Freelance Pre-Award Proposal Writer - European R&I projects

Proposal Development & Funding Opportunities

• Lead the preparation, structuring (planning and budgeting), writing and submission of Horizon Europe project proposals and other relevant European framework funding programs, ensuring excellence and compliance with funding requirements, strategic priorities and evaluation criteria (pursuing the necessary technical, administrative and financial contributions).
• Manage proposals preparation, including consortium building, coordination of the overall communication with consortium partners, organization of periodic meetings, coordination of external and internal writing and proposal preparation (including the budget), administrative related tasks (including gathering relevant information from the partners as needed, with the support of the SFC and NI administration team when required).
• Proactively identify and analyse funding opportunities in European R&I programs, track relevant calls and funding schemes that are strategic for SFC and NI and can contribute to the development of its products and services. This will include Horizon Europe, Interreg, Life+, Eurostars, Creative Europe, Erasmus+, among others - with an important focus on Cluster 6 of Horizon Europe.
• Screening of other funding opportunities that can complement the SFC and NI project portfolio (e.g. national, regional and local calls, calls from foundations, banks or NGOs, embassies, etc.), thinking out of the box.
• Prioritisation of opportunities based on their connection to the business strategy and needs of both companies, the funding rates and the possibilities of success of the call.

Representation & Networking

• Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, including universities, research organizations, industry partners, and EU or international funding bodies through the signature of long-term collaboration agreements.
• Attend Info Days/Brokerage Events and other relevant events to stay up-to-date of EU funding programs, policies, and evaluation criteria to enhance proposal success rates, as well as making new contacts and bringing new opportunities to SFC and Naked Innovations.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in European R&I proposal writing, both as partner and coordinator, with a strong knowledge of Horizon Europe and other EU funding schemes such as Interreg, Erasmus+, Life+, Creative Europe, etc.
• Previous experience should cover the whole cycle: screening of relevant calls, criteria for selecting the most interesting opportunities, networking with peers to build consortia, consortium management, planning and budgeting, proposal writing in collaboration with the operations and the financial team (plus consortium partners) until submission, guaranteeing the compliance with internal and external deadlines.
• Knowledge of EU policies and funding schemes is a must.
• Knowledge and previous experience in the fields of citizen science and agrifood.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Engineering, Life Sciences, Social Sciences, Business Development and Administration, International Relations, Political Sciences, or related disciplines)
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills in English, with strong writing and editing skills.
• Spanish is a must and Catalan is a plus.

Interpersonal skills

• Independent, proactive individual comfortable collaborating across multiple stakeholders (SFC, NI, Consortium partners).
• Highly motivated and organized with attention to detail and a drive for excellence.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines while developing multiple proposals in parallel.
• Capacity to adapt to changing priorities and to work effectively under pressure.
• Strong interpersonal and networking skills to engage with EU institutions, research entities, and industry partners.
• Strategic thinking for detecting and prioritising opportunities and partnerships.
• Ability to make decisions and take risks when needed.
• Sensitivity to work in multicultural environments and to embed the inclusivity and gender perspective into research.
• A person with a purpose and passion to make an impact on society and the world.