FRAPPE - Regional Fund for European project leaders

By project InnoCom

Published on 18 March 2025

France

Nord-Pas de Calais

About this good practice

The European Commission's sectoral and interregional cooperation programmes offer valuable funding opportunities, but accessing these competitive funds requires expertise in EU project development. To support regional stakeholders, the Hauts-de-France Regional Council established FRAPPE (Fonds Régional d'Aide aux Porteurs de Projets Européens), a scheme providing expert consultancy services to strengthen applications for EU funding.
FRAPPE offers fully funded consultancy services to assist stakeholders in preparing and submitting high-quality applications for EU funding calls. In collaboration with the Region’s European Department, experienced EU funding experts guide project leaders through every stage of proposal development, from concept structuring to application writing. Additionally, FRAPPE can be leveraged to support project implementation and monitoring once funding is secured.
The initiative is open to a wide range of eligible organisations based in Hauts-de-France, including academic institutions, clusters, public bodies, and businesses (since 2022). Applicants must hold a key role in the project—whether as lead coordinator, co-coordinator, or work package leader—and must commit sufficient resources, particularly in terms of personnel, to develop the proposal.
By covering sectoral programmes and interregional cooperation programmes, FRAPPE helps regional actors compete more effectively for EU funding, boosting Hauts-de-France’s participation in European initiatives.

Expert opinion

The Hauts-de-France Regional Council has created FRAPPE, a program offering fully funded consultancy services, to support regional stakeholders in accessing EU funding from proposal writing and submitting to project implementation and monitoring. The initiative is accessible to academic institutions, business clusters, public authorities, and companies. The goal is to increase the competitiveness of regional stakeholders in securing EU funding and increasing the region’s involvement in European projects. It supports stakeholders that may not have sufficient internal resources nor expertise in EU project development. By offering structured support throughout the application process, these initiatives can lead to more complete and compliant proposals, contributing to improved access to available EU funds. Considering the highly competitive nature of EU project funding, FRAPPE stands out as a great public-sector led initiative to help develop the capacities of local stakeholders and to access additional funding for regional development. There are several examples across Europe where skilled project writing and management teams have played a visible role in the transformation of a region (see Fundao, Portugal for example).

Mart Veliste

Works at Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform

Resources needed

FRAPPE requires:
• 4 policy officers (equivalent to 2 FTE)
• 1 administrative staff (0.3 FTE) managing public procurement, which is reviewed every 2 years per national regulations.
• Annual regional budget of approx. €180,000, with expenditures averaging €100,000, for 231 consultancy days per year.

Evidence of success

In 2023, FRAPPE provided support to:
• 17 project leaders,
• 13 projects that applied for European Commission calls,
• 5 projects successfully funded (Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, Creative Europe).

This resulted in:
• An overall success rate of 30% for supported projects,
• A success rate of nearly 40% for submitted applications.

Since 2022, 4 SMEs have received direct support, while many more benefit indirectly as part of supported consortia.

Potential for learning or transfer

This practice is valuable for EU regions looking to support local stakeholders applying for EU funding programmes, particularly those lacking internal resources or expertise in EU project development.

To successfully implement a similar scheme, key factors include:
• Financial and legal capacity to set up a paid consultancy service for project leaders,
• Strategic public procurement, ensuring a minimum annual volume of expert consultant days to maintain both quantity and quality of support,
• Mapping of regional strengths and weaknesses in accessing EU funds, allowing for targeted support,
• Complementary integration with other regional support initiatives to maximize impact,
• Clear communication to reach relevant project leaders and stakeholders,
• Strong procurement processes to ensure an efficient and coherent framework, complemented by ongoing evaluation of expert consultants to maintain high-quality service.