Information on European funding programs: what their goal is and how to find what you need.
European programs represent the main tool through which the EU implements its own policies: the European Institutions set the policy priorities and finance the best and most innovative projects that come from the citizens (public institutions, civil society organizations, enterprises, etc). Thereby, funds managed directly by the EU -"direct fundings" or "grants"- are disbursed.
The EU's seven-year financial framework sets the allocation of Community resources to implement the European policies. We are currently in the course of the 2021-2027 programming period. When the EU makes available the financial resources to pursue a given program, it publishes a "call for proposals". The call includes the reference program and all the details regarding the proposals that can be accepted. It is possible to submit a Proposal since the release of the tender/invitation. Within the Programs - generally of a multiannual period, corresponding to the European financial framework - there is usually a call planning which allows to prepare a proposal in plenty of time. This planning is usually announced during events organized by the EU itself or by the specialized national agencies. There are currently around 150 funding programs launched by the Commission and over 200 calls for proposals are published in the Official Journal of the European Communities each year. Being informed promptly about the publication of these calls for proposals is both an opportunity and a challenge for the local authority. It is an opportunity as it allows to get substantial financial resources, and a challenge, as the size and complexity of the reference documents are not easy to find and consult. In order to make this opportunity effective and to facilitate the task of Local Authorities, Punto Europa has decided to create an efficient online real-time reporting system for outgoing calls for proposals. In addition to the directly managed funds, there are also the "indirectly managed funds", better known as "Structural Funds", which are the tool through which the EU implements its regional or cohesion policy, with the aim of helping the less developed Euopean regions by reducing economic inequalities. These funds are managed at national and regional level. Moreover, this section provides information and links to facilitate the retrieval of information on European funding programmes ("databases" section) and the possibility of organising Eu project management courses.