EUknow.it is launched, the new platform created by Fondazione CRT, Acri and nine other partners to help navigate the world of European projects.
The digital “compass” builds on and renews the legacy of the Guide to European Project Design, with a new name, a new design and fully updated tools to support those working in European project development in a simple and immediate way. Visit EUknow.it.
Italy and European project design
Italy uses only part of the resources available, with spending on 2014–2020 structural funds stopping at around 80%, placing the country among the lowest in the Union for effective use of resources. This limitation affects the competitiveness of territories and restricts many organisations’ ability to access growth and development opportunities.
EUknow.it was created to address this weakness, strengthening the project capacity of local organisations at a time when Europe is preparing for the 2028–2034 programming period and Italy is entering the post–NRRP phase, which will require stronger skills, partnerships and a greater ability to compete at European level.
“Supporting access to European programmes means strengthening territorial growth and guiding organisations towards new development opportunities,” says Anna Maria Poggi, President of Fondazione CRT. “With EUknow.it we are providing a concrete and shared tool that enables public bodies, municipalities and Third Sector organisations to navigate the European landscape more effectively. It is part of our commitment to being a Foundation that does not simply allocate resources, but acts as a strategic ally for the territory, fostering skills, networks and innovation capacity.”
“For Acri,” says President Giovanni Azzone, “EUknow.it is a strategically valuable project, both for its objectives and for the model on which it is based: it strengthens the Third Sector – long at the heart of the commitment of banking foundations – and broadens the perspective towards the European dimension, which is increasingly relevant for our communities. It is the result of a path initiated by Fondazione CRT and grown over time thanks to the involvement of many other foundations, confirming the Acri system’s ability to share knowledge, expertise and successful experiences.”
The key role of EUknow.it
With EUknow.it, Fondazione CRT and the promoting partners aim to provide a high-quality, accessible operational tool to help overcome one of the most evident weaknesses of the Italian system and make participation in European Union opportunities more effective across the entire territorial ecosystem.
With EUknow.it, much has changed: in addition to the new name, the platform features a clearer and more accessible look, renewed navigation with search by keywords and tags, and an automatic reading function to enhance inclusivity. A new dialogue channel also allows users to send feedback, suggestions and questions, helping to build the Guide together with its users. EUknow.it thus becomes a comprehensive tool for navigating the Europe of projects: an information ecosystem offering an operational manual on European project design, updated factsheets on all programmes, a calls portal, glossary, audio and video materials, thematic insights, interviews, project stories and a Q&A section designed around users’ concrete needs. All content comes from official European sources and managing authorities, is free of charge, accessible without registration and updated weekly; the platform is also available in English, French and German, confirming a growing focus on the international dimension.
The EUknow.it network
Launched with two print editions in 2006 and 2008, then online since 2015 and renewed in 2021, the Guide to European Project Design now reaches a new stage with EUknow.it, the result of collaboration between Fondazione CRT, Acri, Fondazione CRC, Fondazione Cariplo, Fondazione Caritro, Fondazione Cariverona, Fondazione CR Firenze, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Bolzano, Filiera Futura, Fondazione di Sardegna and ASVAPP. This nearly twenty-year journey reflects a constant investment in strengthening the country’s capacity to design projects at European level. In ten years of digital activity, the Guide has built a strong national community – over 100,000 users, more than 16,000 followers and thousands of pages of content – becoming a daily tool for universities, public administrations, Third Sector organisations and European project professionals. All this heritage now converges in EUknow.it, with a renewed positioning and growing attention to accessibility, usability and user participation. Brand identity project by Cappelli Identity Design.
