Module 1: Project Cycle Management
Module 2: Erasmus+ Programme
Module 3: Horizon Europe Programme
Module 4: Digital Europe and COSME Programmes
The main aim of the programme was to equip ITO staff with the knowledge and skills needed to analyse EU-funded calls for proposals effectively, align call criteria with the institution’s internal objectives and prepare project proposals of high technical quality. To this end, participants were supported not only with conceptual knowledge but also with hands-on workshops. Topics covered included the logical framework approach, setting project objectives, budgeting, building partnership structures, analysing application forms and interpreting call documents.
Each module was delivered by expert trainers in the field. In Modules 1 and 2, Uzay Yüksekkaya and Setenay Demir presented the core structures of Project Cycle Management and the Erasmus+ programmes. In Modules 3 and 4, led by trainer Valerie Gülşen Mack, the strategic priorities, structure, eligibility rules and application preparation processes of the Horizon Europe, Digital Europe and COSME programmes were examined in depth.
Pre-tests and post-tests conducted throughout the training series provided a concrete measure of learning outcomes. Every participant showed a marked improvement in their level of knowledge. After the training, most participants gained confidence in analysing suitable EU calls for their own institutions, generating project ideas and preparing strategic plans to turn these ideas into applications. Groups that developed new project ideas stated that they had begun preparing for the application process.
This training programme, delivered by Force & Brothers Consultancy Inc., has helped ITO structure its strategies for accessing European Union funds in a more planned and effective way. This capacity-building process, implemented through the cooperation of ITO and Force & Brothers Consultancy Inc., was regarded as an important step towards establishing a sustainable knowledge base that will make it easier for commercial actors and institutions in Istanbul to access EU funds.
