1. INFORMATION & PUBLICITY REQUIREMENTS
Kirsti Mijnhijmer, Joint Secretariat
5th April 2017, Stornoway

2. Project Role Project role in NPA communication strategy:
Projects form link between the NPA and citizens in the area
Projects produce tangible outputs that impact citizens
For this reason projects are expected to:
Follow EU & NPA publicity requirements
Develop mandatory communication tools in first 6 months
Promote their products and services to relevant audiences
Feedback to the programme level: examples of promotional materials, success stories, descriptions of (expected) outputs

3. Expectations for project communications
Internal communication:
Consider the information flow within the partnership, also with associated partners. E.g. in Partnership Agreement.
Important for Lead Partner role in monitoring progress
External communication:
Integral part of the project implementation from the start
Communicate about outputs (under development) to:
Envisaged end users
Policy makers, sectoral organisations, communities, businesses, etc.
Programme bodies, other projects, own partner organisations

4. Expectations for project communications
External communication (continued):
Put outputs at the centre of project communication:
Define the attributes of the product/service
Describe their viability/business potential
Communication about the partnership is of secondary importance
Target audiences:
Define (refine) your target audiences
Adapt your communication style to their needs

5. Expectations for project communications
A professional standard:
Your project communication speaks for the programme and the EU (and Non Member States)
Similar standard as other parts of project implementation
Get experts where needed and budget for them
Transparency and accountability

6. Communication adds value
Benefits:
Raised awareness among end users and target communities
Better coordination between partners and better management
Better project implementation
Better viability of the project outputs and therefore results
More political support and support from citizens to ensure a longer lasting impact of the project and more future support.
Attracting more match funding and outside investments from participating organisations and other stakeholders

7. EU publicity requirements (1)
Regulations:
Common Provision Regulation (EU) 1303/2013, Articles and Annex XII (section 2.2. responsibilities of the beneficiaries)
Implementing Act 821/2014, Articles 3-5 and Annex II (technical specifications for EU emblem)
Publicity requirements affect eligibility of costs:
Failure to comply may result in cost deduction!
The programme may even decide to apply a 2% penalty fee

8. EU publicity requirements (2)
All projects are responsible for informing the public about assistance received from ERDF
All information and publicity measures must include:
The European emblem, together with a reference to the European Union
A reference to the fund: “European Regional Development Fund”
The size of the EU flag shall be appropriate to the scale of the material. For small promotional objects, point 2 does not apply. On websites, the EU flag visible without scrolling down. The EU flag should be the same size as other logos.

9. NPA publicity requirements (1)
The use of the NPA logo together with the EU flag
Mandatory communication tools (first 6 months):
Project website, as part of the programme website
Brief description, objectives, target groups, expected and reported outputs, and relevant images and materials.
Project logo
Promotional materials for conferences, seminars, exhibitions
Project presentation in PowerPoint format
Poster about the project (minimum size A3)
including the financial support from the European Union, at a location readily visible to the public

10. NPA publicity requirements (2)
Budget for attending NPA events
Expected attendance at NPA events during the project lifetime:
Lead Partner seminars (mandatory once a year)
Partner seminars organised in each of the partner countries (once a year)
One thematic seminar
One additional training seminar

11. NPA project mini websites
Purpose:
It saves a project having to develop their own website. Any own project website should rather focus on project outputs.
The mini website complies with publicity requirements and the availability of information after project closure .
It gives the programme and the public access to similar information on all its projects, which is easy to share.

12. NPA project mini website
Mini websites will be set up for each Fourth Call project
All Lead Partners will be assigned a username and password
URL is acronym.interreg-npa.eu
Guidance is available online:

13. Mini website structure
Templated pages with guidance and placeholders.
Mini website allows for a number of pages:
Home
About project
Outputs and Results
Resources
Contact
News
Events

14. Access and CMS
Accessed by following:

15. Example of a good mini website

16. General further guidance
Programme Manual section 3.6
A communication toolkit for projects, including templates and guidelines for the use of the NPA visual identity is currently under development
Logos can be downloaded from the website
Regulations

18. Thank you for listening
Kirsti Mijnhijmer