How to assess whether a funding opportunity truly fits your project
Finding a funding call that matches your technology is only the first step. Before investing significant time and resources into an application, companies and research organisations should determine whether the opportunity genuinely fits their project.
A funding call may initially appear attractive because the technology area is relevant, the available budget is suitable and the deadline seems achievable. However, important requirements are often identified only after proposal preparation has already started.
For example, the expected Technology Readiness Level (TRL) may be higher than the current maturity of the technology. Required consortium partners or capabilities may be missing, funding and co-financing conditions may not match the planned activities, or the proposed project may not sufficiently address the expected impact of the call.
A structured assessment before starting the application can help avoid unnecessary effort.
Key aspects to evaluate include:
- Strategic fit: Does the opportunity support your organisation’s objectives?
- Eligibility: Is your organisation eligible to participate?
- Technology readiness: Is the technology at the required TRL?
- Consortium fit: Are additional partners, expertise or capabilities required?
- Funding conditions: Are the available budget and co-financing requirements realistic?
- Expected outcomes: Can the planned project deliver the results required by the call?
- Application effort: Is the potential funding opportunity worth the resources required to prepare a competitive proposal?
The key question should therefore not simply be “Can we apply?”, but rather “Should we apply, and what would make our project competitive?”
KETMarket helps companies and research organisations identify relevant funding opportunities, evaluate their project fit and connect with suitable partners.
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