1. EUNIDA presents a proposal to the EU or receives a request from the EU
2. Projects are discussed in the Board of Directors and Members express their interest in participating
3. Members agree on the Lead Agency, which regularly informs the Board of Directors
4. Terms of Reference are discussed with the EU and the Beneficiary
5. Once the negotiations with the EU have successfully concluded, the Grouping signs a contract with the EU.

Projects signed in the Grouping’s name will be carried out by its Members’ “Implementing Agencies”.

Standard Contracting Model

The Grouping contracts projects with its Client on the basis of direct awards, signing a Head Contract with the Client that delegates the project implementation work to one of the EUNIDA Members, “the Lead Agency”.

The Lead Agency is a party to the Head Contract and signs a separate cooperation agreement with EUNIDA's other Members and/or Observers involved in the project, covering the specific services that will be performed by each.

Selection of a Lead Agency

EUNIDA’s Rules of Procedure establish a list of criteria for the selection of the Lead Agency for each project. The Lead Agency is selected on the basis of objective criteria and by a majority decision of the Board of Directors. Over the past few years, the list of established criteria has proved to be a practical vehicle for assuring a transparent, fast and effective decision-making process within the network.

Allocation of Experts to a Project

Members and Observers are invited by the Lead Agency to propose experts for individual projects. Individual experts are selected by the Lead Agency using a CV evaluation tool. As far as possible, the selection of experts is representative of the network’s membership.