If you come from a scientific-research institution, university, company or non-governmental organization that wants to strengthen its capacity to implement projects within the Horizon Europe program, we invite you to register for a free 4-day training. The aforementioned training will be held on June 13, 14, 15, and 16, 2023 in Podgorica. Apart from this training, which will be held live, an additional two days will be organized with the participants for online consultations with experts in this field.

The training is organized by the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro as part of “R&I POLICY making, implementation AND Support in the WEsterN Balkans”, abbreviated as POLICY ANSWERS, which is funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe program for research and innovation.

What are the most common challenges in the implementation of Horizon Europe projects?

The implementation of Horizon Europe projects can face various challenges. Here are some of the most common problems that can occur:

Financial challenges: Lack of funding or inefficient financial management can hinder project implementation. This can include insufficient funds for research and development, administrative costs, or irregularities in financial reporting.

Administrative procedure complexity: Horizon Europe projects often involve complex administrative procedures and meeting high standards in terms of reporting, monitoring, and project management. This can be challenging for organisations that lack experience or have insufficient resources to properly handle these administrative requirements.

Lack of collaboration and coordination: Horizon Europe entails international collaboration and partnerships between different organisations. Insufficient communication, weak coordination among partners, or disagreements in goals and methodologies can hinder the successful implementation of a project.

Complexity of research challenges: Horizon Europe projects often deal with complex research questions and technical challenges. Lack of expertise, inadequate technological infrastructure, or insufficient support for researchers can pose obstacles to successfully addressing these challenges.

Legal and regulatory issues: Horizon Europe projects must comply with various legal and regulatory requirements. This can include intellectual property protection, ethical considerations, compliance with data protection laws, and more. Non-compliance with these requirements can lead to legal issues and serious consequences.

It is important to note that these challenges are not exhaustive and can vary from project to project. Efficient management, proper planning, and collaboration among all stakeholders involved can help overcome these challenges and achieve successful implementation of Horizon Europe projects.

What does the training program look like?

The main purpose of this training is to provide participants with insights and training on the complete process of implementing EU projects through various workshops and sessions. Participants will receive a detailed overview of all the steps and challenges involved in project execution, starting from contract signing to project completion, as well as the project’s lifecycle beyond formal completion.

Attending this training will enable participants to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for successful project implementation, including fulfilling formal requirements during contract signing, reporting project results, using various project management software tools, organising meetings to monitor project progress, financial reporting, project auditing, and overcoming administrative barriers that may arise during the project duration.

You can download the detailed training programme at this link: Agenda

Who are the lecturers?

Marija Šola Spasić is a project manager at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade, where she has been working for over ten years. She also serves as the National Contact Point for legal and financial matters in the Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020 programmes. She has professional experience in grant user training on one hand, and professional experience in grant management and implementation of numerous research and innovation projects (FP7, CIP, IPA, H2020, HEU, etc.) and projects in higher education (Tempus, Erasmus+, etc.).

Prof. Dr Goran Stojanović is a professor at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad. He has over 20 years of experience in the education sector and 12 years of experience in writing and implementing EU projects worth over 16 million EUR, with a success rate of over 55%. He has been involved in the implementation of four Horizon 2020 projects, three of which he coordinated.

Who is the training intended for?

The training is intended for researchers from public and private universities in Montenegro, scientific research institutions, growing and developing companies, as well as non-governmental organisations that already have some experience, are currently conducting, or anticipate starting the implementation of Horizon Europe projects.

The training is planned to be held for 15 participants. Due to the limited number of seats, priority participation will depend on previous experience, knowledge, and demonstrated motivation to attend the mentioned four-day training programme, along with four days of online consultations (a total of eight days).

The training will be conducted in the local language.

Participation is free of charge (no registration fee).

How to apply?

It is necessary to fill out the online training application form, which you can find at this link.

The deadline for applications is June 7, 2023, and selected participants will be notified of the selection results no later than June 9, 2023. All additional details about the training and workshop programme will be provided to the selected participants.

If you have any questions, you can contact us via email at [email protected] or by phone at 067 073 009.