EUI's support to applicants : the experience of the project Imperfect City
The Innovative Actions strand has launched its third Call since 6 May, focusing on Energy transition and Technology in cities. This call which closes on 14 October 2024, aims to support innovative projects that can enhance urban areas through sustainable and inclusive practices.
To illustrate the potential of the various support activities put in place to help applicants, we spoke with Anne Marie Frederiksen, the Project Manager and Communications Coordinator for the Aarhus Municipality of Denmark. Anne Marie's project, Imperfect City, benefitted from the support of the Permanent Secretariat and was a successful applicant of the first call.
ImperfectCity: Embracing the Imperfectness of Buildings and People to Create a Good City for Everyone
Summarizing her project, Anne Marie said, "Imperfect City is about embracing the imperfection of people and old concrete buildings. The project involves renovating an old school of journalism building into a community space that can welcome vulnerable, disabled, aged and homeless individuals. It will serve as a culture house, a community house – a heart where people can meet, live together, and share a bond."
The project aims to transform the lives of people with mental disabilities and psychiatric issues, by providing them a direct path from hospitals to a supportive community environment. Homeless people are also a priority to this social intervention project. The goal is to integrate them into society through various professional activities like arts, painting and jobs in the hospitality industry whiles promoting a sense of fulfilment and happiness.
Why EUI Innovative Actions Call?
Asked why the municipality of Aarhus chose to apply to EUI’s call, Anne Marie emphasised the unique advantages offered by EUI funding. "It is rare to find funding that supports both people and renovation along with sustainability. The combination advantage from EUI is what drew us to apply because this was important to us. The amount of the funding was also a major factor because if it was half the amount, we wouldn't have applied. EUR 5 million is a significant amount to bring relevant change to this city," she said.
Which support did the project benefit from?
The EUI provides extensive support to applicants, which Anne Marie found invaluable. "We used the homepage of the EUI a lot to access information. We joined the online Q&As and had one-to-one consultations. These platforms gave us access to a lot of information precisely in areas of budgeting, project design and definition of our work packages, to help us submit a successful application," she explained.
However, navigating the EUI lingo posed a challenge. "The terms and wordings to use in structuring the proposals were difficult, but we were impressed by the project officers' welcoming aura and how they explained everything in simple language and detail without making us feel tensed. Their comprehension of all the questions we asked and providing responses that met our demand was super amazing too."
The added-value of One-to-One consultations
The one-to-one consultation session was particularly beneficial for Anne Marie’s team. "We had the opportunity to directly engage members of the management and pose any question that could unlock the process and help improve our application. Even though the project officers could not directly give feedback on our idea, we still got the feeling that our idea was in line with the theme in focus and that only a few things needed to be properly projected, and to us, that was valuable. Our questions were specifically on budget drafting and partnership because we had 10 partners, and we were assured it wouldn't be a problem if all partners have relevant roles to play, and the municipality can properly oversee that they all work together and within deadlines for the common good of the project. This was really assuring and raised our confidence level," she recounted.
Reflecting on the different support tools, Anne Marie found the one-to-one consultations to be the most helpful. "Though we joined other support activities such as the online Q&A’s, the online consultation proved the most helpful to us. The opportunity to have a one-on-one session dedicated to only us was truly valuable because not many funding schemes have this support strategy for applicants. We wanted to know if our project idea was in the right direction and had potential of funding and this support tool not only give us that but also gave us new information, we did not know we needed”, she added.
Any advice for Call 3 Applicants ?
For those considering applying for Call 3, Anne Marie offers valuable advice. "Reach out to someone who has been on this road before to know what time to set aside for what activities in the application stage. Have peer support from past applicants. Understand the philosophy of the EUI and its activities. It's important that we are part of developing urban spaces, but we are working on understanding the knowledge and language for it”, she concluded.
The EUI’s Call 3 offers a great opportunity for innovative projects that focus on energy transition and technology in cities. Anne Marie Frederiksen’s experience with the "Imperfect City" project highlights the transformative potential of EUI funding along with the diverse support tools to help applicants navigate the application process. If you have a vision for an innovative urban project, consider applying for EUI’s Call 3 and join the movement towards building better cities for everyone.
Call is open till October 14, 2024. If you are well advanced in your proposal, you can also join us in our upcoming Application Form Workshop in Brussels as we take you through practical exercises to navigate the online application form to successfully applying.