InnovationLab – Civic Training for Sustainable Projects

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2025-2026

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Redefining Project Proposals – from idea to action

Workshop 1 - 8 Nov 2025

Training 📋

Item 1: Project idea - How to discover if your project does fit the open call, programme priorities and expected results

It all starts from an idea. Your project idea can get funding from national and international bodies that fund sustainability and climate-related projects.

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But besides a great idea, you also need:

• A good understanding of the sustainability concept and how it works in your field/ domain of work;
• Capacity and know-how to implement it;
• A team or a consortium to lead through the whole project;
• Ability to manage expenditures and revenues;
• A clear and measurable impact;
• Clear communication towards the public;
• A good coordination between all stakeholders involved;
• Flexibility and adaptation in front of challenges and changes.

Training 📋

Item 1: Project idea - How to discover if your project does fit the open call, programme priorities and expected results

Applying to an open call is the most secure way of promoting your project idea and, if successful, funding the idea and contributing to a more sustainable and green world. First, it is important to propose an idea, the motivation behind it, what is there to be achieved by implementing this idea and in which kind of programme do you see your idea developing. Be creative when proposing an idea. Some of the world’s greatest achievements did stem from creative ideas.

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Secondly, it is important to read the guide of the open call. This is crucial as your project will be evaluated against the criteria imposed in the guide and assessed whether it does fulfill the major objectives and expected results. Check the objectives, expected results and outputs and evaluation criteria and then write a list of questions that address these elements. Here are some examples:

Training 📋

Item 1: Project idea - How to discover if your project does fit the open call, programme priorities and expected results

• Are you eligible as an applicant to apply with your project?
• Is the future project taking place in the location/ country accepted for the open call and the programme?
• Is the main project goal similar/ the same with the goal of the call/ programme?
• Are the main results the ones expected in the call/ programme?
• Are the main outputs the ones presented by the call/ programme?
• How are the target groups of beneficiaries involved in the project and how will they benefit from sustainable actions?
• What is the field/ domain of the project and how is this field/ domain influenced or impacted by the quest and need for sustainability?
• What kind of activities does the project idea envision and how will they contribute to increase sustainability?

Training 📋

Item 1: Project idea - How to discover if your project does fit the open call, programme priorities and expected results

• What results are you expecting from the project and how will they support sustainability?
• How do you consider ensuring green public procurement?
• How do you consider monitoring the project and the indicators of performance?
• How do you consider collaborating with the team, the members of the consortium and other important stakeholders?
• How do you consider disseminating the results of the project with target audiences and the general public?
• Is the project promoting sustainability/ its sustainable dimension to a particular audience/ to the public in general?
• What publications do you take in consideration to ensure visibility and to promote sustainability?, etc.

Training 📋

Item 1: Project idea - How to discover if your project does fit the open call, programme priorities and expected results

After that, you need to write the project draft and then refine it with input from the organisation or at least 1 or 2 people that will have a direct implication in case the project gets selected for funding. When it comes to the requirement to apply with a consortium, the input must come from all members of the consortium to make sure everyone is aligned with the project, its objectives and expected results.

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After receiving input, you must refine the project until a final version is released and everyone from the organisation/ consortium agrees on it. One important piece of advice at this stage is to think of how the project will be evaluated and that it competes with other projects. Think from an objective point of view and analyse what has been written in the project: does the project seem feasible, impactful and mature enough? Also, is the project able to compete with other potential projects in the same field/ domain/ industry?

Training 📋

Item 1: Project idea - How to discover if your project does fit the open call, programme priorities and expected results

Alongside the project, there is also the need to write and fill out multiple documents that support your application such as:

• Project budget,
• Project executive summary,
• Gantt Chart,
• Feasibility study,
• Milestones,
• CVs of the team involved in implementing the project,
• Communication plan, etc.

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Last, but not least, do a final check and see if the final version of the project is well written and that all documentation is ready to be submitted before the deadline.

Training 📋

Item 1: Project idea - How to discover if your project does fit the open call, programme priorities and expected results

Tips and tricks from experts on how to write a good proposal

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• Start as early as possible to write your project proposal in order to have time to refine it, collect new information, add new supporting documents, get input and feedback from the team and the consortium and review it in due time;
• Align your project with the main objectives and expected results of the open call and of the programme and make sure your proposal is focused on achieving them;
• Identify and address real needs with compelling approaches and solutions, find and analyse the context, the statistics, the people behind them and come up with plausible and sound solutions;

Training 📋

Item 1: Project idea - How to discover if your project does fit the open call, programme priorities and expected results

• Develop a compelling and clear narrative and story that emphasis the rationale of the project, its importance and why it should get funded;
• Develop realistic work packages and budget in order to have a sound proposal in terms of both deployment of activities and expenditures for these activities;
• Develop realistic yet ambitious dissemination and communication at both national and European level so that your future project can be known to the public and experts alike;
• Collaborate with the consortium and receive input and feedback from all of its members to make sure the proposal is taking into account their views and aligns with their current capabilities;

Training 📋

Item 1: Project idea - How to discover if your project does fit the open call, programme priorities and expected results

• Demonstrate originality and innovation, although the idea itself might not be an innovative one, there has to be some elements that bring novelty and innovation into specific activities, processes, tools and initiatives;
• Verify if the proposal is compliant with all of the mandatory requirements of the call, programme and submission platform;
• Understand that one size doesn’t fit all which means you will have to work on each project proposal with a set of new requirements and recommendations and ensure each project is unique while mature enough on its own and with potential for replicability.

Training 📋

Item 2: Sustainability at multiple levels

Every project can contribute to sustainability and make a place/ a community/ an industry more sustainable.

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Sustainability does take place at multiple levels: from environmental protection, recycling, waste management in urban and rural areas, increase use of renewable energies, use of green public procurement, digitalisation of business processes, to make clothing in a more sustainable way, reduce the carbon footprint of large events, develop educational programs in sustainability for youth, create hubs for civic actions, or create social media content related to sustainability.

Training 📋

Item 2: Sustainability at multiple levels

In literally every field, domain or industry you can think of, sustainability can be a core concept and be embodied in all sorts of projects that wish to protect, safeguard, amplify, invent, pass on knowledge and empower people. So no matter the field/ domain/ industry, your project can increase and promote sustainability.

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For instance, if your project idea is about creating a learning community for professors and students, you can ensure sustainability by implementing initiatives like: ensure participation of students from disadvantageous backgrounds; promote green transportation for students that come from other regions and countries; promote ideas from community stakeholders; prioritise digital publications to reduce the need for printed materials; provide accommodation in units that promote sustainability and, if possible, meals with locally sourced ingredients, etc.

Training 📋

Sustainable projects checklist - Key elements to take into consideration when applying with your project

When applying with your project, you need to take into account more key elements that could ensure your project does bring a contribution to increasing sustainability in your region, in your country and at a continental level.

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Here are some questions you need to address when evaluating the project you and your organisation are writing:

Training 📋

Sustainable projects checklist - Key elements to take into consideration when applying with your project

• Is your project using eco-friendly materials or renewable energies?
• Is your project supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation?
• Is your project educating individuals or groups about eco-friendly practices?
• Is your project reskilling target beneficiaries for green and digital jobs?
• Is your project promoting community actions and initiatives that increase sustainability in a place/ location/ region?
• Is your project including people from multiple backgrounds, areas of expertise and underprivileged communities?
• Is your project supporting a circular economy?, etc.

Training 📋

Sustainable projects checklist - Key elements to take into consideration when applying with your project

If you want to see examples of a checklist for environmental sustainability and climate action, check the following articles by:

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💻 World Wide Fund for Nature - https://wwf.panda.org/es/?117360/How-sustainable-are-EU-projects

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💻 European Investment Fund - https://www.eif.org/news_centre/publications/climate-action-sustainability-criteria.pdf.

Practical tasks 🔬

Task 1: Creation of a Europass CV

Create ONE CV using Europass format to sign up to the EU Portal: https://europass.europa.eu/it.

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Practical tasks 🔬

Task 2: Creation of an Executive Project Summary

Present your Project Proposal in Sustainability in a couple of paragraphs.

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A winning proposal is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Accountable, Realistic and Time efficient). Prepare your proposal for external verification of grading criteria. Ask relevant offices for specific criteria forms. The Project Proposal in Project Management may be organized in the following way:

• Introduction
• Timeline
• Budget
• Needs Analysis
• Sustainability & Dissemination of Results.

Practical tasks 🔬

Task 3: Creation of a Presentation of the Organisation

Present your Organisation in a few paragraphs with emphasis on sustainability and social impact.

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Create an Executive Summary of your organisation to present your strengths and opportunities and certifications, professionalism and importance on site. The document helps the evaluators to get to know you better and see if you qualify for the grant/ request you have submitted.

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Use keywords, key elements and align them with key directives, programs and national visions to maximise your impact and credibility. Update this document regularly to reflect your most current achievements.

Isabella Hannelore

Arcangela Mavellia

• Member of the Scientific Committee of the Council of Europe’s Cultural Route Via Romea Germanica

• Education
• Master in International Relations (Ca Foscari University Venice) 2016-2018
• Sciences Po Paris 2014-2016
• Bachelor in Business Administration & Management Touro College Berlin 2014
• Berlin Brandenburg International School, Berlin 2010

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• Serial Founder
• Vorhilfe 2014, SAIA 2017, GreenerEU 2020, Venywhere 2021, VUL 2022

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• EU funding expert
• Member of the Pact for Skills Alliances for implementation of strategies for EU funding
• EU Funding facilitator

GreenerEU 2050 

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CEO Isabella Mavellia

Leading Changemaker in Sustainable Tourism �+39 328 741 18 79 �+49 170 936 9338 �

📧 office@greenereu.com �🌐 www.greenereu.com �

Your choices of Today mirror the world of Tomorrow

InnovationLab – Civic Training for Sustainable Projects

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2025-2026

il nuovo percorso partecipativo promosso da The Human Safety Net e curato da Baba Jaga, Centro di Studio e di Ricerca Internazionale sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Rete scolastica “Dialogues for Futures” e GreenerEU per attivare creatività, resilienza e pensiero critico, come leve di cambiamento.