THEPS Newsletter #11: Mistakes happen, but no one is perfect
Your weekly guide to writing better EU projects!
Hello,
Have you ever felt like the mistake you’ve made will ruin your chance for success, and then it turned out it was not that big of a problem? It happens all the time! For example, sometimes we say it’s issue #8, but it’s actually #9. Or last week, we called Romania “Italy” by accident. Mamma mia, mamaliga!
Similarly, you don’t need to get 100 points to have your project funded! Mistakes here and there happen, we are all human after all. What the evaluators in the non-corrupt National Agencies look for is adherence to the programme’s rules, cohesion, realistic goals and a justified budget.
Because this is a very stressful week for many organisations that waited for the last moment to submit their project proposals, we decided not to burden you with more opportunities for funding but rather focus on lighter, positive examples of the beauty of Europe.
So, this week we focus on:
- The Cultural Deal for Europe
- Bulgaria’s Super Teacher
- The Report is coming
- Tips & Tricks
- What the Future Holds
The Cultural Deal for Europe
The Cultural Deal for Europe is a big, collective push to put culture at the heart of the European project. It argues that Europe cannot thrive socially, economically, or democratically without strong cultural sectors and vibrant cultural life. Culture Action Europe, the European Cultural Foundation, and Europa Nostra launched it as a united call to EU leaders to treat culture as a strategic priority, not a decorative extra.
Imagine Europe without culture… No theatres, no festivals, no libraries, no creative hubs, no music, no museums, no shared stories. Just… spreadsheets and roundabouts. And ugly billboards about sweet potatoes being on sale at the local supermarket. That’s the nightmare scenario the Cultural Deal wants to prevent. The initiative was born during COVID‑19, when cultural sectors were collapsing while Europeans relied on culture to stay sane. It proved that culture is a public good, not a hobby.
What the Cultural Deal asks for:
- Put culture in every major EU policy (green transition, digital transition, democracy, foreign affairs).
- Invest properly in Europe’s cultural ecosystem.
- Recognise culture as essential for democracy, sustainability, equality, and social cohesion.
- Make culture a visible, central part of Europe’s future strategy.
This initiative is very important for us, dear THEPS readers, because if it succeeds, it means:
- More EU funding for culture, heritage, creativity, and arts.
- Stronger recognition of cultural organisations in EU policymaking.
- Better integration of culture into Erasmus+, Creative Europe, CERV, Horizon Europe, and local development strategies.
- More opportunities for cross‑border cultural projects, mobility, and partnerships.
- A Europe where culture is not the last line in the budget, but the first line in the vision.
Learn more about it at culturaldeal.eu.
Bulgaria's Super Teacher
We love a good example that passionately teaches us all. ARTE.tv documentary on Teodosi Teodosiev, who has a reputation as a maker of Nobel Prize winners and is perhaps the best physics teacher in the world, is such an example.
We hope this inspires you to be more focused on why we actually do all of this - to change the world for the better with knowledge.
Tips & Tricks
Reread.
Yes, don’t rush it. Before submitting your project, please reread the whole thing. You’d be surprised how much fixing is sometimes needed. You can do this! Good luck this week!
What the Future Holds
While we are reaching thousands of people with THEPS, we believe we can reach even more. We need to be more united, support the professional organisations, and get rid of those who are only in it for the money. Soon.
In the meantime, follow us on LinkedIn (and soon on European-based social media!).