Corporate, Commercial Law and Dispute Resolution · International Business and Foreign Jurisdictions
International grant funding can finance business development, market entry and new projects without creating the repayment obligation associated with a loan. Successful applications depend on matching the project to the funding programme, preparing evidence and following the grantor's application and reporting requirements.
Companies working with foreign partners, including organisations in the European Union, may use grants to expand operations or launch new activities. Funding amounts can range from relatively modest project grants to substantial programmes measured in hundreds of thousands or millions of euros.
Common Barriers to Grant Funding
Applications can fail because the company has not identified a suitable programme, the proposal does not meet the grantor's objectives, cooperation with foreign partners is not documented or required supporting materials are incomplete.
These issues should be addressed before filing because many programmes use formal eligibility and scoring criteria that cannot be corrected after the deadline.
Grant Application Process
Project preparation starts with defining the objective, relevance, urgency, expected result and budget. A grant project should explain what will be achieved, why funding is required and how the result will be measured.
The next stage is identifying competitions whose objectives match the proposed project. Programme conditions, available funding, eligible applicants, eligible expenditure and filing deadlines should be reviewed before resources are committed to the application.
Application preparation then follows the specific grantor's format. Different programmes may require different forms, budgets, partnership documents, project schedules, financial information and supporting evidence.
After submission, the grantor may ask questions or request clarification. Responses should be prepared promptly and consistently with the original proposal. If an application is rejected, the reasons can be analysed and used to improve a later submission where feedback is available.
Support after Approval
Grant work does not end with approval. The process may continue through signing the grant agreement, implementation of the funded programme, compliance with spending conditions and preparation of progress and final reports.
Services may therefore include searching for suitable programmes, preparing documents, filing the application, protecting the applicant's interests, negotiating or signing the grant agreement and supporting implementation and reporting.
Grant funding strategy should connect programme selection, project design, application evidence and post-award reporting so that funding can be obtained and then used in accordance with the grant conditions.
