Key Action 2: cooperation partnerships

Key Action 2 is about organisations. The output here is not a trip but something that remains afterwards: a curriculum, a methodology, a platform, a qualified staff.

Two formats with different entry thresholds

Cooperation Partnerships are meant for organisations with experience. The minimum composition is three organisations from three different programme countries. The grant is one of three predetermined amounts: €120,000, €250,000 or €400,000. The applicant picks the amount to match the volume of work; there are no values in between.

Small-scale Partnerships exist precisely for those who have never held an EU grant: two organisations from two countries, a simplified application, a grant of €30,000 or €60,000. It is the cheapest way to earn a first line on an organisation's track record.

Why the lump sum changes the logic of the application

Because the grant is paid for work delivered rather than against receipts, the budget stops being the centre of the application. What is assessed instead are the work packages: whether the described volume of activity matches the amount requested.

Hence the classic mistake: an application asks for €400,000 behind a work plan that looks like a €120,000 project. The expert does not reduce the amount, the expert lowers the score.

What is open to a Ukrainian organisation

Partnerships are a decentralised action, so applications go to the National Agency of a programme country. A Ukrainian organisation does not apply in its own right, but it can be a partner where its involvement is necessary to achieve the project's objectives and this is justified in the application.