Good practices for developing successful multi-actor project proposals: Focusing on skill-related factors
In multi-actor (MA) project proposals, good ideas succeed only when supported by the right skills. A proposal needs to both deliver the competencies that have been listed in the funding call and show that the consortium can execute the proposed solution. The PREMIERE project study found that a lack of key competencies often causes promising proposals to fail. Even valuable ideas from farmers, advisers, or researchers may fall short without clear coordination, structure, or teamwork. The key skill-related factors to consider are: (1) strong leadership skills of the coordinator, (2) good professional skills of consortium partners, (3) partners’ mastery of technical and digital co-working solutions used during the proposal development, (4) good transversal skills of partners, (5) purposeful matching of project tasks with partners’ skills and competencies. Strong leaders plan, manage conflicts, and balance power while keeping a shared vision. They value diversity within the consortium and ensure that every partner’s voice is heard. Partners must have relevant subject knowledge and the ability to meet call requirements. Yet expertise alone is not enough – teamwork and openness to collaboration are equally vital. All partners should be confident in using shared tools, and coordinators must ensure equal access and support for less-experienced ones. The soft skills of communication, negotiation, and time management help resolve conflicts, meet deadlines, and maintain trust across diverse teams. Roles should be assigned by competence, not hierarchy. Pairing experienced and new partners builds efficiency and shared learning. Investing in people’s skills is as important as investing in innovation. 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