How to get your project approved in the next calls for funding?

Now is a good time to prepare your project ideas for the next calls for funding. Following the advice here and using the support available will give you a good chance for increasing your chances of success. However, there is no golden rule for getting your project application approved. But hey, we are here to help you avoid any pitfalls in developing your project application and support you on the way!

Where to begin your journey?

Read the Programme’s written guidance carefully and watch our videos of applicant seminars, which contain information on the programme topics and rules. The first step is to reflect on whether you have the same needs as well as jurisdiction and competence to work on the selected challenge. If you do, we welcome you to start developing your project idea and observe the specific rules for the type of project you wish to apply for (regular project or small project).

Note that the Central Baltic Programme funds cross-border projects from the participating regions in Estonia, Finland including Åland, Latvia and Sweden. A detailed list of participating areas by country can be found in the Programme Manual (Chapter 3.1 Who can be a partner?).

What is the Monitoring Committee really looking for?

The Monitoring Committee decides whether to approve or reject your project based on the Joint Secretariat’s assessment and sets any conditions that need to be met before contracting. What does our Monitoring Committee expect in the applications to be submitted for future calls?

Result-orientation

The Monitoring Committee is looking for result-oriented projects, which help the Programme reach the set objectives and the defined indicators. It means that your project must clearly fit under one Programme Objective and the results of the project must contribute to fulfilling the indicators of that specific Programme Objective.

The descriptions of the 7 Programme Objectives in the Programme Manual on the website include examples of the types of activities and expected results. Please note that basic research is not funded by the programme. Think of any relevant activity that clearly requires cross-border cooperation and will contribute strongly to achieving the expected result – it can then be considered for funding.

Relevant and viable partnership

Every project must always produce cross-border added value i.e., results which cannot be reached by implementing the project on a national level but require international cooperation. Therefore, organisations apply for project funding as part of a partnership.

Every partnership in a project must include at least two partners from two different countries. The need for cross-border cooperation must be clear and the partnership viable. Make sure you involve the relevant partners, meaning those with the required competence and contacts in each country. Remember that our national Contact Points can assist you with finding partners in their respective countries. Their contact information can be found on the website.

All partners must cooperate on joint development and joint implementation of the project. It is not enough for each partner to act independently and exchange results afterwards. The partnership will be assessed on whether it has the capacity and ability to achieve the expected result in each participating country.

Quality applications

The quality of the project applications is the focus of the assessors and Monitoring Committee members who take the decisions. All potential lead partners, even those with experience in the Central Baltic Programme before, are strongly recommended to consult with the Joint Secretariat staff and national Contact Points to get feedback on the project idea and its suitability to the Programme. Their contact information can be found on the programme website. The Monitoring Committee reflects that project idea consultations help to shape strong applications with a higher chance of approval.

Start by filling in the project idea form and sending it to the relevant project manager at the Joint Secretariat to receive initial feedback and agree on a consultation time for a more detailed discussion. The applicants are strongly expected to take into account the advice and feedback received from our team to ensure that the project application meets the programme objectives.

Last but not least, the Monitoring Committee approves projects based on the assessment methodology, once the quality threshold is exceeded. The methodology and the criteria are also good references for the applicant to self-assess the project idea/application. See the Programme Manual for more information (Chapter 3.4 Application and assessment procedures).

We hope this helps you to get started!
We are here to support you in creating a positive change in our regions!
Do not hesitate to get in touch with us.