Overview of Grundtvig Project Application and Selection Criteria

1. GRUNDTVIG PROJECTS Overview of Application Procedure and Selection Criteria. Grundtvig Contact Seminar Malta : 10th-13th October 2002

2. Overview GRUNDTVIG 1 Transnational Cooperation Projects GRUNDTVIG 2 Learning Partnerships • What’s the Difference? • Application Procedure • Application dates • Financial Agreement • Project orientation • Project Life Cycle • What’s the Similarity? • Action Priorities • Priority Target Group • Project Management Elements • Eligibility Criteria

3. GRUNDTVIG 1 Centralised 2 phase application procedure Deadlines - 1st November & 1st March Financial Agreement between the Coordinator and the Commission. Product based projects. GRUNDTVIG 2 Decentralised 1 phase application procedure 1 Deadline – 1st March Financial Agreement between every partner and the National Agency. Process based projects. The Difference between the two Measures

4. Differences in the Project Life Cycle Grundtvig 1 • Pre-proposal application • Selection of pre-proposals (with external experts) • Full proposal • Selection of full proposals (with external experts) • Contract with the Commission • First instalment of grant • Interim report  Second instalment of grant • Final report • text & outputs (assessment by external experts) • financial • Final instalment of grant

5. Differences in the Project Life Cycle Grundtvig 2 • One-stage application to be sent to the National Agency. • Selection taken on a decentralized level in an inter-agency consultation. • 3 countries/ organisations involved need to be evaluated positively to receive a contract. • Renewal Application each year. • Some parts of the application e.g BUDGET, will be filled in by the coordinator ONLY and a copy given to the partners to include in their application to their National Agency, while other parts will be filled in separately by each participating organisation.

6. The Similarities • The Grundtvig ACTION PRIORITIES are similar for Grundtvig 1 and 2. • To encourage the European dimension of life-long learning through enhanced transnational co-operation and partnerships. • To improve and facilitate access to learning provisions for people who, at whatever stage of their life, want to acquire new knowledge and skills. • Put the adult learner in the center of the learning process

7. Grundtvig Themes & Priorities ( cont…) • Promoting equality between women and men • Integration of disabled people • Contributing to the fight against racism and xenophobia • Helping to offset the effects of socio-economic disadvantage • Exploiting the full educational potential of ICT • Language teaching and learning • Promoting the less widely used and less taught EU languages (for language projects)

8. Grundtvig Priorities (cont…) • Learning for Active Citizenship • Social Inclusion • Employability • Teaching and Learning Methods • Information and Guidance Services • Supply and Demand

9. Priorities target groups • Adult learners with special educational needs • Adults lacking basic education and qualifications; • Adults living in rural or disadvantaged areas, or who are disadvantaged for socio-economic reasons • Other ‘hard to reach’ groups who are not prone to take part in adult learning or lifelong learning initiatives.

10. Project Management Elements • Formation and Maintenance of effective Project teams. • Initiation, launch or kick-off meetings. • Evaluation and Appraisal of Impact • Dissemination strategies • Methods of monitoring progress • European Dimension • Experience exchange enabling mutual reflection and learning. • Outputs and products which can be used at a transnational level.

11. Eligibility Criteria (principles) • Are defined in the Guidelines for Applicants, in the Calls for proposals and in the application forms and Constitute the minimal and absolute requirements for acceptance of a grant application. • Submission by the specified closing date (postmark) • Using the correct Application Forms, Typed or word processed • Signed by duly authorised person • Written in one of the 11 official languages • The institutions which are co-ordinators or partners in projects must: • belong to one of the types of eligible institutions for each Socrates Action; • be sufficient in number and comprise at least one EU Member State for each partnership; • be located within one of the EU, EEA or associated countries

12. Top 10 Barriers to Success • From an analysis of 175 project Adult Education Projects , these are the most common barriers which coordinators and partners need to guard against or overcome. • The project is complex and over-ambitious. • The topic is not suitable for transnational work • There is a lacking of shared understanding and commitment amongst the partners. • There are cultural and linguistic barriers to working together which the partners fail to overcome. • The project is not based on a needs analysis - or at least a proper rationale. • The work plan is vague and does not allocate tasks sensibly. • The project budget is badly constructed with insufficient allowance in it for the costs of producing materials and of dissemination. • Commission notified decisions, e.g budget cuts. • There are problems with IT, including inadequate hardware and lack of technical expertise. • Senior managers in the partner institutions do not back the project.