One of the questions we at Argentum often encounter from clients is: what exactly is intergovernmental funding? Let’s take a short look into this topic.
Under that broad umbrella of ‘Intergovernmental funding’ are various programmes – differing on scope, theme, and number of applicants – that are all based on collaboration between two or more applicants from separate countries/regions. Typically, then, intergovernmental funding stands for projects that are funded nationally but involve participants from 2+ countries. This means that as a participant in an intergovernmental project, you will simultaneously be funded locally and reach a potential foreign market!
Whilst many countries offer specific bilateral programmes, a great example of accessible intergovernmental funding is Eureka – an organisation currently comprising of circa 45 countries, which can all collaborate in projects. What is more, seeing as several non-European countries are part of Eureka (such as Canada, South Africa, and South Korea), you could leverage such an intergovernmental programme as a means to branch into a new continent, potentially leading to a plethora of new commercial opportunities.
At Argentum, we often encourage our clients to participate in Eureka-based programmes, for several good reasons:
- Project variety and flexibility – Eureka has a number of available tracks for intergovernmental funding. Eurostars, Eureka’s flagship programme, is a great place to start your intergovernmental funding journey. Eurostars is completely bottom-up, so projects from any sector are accepted, and any Eureka member can participate. Additionally, Eureka has 5 thematic clusters (such as ITEA4, focusing on software development, or Eurogia 2030, for climate tech) that offer great opportunities for applicants in diverse sectors.
- Recurring deadlines – it’s understandably disappointing to invest time and energy in researching grant opportunities only to realise that a fantastic opportunity has passed. With most intergovernmental calls, in particular Eureka-based, deadlines recur on a regular basis. For most programmes there are 2-3 deadlines per year! So you can plan ahead for the most relevant deadline, freeing you to focus on more immediate grants.
- High success rates – intergovernmental funding (somewhat like national funding) typically boasts rather high success rates. For Eurostars, the official success rate is 29%! Moreover, the Eureka clusters have even better success rates, often of 50%. On top of this, Argentum’s success rate with these programmes is even higher – we’d be glad to share more specific details with you in a call.
- Long-term partnerships – another benefit of participating in bilateral programmes, is forming ties with various partners – such as SMEs, large industries, and research institutions. We often see that partnerships formed for a specific project actually expand into long-lasting ones to the mutual benefit of all sides. As part of our service, Argentum can match you with relevant partners for these projects.
All in all, intergovernmental funding opportunities should definitely be part of your grant portfolio. With multiple options to choose from, recurring deadlines, and high success rates, intergovernmental funding can leap you into new partnerships, opportunities, and markets.