The Grant

Niels Tudor-Vinther
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Getting EU funding for your research project idea is great, but the process from project idea to submission of the full proposal is rough and tough. 20.000 proposals are submitted every year and every single one of these preparations goes through many challenges. Most of these challenges have the same overall characteristics, that can be minimized or eliminated by being aware of them already when starting the proposal process. This podcast is for proposals preparers looking for tips, tricks, advice or just an audible pad on the shoulder to deal with the unavoidable tough work

  1. 1d ago

    #235 Supporting Young Entrepreneurs and Young Professionals with Disabilities

    WIN4SMES – Supporting Young Entrepreneurs and Young Professionals with DisabilitiesTwo pilot stories from Hungary and Lithuania Check out the episode website In this episode I return to the WIN4SMES universe with a closer look at two pilot stories that deserved their own spotlight. In the first half, I speak with Tamas Rettich from the Hungarian Association of Craftsmen’s Corporations about a one-week entrepreneurship camp for highly talented young innovators. The camp helps participants move from strong technical or scientific ideas toward real entrepreneurial thinking through business planning, finance, marketing, innovation management, leadership and teamwork. What I especially like here is the emphasis on collaboration: the young participants do not just refine ideas on their own, but learn that innovation also depends on trust, communication and shared problem-solving. In the second half, I speak with Egle Lizaityte from the Lithuanian Association of Hotels and Restaurants about a pilot focused on getting young people with disabilities into the hospitality sector. Through collaboration between schools, employers and sector organisations, the project helps companies understand how to create inclusive workplaces and helps young people gain internships and jobs. The conversation is a strong reminder that workplace innovation is not only about technology or productivity. It is also about changing attitudes, widening the talent pool and building systems that allow people to contribute in ways employers may never have considered before. Time codes: 00:18 Introduction to the episode 02:11 Supporting Young Entrepreneurs in Hungary 11:15 Young Disabled Professionals in the Hospitality Sector

  2. Jul 20

    #234 EU Funding for Culture and Creativity

    EU Funding in Culture and CreativityWith Paolo Montemurro from Matera HubCheck out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Paolo Montemurro from Materahub to open up the European funding landscape for culture and creativity. This is a conversation I’ve wanted to do for a long time, because if you cover EU funding broadly, the cultural and creative sectors are too important to leave untouched. Paolo explains why the European Union invests in culture and creativity not only because of their economic contribution, but also because of their role in democracy, social inclusion, European values, mobility and innovation. We talk about how this recognition has grown over time and why the creative and cultural sectors now sit much more clearly inside the wider European policy and funding architecture. We then move through the actual opportunities. We start with Creative Europe as the main go-to programme, but also look at Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, Interreg and other relevant corners of the funding landscape. Paolo shares how Matera Hub has worked across these schemes since 2011, using culture and creativity as both a sector in its own right and as a methodology that can connect to entrepreneurship, skills, cultural heritage, innovation, audience development and social transformation. It’s an introduction episode, but a rich one — especially for anyone in the cultural and creative sectors trying to understand where to start and how broad the European opportunity space really is. Time codes: 01:47 Guest introduction and fly in 05:11 Why Does the EU Invest in Culture and Creativity? 18:57 The Funding Landscape 50:28 Looking Ahead 56:50 Materahub's Experience Across Programmes 01:15:21 Reflections and advice 01:19:15 The Toughest Challenge

  3. Jul 15

    The Grant Collaboration - RM Framework Series (8): The Hungary Pilot

    RM Framework (7) – The Hungary Pilot at Corvinus UniversityAccredited RM training, formal education and the limits of standardisation Check out the episode websiteIn the seventh episode of the RM Framework Series, I’m joined by Associate Professor Éva Pinter and Éva Kőváriné Ignáth from Corvinus University of Budapest to explore the Hungarian pilot. Corvinus brings a very specific and valuable perspective to the project because it already runs a formally accredited postgraduate programme: the Research and Innovation Manager and Economist Executive Degree Programme. The programme runs over two full semesters, leads to a state-recognised diploma, and was developed in close cooperation with Hungary’s National Research, Development and Innovation Office. Unlike shorter professional workshops, this is a full higher education qualification for experienced professionals from universities, research institutes, public agencies and companies — as well as people transitioning into research management. That makes Corvinus a particularly interesting pilot case. Éva Pinter explains the pilot tests where the RM Framework handbook and quality label work well, and where they need more flexibility for multi-semester, ECTS-based degree programmes. Éva Kőváriné Ignáth adds the course-level perspective, drawing on shorter BA and MA courses developed through earlier European projects and now used to introduce students to research management and EU research funding. Together, the episode becomes a practical discussion about formal education, competence frameworks, quality labels, microcredentials and what it really means to build a European standard for research management training across very different national systems. Time codes: 02:22 Guest introduction and fly in 04:18 How You Train Research Managers Today 10:51 Working with the Pilot – Constraints and Reality 23:36 Expectations & Final Reflections

    The Grant Collaboration - RM Framework Series (8): The Hungary Pilot

  4. Jul 13

    #233 Interreg - An Introduction

    Interreg – An IntroductionWith Viktoria Nilsson from Lund Municipality Check out the episode website for links In this episode I introduce the Interreg funding scheme together with Viktoria Nilsson from Lund Municipality. Interreg is one of the EU’s oldest territorial cooperation programmes, and its core idea is both simple and important: many societal challenges are shared across borders, so neighboring regions should work on them together. We talk about why Interreg exists, how it sits inside EU cohesion policy, and why it has become such a central instrument for cross-border collaboration in areas like innovation, green transition, sustainable transport and labour mobility. We also make the episode practical. Viktoria explains how a typical Interreg project is structured, what kinds of partners usually take part, how funding rates and project types work, what the secretariat does during the application phase, and what applicants should keep in mind around communication, indicators, end users and long-term impact. It’s the first episode in what I hope will become a broader Interreg series, and it is meant as a clear and usable entry point for anyone who wants to understand the scheme better. Time codes: 01:31 Guest introduction and fly in 08:36 EU motivation for the funding scheme 19:16 Structure of funding scheme 36:00 Target group stakeholders 39:47 How to apply 01:01:04 Evaluation 01:05:06 When funding is received 01:09:23 Do's and don't's 01:16:44 The toughest challenge

  5. Jul 6

    #232 How Regions Build the Foundation for EU Funding

    How Regions Build the Foundations for EU FundingWith Alina Totti from Provincie Noord-Brabant Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Alina Totti from Provincie Noord-Brabant to talk about how regions build the foundations that eventually lead to EU funding. Noord-Brabant is one of Europe’s most innovative regions, with strong advanced manufacturing traditions and a global industrial profile. But what interested me in this conversation is not only the region’s success. It is the work underneath that success: building relationships with other regions, understanding what Brussels is doing, shaping a regional story around innovation, and creating the long-term trust that makes later project collaboration possible. We go into smart specialisation, the Vanguard Initiative, the importance of interregional networks, and how stepping-stone instruments can help SMEs move toward bigger European calls. Alina explains very clearly that proposals do not start when the call opens. They start much earlier — when regions know who they are, what they are good at, who they should work with, and how they want to position themselves in Europe. It is a really strong episode for anyone working in regional development, innovation ecosystems or the strategic side of EU funding. Time codes: 01:39 Guest introduction and fly in 06:21 What Provincie Noord-Brabant is 13:36 The Vanguard Initiative and Smart Specialisation 35:05 The Importance of Relationships 51:14 Long-Term Lobbying and Why the Region Invests in It 01:08:33 Reflections and advice 01:10:45 The toughest challenge

  6. Jun 29

    #231 The Widening Series (4) - Status on Widening in FP10

    With Thomas Brent from Science Business Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Thomas Brent from Science Business for a practical status update on Widening in FP10. We go back to the roots of the debate: why Widening was created in the first place, how it was meant to help countries with weaker research capacity connect more effectively into the framework programme, and why some people have long argued that it does not fit neatly inside an excellence-based funding system. Thomas explains why that debate is now less dominant than before and why, despite some remaining criticism, Widening now looks likely to remain part of the next framework programme. From there we dig into what is actually on the table in the FP10 discussions. We talk about the proposed increase in the Widening budget, the idea of placing Widening in a new fourth pillar, the possible creation of “transition countries”, and the controversial conditionality around public investment in research and development. We also touch on the current state of the negotiations, the role of member states, and why the coming months should give a clearer picture of where the political compromises are heading. It’s a useful episode for anyone trying to follow the Widening file without getting lost in Brussels process language. Time codes: 01:46 Guest introduction and fly in 04:06 The Original Debate – Excellence vs Development 11:34 The FP10 Proposal – Splitting the Widening Countries 23:58 The Conditionality Debate 31:33 Where the Political Negotiation Stands Now 38:04 Reflections and What Comes Next

    #231 The Widening Series (4) - Status on Widening in FP10

  7. Jun 22

    #230 WIN4SMES Live from Hamburg - COVEs in Real Life

    A documentary-style episode from Hamburg on vocational excellence, inclusion and SMEs Check out the episode website In this episode I try something new: a documentary-style montage recorded live during a WIN4SMES event in Hamburg. Instead of one long sit-down conversation, this episode moves through soundscapes, field notes, participant voices and short interviews to give a more immediate sense of what an Erasmus+ Centre of Vocational Excellence project looks like on the ground. WIN4SMES focuses on workplace innovation in SMEs, and the project’s different national pilots are working on themes such as inclusion, entrepreneurship, newcomers and skills development. Across the episode, I speak with the coordinator team about the training programme, hear from participants working with agile methods, design thinking and AI in vocational education, and zoom in on two of the particularly strong COVEs from the project. One from Hungary uses an entrepreneurship camp to support highly talented young people in developing business ideas. Another from Lithuania works with hotels and restaurants to create real job pathways for young people with disabilities. The result is a more atmospheric and people-centered episode about how vocational excellence is actually built in practice — not only in policy papers, but in classrooms, workshops, company relationships and human lives. Time codes: 00:00 Airport opening 01:25 Arriving and introducing the training programme w/Anna Maria Czarny 06:43 Meeting the training classes 11:40 The Partner Dinner w/Maëla Barcon 15:34 Introducing day 2 19:13 The Hungary COVE - Supporting Entrepreneurship w/Tamas Rettich 28:20 The Lithuanian COVE - Young People with Disabilities w/Egle Lizaityte 48:16 WIN4SMES - Status and where it is moving w/Max Hogeforster 01:01:55 Farewell and outro

  8. Jun 15

    #229 Building Your Funding Team

    Building Your Funding Team – Skills, Structure & SurvivalWith Stephanie Harfensteller and David Christensen Check out the episode website In this episode I’m joined by Stephanie Harfensteller and David Christensen to talk about one of the most difficult and under-discussed challenges in EU funding: how to build a funding team that actually works. Stephanie has been building up an EU funding function at FIR since 2019, while David has been doing something similar inside BOFA on Bornholm. From very different organisational settings, they describe a remarkably similar reality: a strong funding unit is not just a service desk for forms and deadlines. It needs to support proposal development, project execution and long-term networking and positioning — and in smaller organisations, the same people often need to move across all of those roles. From there we dig into the real difficulties: how to identify the right skills, how to recruit people when profiles are hard to find, how to train juniors without losing all the knowledge when they move on, and how to create some form of knowledge management when most of the most important know-how still sits in people’s heads. We also talk about management commitment, public perception, long-term vision, the pain of falling proposal success rates, and the need to balance patience with pressure. It’s a very honest conversation for anyone trying to professionalise funding work inside an organisation without the luxury of a large specialist department. Time codes: 01:48 Guest introduction and fly in 07:01 What Is a Good Funding Support Unit? 18:08 The Skills Question 28:28 Building the Team in Reality 40:05 Keeping Knowledge in the Organisation 50:45 Working Under Organisational Constraints 01:06:07 Reflections and advice 01:10:24 The toughest challenge

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About

Getting EU funding for your research project idea is great, but the process from project idea to submission of the full proposal is rough and tough. 20.000 proposals are submitted every year and every single one of these preparations goes through many challenges. Most of these challenges have the same overall characteristics, that can be minimized or eliminated by being aware of them already when starting the proposal process. This podcast is for proposals preparers looking for tips, tricks, advice or just an audible pad on the shoulder to deal with the unavoidable tough work

Information

  • Creator
    Niels Tudor-Vinther
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    255
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Niels Tudor-Vinther
  • Show Website
    The Grant

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