Very often the limited knowledge of the terminology typical of the European tenders and programs can be a limit to the identification, by the interested parties, of financing opportunities appropriate to their own activities, thus representing an obstacle to the presentation of competitive project proposals coherent with the requests of the announcements.
Understanding the meaning of the key terms of the European project therefore becomes essential to face a conscious, effective and strategic planning process, which allows to correctly interpret the provisions of the European notice and to use, during the drafting phase of the project proposal, a language suitable to respond adequately to the assessor’s expectations.
It’s therefore necessary to speak the same language, and there is nothing more useful than a glossary to always keep at hand!
Let’s start to know the meaning of the terms from A to L …
Objective analysis: It’s a schematized representation in the form of a diagram that illustrates its resources and aims. It is always elaborated after a detailed analysis of the problems.
Cost/benefit analysis: It allows to evaluate the advantages and the effects of a project, verifying if with the realization of the intervention the interested groups get a benefit or a net cost.
Problem analysis: This is the first step in designing an intervention and consists in identifying the problems in a given situation.
Risk analysis: Analysis or estimation of factors that influence or could influence the achievement of the objectives of a project intervention.
Activity or action: Part of the work to be done during the project.
It is characterized by duration, cost and set of resources.
Call for proposal: It’s a formal document with which the European Commission invites to submit proposals/projects and establishes the criteria and methods of granting the funds, as well as the requirements of public and/or private subjects that can access them. These invitations are published in the GUCE series C (Official Journal of the European Community).
Direct beneficiaries: People who, thanks to the relationship with the target group, are reached by the specific objective. The beneficiaries of the loans must always fall into the categories provided for the eligible subjects.
Indirect beneficiaries: Subjects who, thanks to the existing relationship with the direct beneficiaries, are indirectly achieved by the specific objective and/or directly by the general objective.
Good practices: Examples of successful projects (or initiatives). Their function is to show the concrete achievement of the objectives set within the European programs, thus becoming useful points of reference for those who decide to start new projects.
Co-financing: Financing procedure that provides for the economic participation of the applicant, which is added to the financing of the paying agency and contributes to forming the final cost.
Direct costs: Costs incurred by the beneficiary of a Community grant linked directly to the implementation of the project.
Indirect costs: Costs not directly linked to the implementation of the project and incurred independently of the implementation of the project (for example: administration costs, office equipment, postage, telephone costs, etc.).
Time schedule: Schedule of the activities planned within the project and indicates the stages of the project implementation phases, both in terms of time duration and of succession of the actions.
Recipient: Natural or legal persons who benefit not only from the financing but also from the actions put in place and from the concrete results deriving from the specific action.
Dissemination: Dissemination of the results obtained from carrying out the project
Effectiveness: Ability to achieve the set objectives.
Efficiency: Relationship between means used and results achieved.
Eligibility: Project correspondence with the fundamental requisites required by the announcement.
Form: Scheme to be filled in to participate in a call for tenders, generally composed of: database of the proposer, description of the project, financial plan and dissemination plan.
GANNT: Describes the chronological development of the activity program
Grant: Direct financial contribution to finance an action intended to promote the realization of a European Union policy objective or the functioning of a body that pursues an aim of general European interest.
Impact: Indicates the influence of the project in the context of reference and its contribution to achieving the objectives of European policies.
Indicators: Qualitative or numerical descriptors used to measure the achievement of results.
Lead partner: Partner chosen to present the project proposal: it’s the contact person of the funding body who will guarantee the management of the project budget and will be the manager and coordinator of all related activities. The contractual responsibility for the project falls on them.
