.
In this sense, the funds’ pot is big, with room for the renewed cohesion policy instruments
(ERDF, ESF, CF) and a budget exceeding 308,000 MEUR (much higher than the budget of the
previous period), room for the instruments of the VIIth Framework Programme (53,000
MEUR), or those of other initiatives which are less known such as ENPI, IPA CBCs, LIFE
programmes or very specific, such as the new instruments JASPERS, JEREMIE and JESSICA
instruments that include funding from international financial institutions (e.g. European
Investment Bank), and many others.
This is a wide range indeed, but one should not forget that there are new transversal elements
such as the Strategy for Growth and Jobs (the “New Lisbon Strategy”). This new strategy will
influence the access to aid, since for the new period its objectives should be reflected in the
proposals requesting EU funding.
For all these reasons and given the value of the funds and the new scenario represented by the
new programming period, local and regional players should be well prepared to seize this
opportunity. Each programme or initiative has its own objectives or specific characteristics, but
as far as the “basic rules of the game” are concerned (e.g. submission of proposal or offers,
management and invoicing, etc.) elements converge and show a harmonised pattern.

Target group
If you work in a regional or local public administration, authority or body and are involved in
or in charge of the design, development, implementation and impact assessment of projects
subject to compliance with European fund resources, this practical seminar will be of great
added value to you. The seminar will also be of particular interest to those persons, NGOs,
associations, university departments and consultants that are planning – for the first time – to
apply for such EU tenders and calls for proposal with their project ideas (“every region,
municipality or body has something to offer”) and would therefore like to gain both insight,
knowledge and know-how to make their application and project performance a success. In
addition, it will offer them the opportunity to network with peers with the same interest and
give them the potential to identify new partners for future projects.
Method
Through a variety of training methods (i.e. short lectures and presentations, including concrete
examples, group discussions and interactive exercises preparing real cases) this seminar will
address many issues and provide participants with practical advice and techniques as well as
allow them to exchange experiences so as to enable them to produce a convincing proposal, to
establish sustainable local and regional partnerships and strategies and align them to the Lisbon
targets, to build capacities and communicate results, and hence to develop added-value projects
for their territory. It will allow local and regional participants to quickly grasp the most relevant
guiding principles and rules when it comes to preparing a bid for EU funding and to increasing
absorption capacity.

EIPA/ECR seminar team and visiting experts (in alphabetical order):

Tony Bass (IE), Seconded National Expert to EIPA Maastricht; Former Ministerial Press
Officer and Spokesperson for the Irish Presidency (to be confirmed)
Gian-Luca Bombarda (IT), CEO, JCPsrl Reggio Emilia, Italy

Alexander Heichlinger (AT), Senior Lecturer & Project Leader, EIPA-ECR Barcelona

Eduardo Sánchez Monjo (ES), Director, EIPA-ECR Barcelona
Peter Török (HU), Managing Director, Pillars Consulting Ltd, Budapest

Xavier Tiana (ES), Head of European Affairs Office, Diputació de (Province of) Barcelona

Martin Wyrwich (DE), Director, Tendersmith Consultancy, Augsburg
Michal Zietara (PL), Technical Assistance Operational Program 2007-2013, Polish Ministry of
Regional Development; Member of the Community Support Framework Committee, Warsaw
N.N. (ES), Representative of Catalan Government, Barcelona

Registration (online or by fax) and practical information:

Caroline Layous Dit Chicoy, Programme Organiser, EIPA-ECR Barcelona;
Tel.: +34/93 567 24 18
Fax: +34/93 567 23 56
Email: Website:

PROGRAMME
First day

09.00
Official welcome, opening of the seminar and delivery of the seminar tool
kit
Introduction to the programme, objectives and methodology
Alexander Heichlinger
Participants’ expectations of the course
I. Setting the scene:
The Lisbon Strategy as the overarching framework for the period 2007-2013
The role of local and regional governance in delivering sustainable growth
and better jobs: Innovative policies and practices
II. Setting the frame of a project: Prior conditions and ex-ante steps
Basic rules, definitions and terminology of EU projects, call for proposals
and tenders
The A-Z of a project dossier for EU funding: ToR, call for proposals and its
concept note, call for tenders and its forecast & procurement notice,
selection procedure and criteria, etc.
Peter Török
Question & answer (Q&A) session
Joint lunch at a Barcelona restaurant Developing a convincing idea/proposal and a sound concept to apply for
funding
Martin Wyrwich
III. Bottom-up development for regional/local project settings
Creation and functioning of international regional/local partnerships as an
integrated part of regional/local development – Critical success factors
Alexander Heichlinger
How to participate in this process: Partner finding, consortium building,
partnership agreements, methodology and task development
Q&A session

Second day

IV. Blueprint for project management once a project has been awarded
Hands-on project cycle management tools / Logical framework approach:
analytical and planning tools for project implementation
Martin Wyrwich
Financial rules and mechanisms: Invoicing, reviewing, auditing, etc.
V. Valuable “accompanying tools” for the right project direction
Assessment tools for project performance and impact monitoring (ex-ante,
mid-term and ex-post)
Alexander Heichlinger
Promoting EU projects (results) in the region – Visibility provisions and
how to effectively disseminate the project (results)

13.30 Q&A
Joint lunch at a Barcelona restaurant VI. From theory to practice: An example from practice
Workshop: discussion, in (small) groups, of a project idea and developing it
into an EU funding application (instructions and assistance will be provided by
the various experts)
Conducted by Gian-Luca Bombarda
End of the second day (groups may stay longer if they wish) Official seminar dinner in a Barcelona restaurant
Third day

09.30
Presentation of workshop results per group (by an appointed spokesperson)
Continuation
Final panel: debriefing, analysis and review of the exercise by the experts
and practitioners from the regions
Gian-Luca Bombarda, Xavier Tiana and others
Official close and issuing of EIPA seminar certificates to participants
Afternoon (optional) Walking and sightseeing tour of the city of Barcelona (approx. 2 hrs) GENERAL INFORMATION

Seminar venue
Sala de Actos
Catalan School of Public Administration (EAPC)
Calle Girona, 20
ES-08010 Barcelona
Working language
English and Spanish (with simultaneous interpretation provided).
Fee
The participation fee is € 750 and includes documentation, coffee breaks, 2 lunches, a dinner,
certificate of attendance and a walking sight-seeing. Accommodation and travel costs are at the
expense of the participants or their administration.
Payment before 23 May is a condition for participation. Please indicate the method of
payment on the registration form. For cancellations received after 16 of May we will have to
charge an administration fee of € 150 unless an alternative participant is nominated.
Deadline for registration: 16 May 2007

Hotel reservations
The ECR will be pleased to make reservations for you at a hotel in Barcelona.
Hotel Europark***
(Aragó, 325 - Tel.: +34/93 457 92 05)
€ 87 Single room, € 90 Double room for single use, € 108 Double room,
€ 10 breakfast buffet (optional).
Hotel Soho *** (superior)
(Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 543/545 - Tel.: +34/93 552 96 10)
€ 110 Double room for single use (including breakfast),
€ 120 Double room (including breakfast),
7% VAT is not included in these fares.
Should you wish to make use of this possibility, please indicate the name of the hotel and the
dates of arrival and departure on the registration form. Payment is to be made directly and
personally to the hotel on checking out. Please note that if you register after the closing date,
hotel reservations cannot be guaranteed.
Information and Registration
Caroline Layous Dit Chicoy, Programme Organiser
European Institute of Public Administration – European Centre for the Regions
C/ Girona, 20 / 08010 - Barcelona
Tel.: + 34/ 93 567 24 18; Fax.: +34/ 93 567 23 56;
e-mail: [email protected]
You can also submit the online registration form which can be found on EIPA’s web site:
.
Confirmation
Confirmation of registration will be forwarded to participants on receipt of the completed
registration form and after the 16 May 2007.
Should you wish to inform us of any changes in your work or address details, or should you no longer be
interested in receiving any information from EIPA, please send us an e-mail.

Source: http://www.ptapde.gr/news/EIPA_info.pdf