When writing a proposal the concept note is the first step you are going to take. A lot of proposal writers neglect the importance of a detailed concept note. And in some cases, they don’t even know what to put in the concept note. There are specific things that need to be included and depending on the programme, the concept note can change.
Developing a proposal for the LIFE programme is not as easy as writing a KA1 for Erasmus+. The concept note cannot be larger than ten pages. In those ten pages, you will need to include the most important information about the project. You want to make the evaluators see the real value of your idea and the impact your project will have.
Important steps to follow
Some of the key elements that will need to be included in the concept note are the following. A well-identified environmental problem. The evaluator needs to understand what you want to work on. Your baseline needs to be clear. Exactly what will your starting point be? How will you explain and quantify the problem?
You need to provide the evaluator with clear actions. You know what the problem is, how it impacts societies, and how it can affect life. Now you need to provide a clear solution as to how you are planning on dealing with the problem.
Apart from listing all of your actions, you will need to clarify how they are going to help solve the problem and most importantly what will the cost be. These details will need to be discussed with your project partners if you have any.
You can always change parts of your idea
One of the most important things that you will need to remember regarding the concept note is that all details are adaptable. Once your concept note is approved by the evaluator you can make appropriate changes and add them to the proposal.
One of the mistakes you must watch out for in the concept note is adding too much information that are not necessary. Do not repeat yourselves over and over again. If you were the evaluator how would you view a concept not or a proposal like that? Be clear and completely to the point.
When applying, make sure that you will apply for the right projects. Each year the calls vary but if you stay tuned with the LIFE official website and the EU’s official website, you will notice that there are always preferences. For example, this year, the Circular Economy appears to play a pivotal role seeing as the European Green Deal is a key factor in Europe’s Action Plan for recovery.
Writing the concept note
When a lot of people are involved in the same process, things can get out of hand. Proposal writers have different writing styles and although at times they might reach the same conclusion, they might not agree as to how they will get there.
This could harm the concept note in terms of the time of delivery as well as the quality of work. For smaller proposals, one person is enough to write the concept note. When the projects are bigger or transnational it is normal to co-create and add more people to the “equation”, always keeping in mind that each person should only offer their expertise to avoid conflicts.
Last but not least, when the concept note is ready, it needs to be proofread by someone. That person must be familiar with the programme and EU projects in general but it would be better if they are not part of the consortium.
Moving on to the proposal
After your concept note has been submitted, evaluated and approved, you need to start working on your proposal. The concept note, in this case, will act as a preapproved proposal draft which means that now you have to start giving more details about your idea.
As it is with the concept note, you don’t want to repeat yourselves in the proposal or give information without any value. Describe the problem using data as well as figures. Set out your actions. Cost those actions accurately.
Clarify the impact of your proposal and the potential results as well as the sustainability of your idea. It needs to be valid even after it is finished.
Submitting the proposal
Remember that you need to ensure you meet all the qualifications to submit your proposal. LIFE has added additional measures to make the application process as easy as possible. Make sure that you are going to check them out and submit your proposal on time.
LIFE is a major European programme. The impact of every proposal needs to be significant. If you have a substantial idea with accurate results and an important impact, start working on your proposal today!
