Good practices for developing successful multi-actor project proposals: Focusing on motivational factors
Motivation is a key factor in creating strong multi-actor (MA) project proposals and cannot be taken for granted. Motivational factors capture aspects that shape the willingness of partners to be involved in the consortium and engage in the co-creative process. The PREMIERE project study shows that writing often falls on a small group of people, limiting consortium’s ability to reflect the ideas and competencies of the full spectrum of partners thus reducing the creativity and weakening quality of final proposal. Expanding this group with genuinely motivated partners improves engagement, ideas, and balance. Partner motivation depends on several factors, including their (1) interest in the call topic and project idea, (2) feeling of ownership over the proposal development, (3) interest in the project's anticipated practical output, (4) commitment to devote time and effort to proposal writing, (5) willingness to collaborate with other types of partners. Partners are most committed when they share interest in the topic and feel ownership of the proposal. Early involvement, transparent goals, and mutual trust build a sense of responsibility across the consortium. Motivation also grows when partners see tangible benefits from the envisaged project. Coordinators should offer flexible ways for all partners to stay involved and avoid internal segmentation by creating shared tasks across different actor types. Encouraging equal participation and co-writing strengthens commitment and creativity. Coordinators who nurture ownership, ensure relevance, and value collaboration can turn individual interest into collective drive, leading to realistic, high-quality, and impactful proposals. For more see 10.5281/zenodo.16778405
Preparing multi-actor projects in a co-creative way
Ongoing | 2023-2027
- Main funding source
- Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- Germany, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Poland, Slovenia, EU member states