Article
2025-12-19
Closing the PPHS anniversary year
We are entering the final days of the 20th year of the Polish Platform for Homeland Security (PPHS) activity. It has been an intensive year, marked by growth an…
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Success in Horizon Europe begins long before the proposal writing stage. What really matters is a mature project concept: coherent, feasible and fully aligned with the scope of the call and the expectations of the European Commission. How such a concept is developed—and why it ultimately determines the evaluation outcome—was discussed during a National Contact Point (NCP) information day held in Warsaw.
The event “The final stretch in Horizon Europe—make the most of your opportunity”, organised by the National Contact Point for EU Research Programmes, focused on the practical aspects of effective participation in the programme in the final phase of the 2021–2027 financial perspective. One of the key parts of the meeting was a discussion on a strategic approach to proposal development. Once again, we took part in the event to share our experience and to encourage Polish organisations to seize the opportunities offered by European Union programmes.
PPHS perspective
The Polish Platform for Homeland Security was represented at the event by Rashel Talukder, Managing Director, and Natalia Jarmużek-Troczyńska, Senior Project Manager. Speaking on the panel “From an idea to a high score—how to design proposals for Horizon Europe”, Natalia Jarmużek-Troczyńska described the path to success in the programme as follows:
In my experience, the most important factor is a well-thought-out proposal concept which, through several iterations, gradually takes its final shape. Developing it requires time, numerous discussions with subject-matter experts, meetings and verification—both within the team and with partners and practitioners from different countries. The concept must fully address the requirements of the European Commission. Every sentence in the topic description should be reflected in the project. It becomes our roadmap: it defines what we want to do, why, how and with whom, and ensures that the project responds to real practitioners’ needs and is feasible in a broader European context.
A strong concept is also built on reliable and carefully selected partners. Trust, previous collaboration experience and the partners’ track record are just as important in creating a competitive proposal.
Key elements of a competitive project
Drawing on many years of experience in EU-funded projects, we can identify several factors that significantly influence a proposal’s competitiveness:
- The concept as the foundation—developed step by step, iteratively and in dialogue with experts and practitioners; it serves as the project’s roadmap and structures both the logic of activities and the expected results.
- Alignment with the call requirements—the project must consistently respond to the call text; the topic description should be clearly reflected in the work plan, outputs and justification.
- Partnerships build credibility—partners’ expertise, mutual trust and prior collaboration experience strengthen both the quality and the credibility of the proposal.
- International perspective is a must – the project must be applicable in multiple countries and useful for international practitioners. Demonstrating that is essential for the proposal to be competitive.
Project coordination
The discussion also addressed the question of whether it is worth coordinating projects. From our experience, the benefits outweigh the additional responsibilities and the often invisible workload. Moving into the coordinator role was the result of building experience step by step: from participating as a partner, through leadership roles, to first coordinations. Our initial coordination projects (CYCLOPES and INDEED) were a natural stage in this development.
The coordinator role offers real influence over the project’s objectives and results, as well as the ability to select partners. It also means closer cooperation with the European Commission, greater visibility of the organisation as a leader, and the development of the team’s management competences, emphasises Natalia Jarmużek-Troczyńska.
The final years of the 2021–2027 financial perspective are the last opportunity to fully capitalise on the programme: to build institutional experience, expand partner networks and strengthen team competences that will pay off in future calls. It is well worth taking advantage of this moment.
We encourage organisations that are considering engaging in European-level activities but are unsure where to start to get in touch. We will be happy to help structure your idea and plan the first steps.
