PRAG without secrets: experts of the Regional Development Agency of Odesa Region have undergone an intensive training on EU grant instruments

Representatives of the Regional Development Agency of Odesa Region have completed a three-day training on EU contracting procedures (PRAG), which was held as part of the UCORD Project.

The purpose of the training was to deepen knowledge of EU grant instruments and improve skills in working with European financial mechanisms.

The Regional Development Agency of Odesa Region was represented at the training by:

• Olga Sorochenko, Deputy Director of the Agency, who coordinates the work of the institution and the development of partnerships within the UCORD Project;
• Ivanna Laskuriychuk, Head of the Grants Office, responsible for attracting resources and developing grant programs for Odesa Oblast communities.

Three days and four training modules covered the full cycle of the grant process – from the first announcement to the signing of the contract.

Day 1: Introduction to PRAG: legal framework and principles

Our team immersed itself in the basic principles of PRAG:

• learned about the legal framework, goals, principles and models of grant management;
• studied the granting procedure, nationality rules and EU restrictive measures;
• practiced the stage of identifying participants in the grant process using practical examples.

Day 2: Organization of grant competitions

The second day was as practical as possible. The Agency’s team went through the process of organizing a grant competition step by step:

• learned to create announcements, describe requirements for participants, and develop selection criteria;
• got acquainted with IT tools that facilitate work: PADOR, PROSPECT, funding and tender portal;
• learned how to ensure publicity and transparency of each stage.

Particular attention was paid to the application evaluation procedure: how the evaluation committee is formed, what principles ensure impartiality, and how to avoid conflicts of interest.

Day 3: Evaluation of applications and contracting

The final day of the training was devoted to working with real applications and documents:

• applying evaluation criteria and filling in the evaluation matrix;
• preparing final reports on the selection results;
• analyzing standard terms and conditions of grant contracts to better navigate the documentation.

For the Agency’s team, this training became not only a source of knowledge, but also an inspiration for further work. We have an even deeper understanding of the logic of European grant mechanisms and are ready to help communities in Odesa Oblast use these opportunities effectively.

Together we are building expertise that paves the way for sustainable development of the region