Collaborative applications to the Horizon Europe (HE) programme must include at least 3 different institutions from 3 different countries. Typical consortia include between 5 to 20 partners from different sectors, cultures, and levels of expertise and experience in the process of preparing applications of this kind. Understanding the different phases and the critical steps in the preparation of proposals is of extreme importance to designing a tailored support strategy. These include creating an original idea, designing the research, finding opportunities, building consortia, writing and proofreading the proposal, tackling the administrative requirements (organization’s administrative information, infrastructures, ethical and security aspects), and preparing a budget. The strategy to address these issues may vary depending on the experience and resources of each researcher and organization involved. We will present a roadmap with tips and hints on how to prepare a strategic timeline of actions to support a coordinator in the building of an HE collaborative project considering good implementation practices for smooth project execution, including: identifying the necessary actions, times, and interactions with partners and in-house offices to facilitate proposal submission and implementation (if funded). Our ultimate goal is to support RMAs in the development of tailored strategies and tools to support the preparation of proposals while adapting this support to their institutional and role realities. Useful for new RMAs and RMAs who want to develop more skills in collaborative proposals preparation.
