How Atlas streamlines the application process for European agri-food promotion programmes
At Atlas Marketing Studio, we specialize in European agri-food promotion programmes. Not only do we offer support in the proposal drafting and preparation process before the submission, but we also have extensive experience in implementing these types of programmes. For the last few years, we have been the implementing body for five different multi-promotion programmes.
What does it take to submit a multi agri-food promotion programme?
The steps to prepare a proposal to promote your agro-food products are as follows:
1.- Finding the perfect partner
Within the types of programmes that you can apply to from the European Commission to receive up to 80% co-funding and promote your agri-food products, in markets inside and outside the EU, we specialise in multi agri-food promotion programmes in which European partners from different member states submit a joint application.
Why MULTI programmes? In this type of European agri-food promotion programmes, the approval rate is higher than in SIMPLE programmes. In fact, in 2023, 100% of MULTI programmes were approved by the European Commission.
Therefore, finding the right partner to align your interests with is key to the success of your campaign. This first point is one of the main concerns of our clients when submitting their application and Atlas offers the necessary support in the matchmaking process as we have an extensive network of contacts within the agri-food sector around Europe.
2.- Collection of administrative documents
At this stage, the preparation of administrative documents can be time-consuming. Therefore, it’s important to be mindful of the process to ensure timely completion. Some of the necessary documents that the European Commission will request from any organisation applying for a European agri-food promotion programme include:
- PIC number;
- Legal entity form;
- Legal representative ID card/document;
- Financial capacity information;
- Description(s) of the Proposing Organisation(s);
- List of all EU-funded projects for the last 3 years;
- Activity reports of previous year;
- CVs of the internal staff;
- Any other relevant information specific to the project.
3.- Obtaining your PIC number
To participate in a call for proposals or tenders via eSubmission, your organisation must be registered and have a Participant Identification Code (PIC). This 9-digit code should always be used in correspondence with the European Commission and it is requested on the Funding and Tenders Portal.
The steps to obtain the PIC number for your agri-food organisation are as follows:
- Create a user account on the Funding and Tenders Portal of the EC;
- Verify your organisation’s registration in the Participant Register;
- Prepare the necessary information: administrative, legal, and contact data;
- Initiate the application in the Participant Register;
- Provide your organisation’s data and legal information;
- Define authorised users to update registered data;
- Review and obtain your PIC number.
4.- Decisions on key aspects of the proposal
The first decisions the European organisations involved in the submission of European agri-food promotion programmes include:
- identifying target markets for the promotion programme;
- deciding the duration of the programme (12 to 36 months);
- establishing the annual budget;
- determining the appropriate topic for presentation;
- confirming the activities they would like to carry out, in each target country;
- the message they would like to send across.
It’s crucial to have a clear idea of the above points to develop a strong and coherent proposal.
5.- Optimising budget allocation
In the context of proposal development, the budget serves as a critical component that demands careful attention. It must precisely capture the costs linked to planned actions while aligning with target markets. This ensures effective resource allocation, guarding against proposals that fail to meet market demands.
Hence, a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics, culture, economic situation, etc. are indispensable when working on the proposal budget. At Atlas, we meticulously address these aspects leading up to the application deadline for your European agri-food promotion programme, striving to secure 80% co-funding.
The process of putting together all the information to shape the proposal, collect the admin docs, draft the proposal, work on the detailed budget, submit the proposal and address the additional information requests from the European Commission, usually take between 5-7 months of work so it’s something that needs to be done carefully, by a team of prepared professionals who will guide and support you along the way. And Atlas is a great partner for your entity in all this.
Reach out to us if you have questions or are considering getting funds for your organisation through European funding to promote your agri-food products, we will be delighted to help and support you all the way. Email us at hello@atlasmarketingstudio.com
