Five tips to create a successful expression of interest
Submitting an Expression of Interest (EoI) is a simple, but mandatory first step in your project application process. Your EoI needs to be assessed by the Joint Secretariat and approved by our Steering Committee before you are allowed to move on to the full application. Therefore, not only timeliness but also the quality of your EoI matters.
Many factors add up to the final assessment of each EoI. We have put the following tips together to help you avoid the pitfalls that most commonly lead to EoIs being rejected.
1. Describe your partnership
There is nothing like a rudimentary partnership description to get you off the list of approved project ideas. We need enough detail to understand what your final partnership will look like, and to convince us that strong and relevant competencies will be put behind the project's realisation. If the partnership is not yet in place, describe the likelihood of identifying appropriate partners, and underpin your assessment by facts.
2. Explain why your idea is needed
You need to justify your project. An idea that appears completely unrelated to any description of demand, or to other existing or former activities in the area would usually receive a low rating.
3. Put transnational cooperation first and center
Interreg is all about cooperation, and projects where the added value of transnational cooperation is clear will be preferred. If your project idea lacks a clear cooperation focus, chances are that this will lower the total score of your EoI considerably.
4. Ensure your budget matches your project idea
The Secretariat is tasked with a thorough assessment of the proposed budget in terms of proportionality and value for money. Only well-described project activities that clearly warrant the sums that are asked for will be recommended for developing a full application. If you submit an EoI including a budget that seems disproportionate to your described idea, you are putting your success at risk.
5. Pay attention to expected results
Project results are in strong focus, and we advise you to do yourself the favour of considering your expected results as carefully as possible already at the EoI stage.
Although there will be scope for developing this further in the full application, be aware that this is a crucial factor in the final assessment. Insufficient or unconvincing result descriptions of are among the key reasons for rejecting full applications. By considering the results as thoroughly as possible now, you can ensure a higher chance of ultimately securing funding for your project.
> See our guidance on project results
Congratulations for having read this far. By informing yourself of these key points, you have taken a first important step in developing a successful expression of interest!