The growth of the consulting market has been driven by increasingly generous funds from EU sources intended for the Croatian private and public sectors, but due to high demand there is a shortage of consultants who can adequately prepare projects. This shortage is filled by unfair competition. Allegedly, some EU fund consultants who are permanently employed in public and state companies are also involved in this work in the gray zone.
Unfair competition easily sways entrepreneurs; small and medium-sized enterprises are the most frequent applicants for EU funds, often lacking experience and thus accepting whoever offers their services. However, it is not enough to simply prepare a project; even if it passes the competition, the role of the consultant does not end during its implementation to avoid mistakes and penalties.
– I believe there are many people engaged in this work, but few who truly have the knowledge and resources to perform it well. In this sense, it is necessary to strengthen the capacities of service users to understand what they are seeking, paying for, and receiving, as well as for service providers to understand that these are complex processes requiring multidisciplinary knowledge – says Ariana Vela, director and owner of Avelanta, who has worked on applications for the Pelješac Bridge, the Čiovo Bridge, numerous factories, hotels…
Her services are most often sought by the private, but also the public sector. The most common requests include preparing project applications, creating budgets and study documentation, implementing projects, and preparing and conducting public procurement procedures.
Problem with Application Deadlines
Robert Ravenšćak, director and owner of Ravecon, claims that the increased demand for EU fund consultants is not solely due to the increase in available money, as many users do not even know how much money is available in a particular competition and what their chances of success are.
– In the media or from their surroundings, whether business or private, they hear that EU money is available, but also that someone similar to them has already received funds. This creates trust – says Ravenšćak.
The director and co-owner of Core Consulting Egon Mudrinić also emphasizes that the demand for consulting services has increased multiple times in recent years in line with greater availability of funds from EU sources. However, Mudrinić warns of problems with application deadlines and competition criteria.
– For example, during 2022, all possible competitions are announced, which are pressed by deadlines for completion, leading to increased demand for consultants who must work in parallel and submit projects from different sectors in a very short time. Additionally, recently, the criteria for applying for competitions have been significantly tightened, and acceptable activities have been reduced to a really small number – emphasizes Mudrinić.
No Register of Consultants
According to Matija Fuček, owner and director of Euro Projekt Scriptum, there is no unified official register of consultants for EU funds because there is no official certificate solely for these jobs.
– Consultants are mostly economic experts who also engage in other consulting work related to business, which is, of course, added value since competitions for EU fund resources are closely related to business and development assessment as well as potential risks – says Fuček, who emphasizes that the problem is the long time frame from project submission to decision.
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