Q-PLAN Tailored Training and Strategic Support for Horizon Europe Projects

Q-PLAN INTERNATIONAL is proud to highlight the successful contribution of Mr. Aristotelis Folas, Business Consultant at our company, during his two-week visit to VSB – Technical University of Ostrava (Czech Republic), as part of our HORIZON Europe project MERGE.

The purpose of the visit was dual: first, to deliver hands-on trainings on preparing proposals for Horizon Europe. Secondly, to meet with VSB administrative staff and review current administrative processes in VSB, with respect to Horizon Europe projects

In detail, during his stay, Mr. Folas delivered a series of highly interactive, training sessions on preparing competitive proposals for Horizon Europe, tailored to the needs of early-stage researchers at VSB. The training focused on practical aspects of proposal writing such as setting clear objectives, defining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and developing sound methodologies.

More than 16 researchers actively participated, demonstrating their strong interest in enhancing their proposal development skills through the expertise offered by Q-PLAN.

In addition to the training activities, Mr. Folas engaged in strategic discussions with the university’s administrative staff, aiming to align institutional processes with best practices for the management of Horizon Europe projects. This included topics such as technical and financial reporting, as well as effective coordination of multi-partner consortia.

The visit also resulted in a comprehensive analysis prepared by Q-PLAN, which will form the basis for future exchanges and contribute to the development of dedicated training materials. These materials will be available on the official website of MERGE (https://www.merge-twinning.eu/ ) and will focus on boosting management and soft skills, including managing Horizon Europe projects!

Mr Folas‘ professional background includes significant experience in key companies and consultancies in Europe (TOYOTA motor Europe, AKKA GmbH) on cutting-edge technical fields such as automotive engineering and exhaust development. In Q-PLAN, he provides business consultation in strategic Research and Innovation (R&I) projects, alongside a multidisciplinary team of dedicated researchers and consultants focused on European R&I Programmes. Mr. Folas’ expertise is mainly focused on the implementation of Horizon Europe projects supporting project communication, dissemination, exploitation of results and business modelling, while he also participates in proposal writing of Horizon Europe projects.