10 tips for a successful EU educational funding

There are various EU education and training funding programmes for people of different age groups and backgrounds. There are opportunities for formal, non-formal and informal learning with a European dimension.

NGOs, educational institutions, public or private entities looking into the prospect of developing a project can make use of various types of EU educational funding available to implement it.

The following are 10 tips one should consider when applying for funds managed by the EU Programmes Agency (EUPA)on behalf of the EuropeanCommission:

1. Decide on your objectives and targets of the project. This might be a simple task if you already know what you want, but translating it onto paper might take some time until you identify your objectives, target groups and how you intend to reach them in a realistic manner;

2. If the project is to be implemented within the framework of an entity, it is very important to share and discuss your proposals both within the organisation, and outside with potential partners and/or stakeholders. For Erasmus funding, one should always consult with the international office of thebenefitting institution;

3. Always keep up-to-date with programme deadlines and procedural updates. The EUPA website (www.eupa.org.mt) is updated on a regular basis with current call for application deadlines;

4. Be on the lookout for information meetings for the programmes you are interested in. Attending meetings organised by the EUPA is vital, as these will answer most frequently asked questions that you might have before you start filling in the application form;

5. Most recent application forms are found on the EUPA programmes sections in their respective website. For example, the Lifelong Learning Programme (including Comenius, Grundtvig, Leonardo da Vinci, Erasmus and Study Visits) application forms and other related documentation are found at the ‘Resources’ section of the website www.llp.eupa.org.mt.

For Youth in Action, these are found at the ‘Downloads’ section at www.yia.eupa.org.mt.

6. If the application form is in .pdf format, one has to apply online first before submitting the application as a hard copy. After filling in the form, one has to click on the icon ‘Submit online’ on the last page of the application.

Once this online submission is confirmed, you can proceed with the printing and submission to the national agency at 36, Old Mint Street, Valletta;

7. Submit application forms – both online and as a hard copy – within stipulated timeframes and deadlines. Always check in advance what additional documents are needed with the application form when submitting the hard copy. One original and two identical copies are needed and these must all be spiral bound separately;

8. Do not wait until the last minute to apply. When submitting, the officer at the agency will check that all documents have been inserted correctly. Since deadlines are strictly enforced throughout all agencies acrossthe EU, one might not have the time to hand in missing documents and this would make the application ineligible;

9. Make sure you acknowledge received e-mails and letters. This helps the agency verify that you actually received messages successfully;

10. For any further clarifications, call the agency on 2558 6130 during office hours or e-mail eupa@gov.mt.