Concept Note & Full Application Support — Winning Both Stages of EuropeAid Grants
Expert support for the EuropeAid two-stage application process. We write concept notes that shortlist and full applications that win.
Mastering the two-stage EuropeAid grant process from concept shortlisting to full application approval.
Most EuropeAid grants use a two-stage application process. In the first stage, all eligible organisations submit a concept note — a short document (usually 4–8 pages) presenting the project concept. Only a fraction are invited to submit a full application. The full application is a comprehensive technical and financial document that can run to 60 pages or more, plus annexes. INTERALTER provides expert support for both stages — writing concept notes that achieve shortlisting and full applications that score highly across all evaluation criteria.
Two-stage process challenges
- Concept notes that are too generic and fail to demonstrate call-specific relevance
- Moving from concept note to full application in a tight timeframe without losing momentum
- Full applications that are technically strong but poorly structured for the evaluation grid
- Managing the volume and complexity of the full application package
- Ensuring consistency between concept note, full application and logframe
Support for both stages
Concept Note Writing
We draft a compelling, call-specific concept note that clearly addresses the priorities, demonstrates your relevance and presents a credible, innovative project concept within the page limit.
Concept Note Review & Scoring Estimate
We provide an independent quality review of your concept note draft, scoring it against the published evaluation criteria and identifying priority improvements.
Full Application Writing
Following shortlisting, we write the complete full application — all technical sections, implementation methodology, logframe, work plan, management structure, sustainability plan and risk matrix.
PRAG Annexes Preparation
We prepare and check all required PRAG annexes — financial statements, legal entity forms, bank identification forms, declarations and partner mandates.
Evaluation Simulation
Before submission, we simulate the EU assessor evaluation process, scoring the full application against the published grid and providing a predicted score with priority improvements.
What you receive
- Concept note (all required sections, within page limit)
- Concept note scoring estimate
- Full application (all technical sections)
- Logframe matrix
- Work plan and Gantt chart
- Risk matrix
- Sustainability section
- Complete PRAG annexes package
- Final compliance check
Our two-stage process
Call analysis and concept development
We analyse the call, develop the project concept with your team, and write the concept note.
Concept note submission and wait
We submit the concept note and maintain readiness to start the full application quickly if shortlisted.
Shortlisting notification response
On shortlisting, we immediately convene a planning call to agree the full application work plan and timeline.
Full application development
We write all sections of the full application in parallel — narrative, logframe, work plan and budget.
QA, compliance check and submission
We conduct a full quality review, compliance check and support the final submission.
Who this service is for
- NGOs and civil society organisations responding to EuropeAid calls for proposals
- Organisations that have been shortlisted on a concept note and need full application support
- Lead applicants whose previous concept notes failed to shortlist
- Multi-country consortia coordinating a joint full application
- Any organisation applying to a restrictive, competitive EuropeAid call
Frequently Asked Questions
- What percentage of concept notes are shortlisted?
- This varies significantly by call. Highly competitive calls may shortlist 5–15% of concept notes. Less competitive calls may shortlist 30–50%. The call guidelines sometimes state the expected shortlisting rate, which gives an indication of competition intensity.
- How quickly can you start the full application after we receive shortlisting notification?
- We are always prepared for shortlisting from the moment we submit the concept note. We can begin the full application within 24–48 hours of notification.
- Is the full application always longer than the concept note?
- Yes. Full applications are typically much more detailed — 30–60 pages for the technical description alone, plus logframe, work plan, budget and annexes. The concept note is usually 4–8 pages.
- Can you help if we only need support at the full application stage?
- Yes. If you've already been shortlisted and need full application support only, we offer a full application writing service as a standalone engagement.
- What happens if we are not shortlisted?
- Many contracting authorities provide debriefs for unsuccessful concept notes. We request the debrief on your behalf and help you understand the weaknesses so you can improve for the next application.
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