Concept Note
One page, no more. Use it to present your idea to potential partners and gauge their interest early.
- Project title
- Project objectives
- Background and context
- Expected outcomes and impact
- Budget — a rough estimate
Every workshop tool and model in the tool kit, in journey order. Use them all to gain a 360-degree understanding of your research problem — or cherry-pick the tool you need at any point in your project development.
One page, no more. Use it to present your idea to potential partners and gauge their interest early.
Find your core partners — a small, interdisciplinary group of 5–6 people at most. Ask about:
Look beyond your core partners to everyone with a stake in the project. Place each stakeholder in the stakeholder matrix to see their importance versus their influence.
Align expectations early and play with open cards. Each partner states what they want from the collaboration — and what they can do for the others.
Revisit it as the project develops: what partners want can change, and new needs appear.
Present the research problem, then each participant presents the key issues they see. Work through them one by one — why does each one matter? — so that everyone is heard.
Be honest: what do you know, what do you think you know, and what don't you know? Plan how to turn each assumption into knowledge and place it on the assumptions matrix.
Start with the easy-to-address potential project killers.
Map the gap between today's state of the art and the future you aim for.
A roadmap for how your project creates change. Start from the vision — the ideal state from your gap analysis — and work backwards.
Turn the activities from your Theory of Change into work packages, and agree goals for each one in your core partner group.
From the right funding call to a proposal that shows START's added value — even though START has no PIC number.
Some funding bodies ask for these. Use them alongside any step.
Assess the impact your project can create. [Guide to come from START]
Rate each risk's likelihood (unlikely / possible / very likely) and consequence (minor / moderate / critical). Plan prevention and mitigation, then re-assess.
Map direct, close and associated competitors to clarify your unique value proposition. Some competitors can become collaborators.
A business model canvas that also accounts for eco-social costs and benefits. Brainstorm each section.
Assess fundability as you go. Cherry-pick the scales that fit — funders often ask for TRL and SRL.
Not comfortable using the tool kit on your own? AU-based project developers can assist you or facilitate a session with your project consortium.