I am a Berlin-based EU funding consultant with several years of experience in EU project development, institutional funding and organisational development, particularly in democracy, culture and youth. I am developing my own consultancy to support organisations in accessing EU funding and successfully implementing projects.
My Host, Roberto Solinas, is the founder of Mine Vaganti NGO in Sassari, Italy, working in European cooperation, education and social innovation. I discovered Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs through a colleague and joined the programme to gain international entrepreneurial experience and learn from an established organisation in another European context.
I expected to strengthen my skills in project design, budgeting and implementation, improve my business and administrative processes, and gain new insights into client acquisition and sustainable consultancy development, while contributing my own experience.
During my EYE stay, I participated in EU project design and implementation, including project development, budgeting, reporting and administrative tasks. We also reviewed internal workflows and explored ways to improve efficiency through better processes and digital tools. I gained insights into business development, client acquisition and consultancy pricing.
My relationship with my Host was based on mutual learning and open exchange. We compared our experience of EU funding and project implementation in Italy and Germany, and I also worked closely with his team. Minor logistical and communication challenges were resolved constructively. Overall, the cooperation was very positive.
The exchange strengthened my skills in EU project design, budgeting, implementation and administration and gave me a better understanding of the business side of consultancy, particularly client acquisition and pricing. I also developed new approaches to improving internal workflows and using digital tools more efficiently.
The international exchange broadened my professional network and gave me a better understanding of different approaches to EU project work in Italy and Germany. The cooperation with my Host and his team created a strong basis for future collaboration and continued knowledge exchange. Most importantly, I gained practical experience and perspectives that I can directly apply to developing my own consultancy.
An intense and rewarding experience that gave me new professional perspectives, practical skills and valuable international connections. I learned a lot from working closely with my Host and his team.