Management / Project Management

Securing External Funding — EU Funds, National Funds and Grants: Writing Applications and Settlement (2 Days)

Two-day training on securing external funding — funding sources (EU, national, private), project needs analysis, application structure, budgeting and cost eligibility, case studies (successes and mistakes), activity schedule and milestones, expert evaluation criteria, monitoring and reporting, calls for proposals and grant platforms. Consultations on participants' ideas.

External funding: there is a gap between a “good idea” and a “good application”

A good project idea without a good application will not get funding. And a good idea that is poorly described loses to a weaker one that is better written. The problem: most organizations write applications reactively (“there is a call, so let’s apply”), without a needs analysis, a consistent theory of change, a realistic schedule or indicators that can actually be measured. Experts read hundreds of applications — and reject those that sound vague, have gaps in the budget or milestones that cannot be achieved.

Two-day training: Day 1 — funding sources (EU, national, private), needs analysis (problem tree, theory of change), application structure, budgeting and cost eligibility, case studies. Day 2 — schedule and milestones, expert evaluation criteria, monitoring and reporting, sustainability, grant platforms, individual consultations on participants’ ideas.

Who is this training for?

For people who plan to apply for external funding or already do so with limited success. Especially if:

You write applications, but they get low scores or are rejected — and you want to understand what is missing
Your organization wants to scale up its fundraising and you are looking for a systematic approach
You are planning a specific project (you know WHAT you want to do) and are looking for a suitable source and application structure
You manage a funded project and problems arise with settlement, reporting or audits

Two days: from idea to settlement

Day 1: The idea and the application — sources (EU, national, private), needs analysis, application structure, costs and eligibility, case studies, an application outline for your own idea.

Day 2: Implementation and settlement — schedule, evaluation criteria, monitoring, reporting, audits, sustainability, grant platforms, individual consultations on ideas.

With over 2,500 trainings in our portfolio, EITT is a trusted partner in developing project management competencies. Contact us — we run this training as an open course and as a closed course for NGOs, local government units, public institutions and companies.

Benefits

Identify suitable funding sources for different types of projects (investment, research, training, infrastructure, social)
Analyze project needs using the problem tree and theory of change
Write funding applications with a consistent structure, SMART objectives and indicators
Build a project budget in line with cost eligibility rules
Plan a realistic schedule with milestones and a buffer for risks
Carry out monitoring and reporting in line with the requirements of managing authorities

Who is this training for?

Project coordinators in organizations applying for funding (NGOs, local government units, companies, cultural institutions)

Finance and accounting staff responsible for settling grant-funded projects

Project managers preparing applications for FENG, KPO, FERS and Horizon Europe calls

Local government staff applying for EU and national funds for their units

Development specialists in non-governmental organizations, foundations and associations

Entrepreneurs and start-ups planning to apply for grants for research, innovation and expansion

Prerequisites

Experience in running projects or an intention to apply for external funding
A project idea (or a subject area) that can be developed during the workshops
Basic knowledge of the activities of the participant's organization

Training program

Funding sources — EU funds (FENG, FERS, KPO, Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, Interreg), national funds (NCBiR, NCN, PARP, NFOŚiGW, BGK), private funds (corporate CSR, foundations, international grants), crowdfunding and fundraising
How to analyze project needs — problem diagnosis, problem tree, identifying the target group, SMART objectives, theory of change
Matching the idea to the call — analyzing the rules, evaluation criteria, typical eligibility conditions, partnership (when it is required)
Writing applications — structure (summary, rationale, objectives, activities, schedule, budget, sustainability), style and quality of the text, typical mistakes (lack of consistency, objectives that are too general, imprecise indicators)
Budgeting and cost eligibility — cost categories (staff, goods and services, equipment, indirect costs), unit rates, lump sums, the principle of due diligence
Case study — analysis of applications that received funding (what made the difference) and of rejected applications (typical mistakes)
Exercise: participants prepare an application outline for their own project idea

Activity schedule and milestones — how to plan realistically, time buffers, dependencies between tasks, project risks
Project evaluation by experts — what they pay attention to (consistency, indicators, feasibility, costs, team), how to write to the criteria, typical pitfalls
Monitoring and reporting — output and result indicators, reporting tools (SL2014, LSI), frequency and format of reports, supporting documentation
Project implementation checks — inspections by the managing authority, audits, consequences of irregularities, financial corrections, recovery of funds
Project sustainability — what sustainability is, how to plan and document it, the risk of losing funding after the project ends
Calls for proposals and grant platforms — Baza Konkurencyjności, institutional platforms (PARP, NFOŚiGW, MFiPR), the European Funds portal, grant search tools (European and national)
Consultations and discussion of participants' ideas — the trainer comments individually on project ideas and suggests suitable calls and next steps

Delivery Methods

Online

Convenience of participating from anywhere
Interactive live sessions with trainer
Materials available for 30 days
No travel costs

On-site

Direct contact with trainer and group
Intensive hands-on workshops
Networking with other participants
Full focus on learning

Training Topics

Frequently asked questions

Is the training for NGOs, local governments or companies?

For all three. Different sectors have access to different sources: NGOs — Active Citizens Fund, FERS, foundations; local governments — FENG, KPO, regional programs, NFOŚiGW; companies — FENG, PARP, NCBiR, Horizon Europe. The method of writing an application is universal, but during the training we cover the specifics of each segment and tailor the examples to the participants.

Do I need to come with a ready project idea?

It is not necessary, but it is STRONGLY recommended. Participants with a specific idea leave the training with a draft application and a suitable call identified. If you do not have an idea yet, we practice on prepared case studies, but you will get less out of it.

Does the training teach how to write applications for a specific call (e.g. FENG)?

No — we teach a universal METHOD (needs analysis, application structure, costs, schedule, indicators) that applies to most calls. We cover the specifics of particular calls (FENG, KPO, Horizon) through case studies. For detailed preparation for a specific call, we recommend separate consultations or specialist workshops.

How does the training cover reporting and settlement?

Day 2 is largely devoted to it — indicator monitoring, reporting tools (SL2014, LSI), audits, corrections and sustainability. For FENG we cover the basics of SL2014 and LSI as tools, but this is not a technical course on operating these systems — for that we recommend separate specialist trainings.

Will the trainer help me assess my idea?

Yes — in the consultation block (at the end of day 2) the trainer comments individually on participants' ideas: whether they fit current calls, what their weak points are and how to strengthen them. This is not a full expert analysis, but GUIDANCE from an experienced practitioner.

Will I receive a certificate after the training?

Yes, every participant receives a personalized certificate of completion issued by EITT.