Getting Started with EU Funding

Many small organisations shy away from EU funding. Yet, some instruments make it easier to get started, with low risk, manageable effort, and great impact potential.

Introduction: Major Funding Instruments, Major Question Marks?

EU funding often feels like a bureaucratic nightmare: large budgets, complex application processes, and unclear rules. Unsurprisingly, many small organisations are intimidated and simply do not view EU-funded projects as feasible for themselves. However, targeted funding schemes designed to ease entry into EU funding are already available. They require less effort, involve smaller budgets, and have requirements tailored to newcomers.

These “entry-level funding” instruments offer organisations the opportunity to gain experience with EU funding while growing their projects and internal capacities. This article outlines why the first step into the EU funding world is worthwhile, especially for smaller organisations, which instruments are most suitable, and how to make a successful start.

Why EU Funding is Especially Relevant for Small Organisations

Many EU instruments are specifically designed to strengthen small organisations, not only financially but also strategically. Starting with a manageable project can yield great benefits over time:

1. Enabling Organic Growth
   Entry-level funding provides space to grow: without significant upfront investment, small projects can be implemented, funding logic and reporting learned, and internal structures built. This forms a solid foundation for future larger-scale projects and sustainable organisational growth.
2. Kickstarting Internationalisation
   Many EU instruments promote collaboration with partner organisations from other countries. This opens new perspectives, brings innovative ideas, and increases visibility across borders. While international cooperation is not always mandatory, it often adds significant thematic and strategic value.
3. Professionalisation through Project Work
   Working on funded projects introduces more structure: clear goals, defined processes, evaluation, and communication strategies. This does not just benefit the project—it strengthens the organisation and enhances its profile in the long run.
4. Access to Networks and Expertise
   EU-funded projects usually bring new contacts, professional exchange, and learning opportunities. Smaller organisations benefit enormously from this and grow through and with their partnerships.
5. Increased Visibility and Credibility
   An approved EU grant acts as a quality label. It signals: this organisation works transparently, strategically, and with a focus on quality. This form of legitimacy can be a real door-opener, especially in building new partnerships, fundraising, or establishing contact with municipalities and the media.

What Does “Entry-Level Funding” Actually Mean?

Not all EU funding is massive, complicated, or reserved for experienced institutions. On the contrary, many instruments are specifically designed for small organisations or partnerships, with intentionally low entry barriers.

Typical features of such projects include:

• Smaller Budgets: The European Commission defines projects with up to €60,000 in funding as small-scale. In practice, projects up to €150,000 can also serve well as entry-level initiatives, depending on the instrument and complexity.
• Simplified Financial Logic: Simplified cost options or flat-rate models are often used instead of traditional cost categories. This reduces administrative effort and makes these instruments particularly appealing.
• Manageable Durations: Project durations are often limited to a maximum of 24 months, allowing for straightforward planning.
• Small Consortia: Frequently, one or two partners are enough, sometimes even from the same region. This keeps coordination simple and personal.
• Direct Communication with Funding Bodies: Contact with managing authorities or your designated project officer is usually direct and solution-oriented—an advantage over centralised programs.

Examples of such entry-level EU funding instruments include:

• LEADER – Local development in rural areas
• ESF+ State-level Funding – e.g., for qualification or integration projects
• INTERREG A – Small Project Fund – Cross-border cooperation
• CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) – Democratic participation, fundamental rights, anti-discrimination
• Erasmus+ Small-Scale Partnerships – Educational support across schools, VET, higher education, adult learning, sport, and youth
• Creative Europe – Small Cooperation Projects – Cultural and creative sector collaboration

These instruments are ideal for gathering initial experience, with manageable requirements and high development potential.

How to Make Your First Application Work – Five Practical Tips

Stepping into EU funding may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. With a clear strategy and proper preparation, the first steps can be successfully managed. The following best practices have proven useful:

1. Start Small
   Begin with a manageable initiative. A realistic pilot project is easier to plan and more likely to be positively received, especially if it’s your first application.
2. Involve Experienced Partners
   Organisations with prior EU project experience can offer valuable support during both application and implementation, whether through content expertise, administrative know-how, or communication with managing authorities. Such partnerships improve project quality and boost your chances of approval.
3. Put Impact First
   At the core of every funding application lies the question of intended impact: What specific problem is being addressed? What will the project improve, and how will that change be measured? A clear, SMART goal definition is essential. It’s not about the number of activities—it’s about their effect.
4. Allow Sufficient Lead Time
   Preparing a successful application takes time. Beyond content development, you’ll need to coordinate with partners, understand funding logic, and meet administrative requirements. Typically, you should allow at least three months, including adequate resources, for even a small-scale application.
5. Make Use of Support Services
   Numerous institutions offer free guidance on EU funding, such as National Agencies, EU contact points, regional networks, or specialised consultancies. These services range from general information to detailed feedback on application drafts, and are still underutilised. Taking advantage of them can give you a competitive edge.

Common Pitfalls – What’s Often Overlooked in Entry-Level Projects

Especially during the early stages of securing funding, recurring challenges arise. These are not unusual and can be avoided with good planning. Below are the most frequent issues that we see in our daily work in small projects, particularly where experience is limited:

1. Staff Overload from One-Person Management
   In many small projects, one person handles everything: project management, budgeting, communications, partnerships, and possibly content work, too. This model is rarely sustainable. Besides a high workload, the absence of backup or handover options poses a risk. A clear distribution of responsibilities and team structure—regardless of budget size—should be planned from the outset.
2. Underestimated Personnel Costs
   Due to budget concerns or misjudgment, personnel costs are often undercalculated or intentionally reduced in the application, hoping it will increase approval chances. This creates a mismatch between effort and compensation. Underfunding leads to demotivation, burnout, and reduced quality. Even small projects should reflect realistic, fair salaries, and advocate for them with confidence.
3. Overlooked Co-Funding or Cash Flow Risks
   Even when generous pre-financing is available, delays can occur in practice. The applying organisation’s financial stability should be assessed critically, especially in terms of liquidity, reserves, and internal approval processes.
4. Lack of Strategic Follow-Up
   Too often, one small project follows another, without a clear transition to larger formats. While many instruments, such as Erasmus+, explicitly support gradual development, organisations often lack the time or capacity to plan the next step. Without strategic scaling and a long-term perspective, there's a risk of remaining dependent on short-term, small-scale grants.

Conclusion: Just Start – EU Funding Isn’t Magic

Entry-level funding is a major opportunity for small organisations to implement social innovation and grow. Those who take the first step will often find it easier than expected, and that step can open the door to many more possibilities.

Conclusion: The First Application as a Door-Opener 

Interested in taking the next steps?

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About the author

Malte Götte-Ortiz is a project manager and lecturer at the European Fundraising Academy (EUFRAK-EuroConsults Berlin GmbH), which offers one-day seminars and in-house training courses as well as further training on EU fundraising and EU project management.

He supports small, medium-sized and large organizations in applying for funding and implementing effective EU projects:
www.eufrak-euroconsults.eu