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About the Author: Innovarum

Content produced by the Innovarum Team with inputs from different team members.

The impact section has often proven to be the most problematic for applicants. The new structure of this section under Horizon Europe, where the “pathway to impact” must be defined, may be even more of a challenge. However, the applicants must be aware of the utmost importance to address this section well, not only regarding the proposal evaluation (the credibility of the pathways is one of the evaluation criteria), but also the reasoning behind the project. After all, we all design projects to make a change, and this is not possible if the impact of the implemented activities is limited.

Diving Deeper into Section 2

To better understand what a pathway to impact is, let’s take a closer look at the parts of a Horizon Europe proposal template of a collaborative project. Disclaimer, the below is the author’s own take on the topic:

Already from the start, the template provides us with a definition, namely that pathways to impact are “logical steps towards the achievement of the expected impacts of the project over time, in particular beyond the duration of a project. A pathway begins with the projects’ results, to their dissemination, exploitation and communication, contributing to the expected outcomes in the work programme topic, and ultimately to the wider scientific, economic and societal impacts of the work programme destination”.

Let’s dissect this definition and for that, the summary table of section 2.3. can give us a valuable hint, having the following structure:

Specific needs

So “the issues we are trying to solve, the demands we are trying to answer”. Back to the basics, each project should start with the definition of the problem and define the measures accordingly, not the other way around.

Expected results

Or “the outputs generated in the project”. These are the partners´ Intellectual Property that stem directly from the implementation of the Work Plan. They may be tangible (e.g., a new product developed) or intangible (e.g., new knowledge created).

Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication measures

i.e., “The actions to ensure exploitability and visibility of the project results”. These constitute a set of activities that are jointly seen as “impact maximisers”. The frequent mistake here is to not give this section much priority. This is a huge error, as it disables the project results to actually reach the targeted addressees. Therefore, the suitability and quality of these measures is another evaluation criterion. More on this topic here.

Outcomes

“The change that the results will bring”. The outcomes are closely related to the results, in the sense that they are the effects brought by the disseminated and exploited results. The timespan of the outcomes is defined as “over the medium term”, yet more specifically these are expected during the project implementation or at the project end. The project´s outcomes must be clearly related to (but not necessarily limited to) the expected outcomes specified in the text of the topic.

Impacts

“The wider scientific, economic and societal effects that the outcomes will have”. Logically, the impacts are related to the outcomes, yet their lifespan is longer. Even though the template does not specify it, I suggest estimating the impacts for a concrete point of time. For example, if your project´s impact is reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, you may estimate it for 2050, in relation to the 2050 goal of carbon neutrality of the European Green Deal. Crucial to remember is that the project´s impacts must be clearly linked to (but not necessarily limited to) the expected impacts specified in the corresponding work programme destination.

Final comments

When developing section 2, be specific. Only present outcomes and impacts that will directly stem from your results and show how they will affect concrete target groups. Moreover, quantify the results, outcomes, and impacts whenever possible. It is not the same to raise awareness among 10 primary producers as to reach 100 of them.

Only via quantification can you really show the project’s impact and only this way can the evaluators really assess the value for money of the project. While, especially for the impacts, the quantification will be based on estimates, you should support these showing your baselines, benchmarks, and assumptions in the “scale & significance” subsection.

This article has been prepared by Alicja Wolak, Innovarum´s Senior Proposal Writer

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