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Featured byMaastricht School of Management
Overview
Organisations and companies worldwide are under increasing pressure to secure sustainable financing as national budgets tighten and donor priorities evolve. Access to international funding now requires more than technical proposal writing skills: it demands strategic insight into the global funding landscape, strong partnerships, and institutional readiness.This Short Executive Programme equips professionals from the private sector, public institutions, semi-public bodies, and development organisations with consultancy-level skills and practical frameworks to identify funding opportunities, design competitive project proposals, and institutionalise long-term fundraising systems.An important dimension of the participant organisations is their contribution to socio-economic development. In different sectors, from agriculture to health, they might play a leading role in skills development, entrepreneurship, policy advise, or innovation. All areas that are critical for inclusive economic growth at regional and national levels. By building project proposal writing skills, participants can access funding and directly contribute to facilitating this in their own relevant contexts.Throughout the programme, a real-life proposal format is used as a practical case study.. This allows participants to work with authentic funding templates and assessment criteria, gaining insight into how major international funders structure, evaluate, and prioritise project proposals.In addition, the programme explores how artificial intelligence (AI) tools can be effectively integrated into the proposal design process to enhance creativity, analytical depth, and overall proposal quality, while maintaining strategic coherence and donor alignment.
Programme Structure
Modules
The course consists of four modules, delivered over a seven-week training period, starting mid-October. This is followed by a 2-week period for individual coaching meetings leading to hand-in of the final assignment.
Module 1: Understanding the funding landscape and the funder
Module 2: Funding proposal development skills
Module 3: Budget design, assignment preparation, and institutional transformation
Module 4: Use of AI in project design
Sessions
- Delivery: self-paced online components and Microsoft Teams-based interactive sessions.
- Modules 1, 2, and 3 each run for two weeks, and Module 4 lasts for one week. The programme concludes with individual coaching sessions before the submission of the Final assignment.
- Time commitment: 6/8 hours per week (asynchronous learning) + 2 hours live per module
- Final assignment: the individual, practical, organisation-specific project proposal, integrating all learned skills.
- The course structures a blended online model combining flexibility with interactive learning:
- Flexible, self-paced online learning with weekly engagement through targeted readings, applied assignments, and recorded lectures.
- Microsoft Teams-based sessions: facilitated discussions, peer exchanges, and applied analysis.
- Case studies: concrete project examples of successful funding projects.
- Dedicated programme support team. Benefit from ongoing support throughout the programme, with a dedicated team available to assist you with any questions or challenges.
- Peer collaboration: co-creation of a solid basis for the Final assignment.
- Project proposal draft: participants will work on a real call for proposal.
Audience
Professionals from Europe and the Global South, and beyond, including:
- Private sector: consultants, industry and sector clusters, and business councils.
- Public sector institutions: ministries, universities, local development agencies.
- Semi-private bodies: sector associations, chambers, business development platforms.
- Development partners: NGOs, CSOs, and other organisations supporting interventions
Lecturers
Mr. Hans Nijhoff - Senior Project ConsultantMr. Rui Miguel Santos - Expert and trainer in Results-Based Management and Evaluation of Development Programmes & Projects
Key information
Duration
- Full-time
- 2 months
Start dates & application deadlines
- Starting
- Apply before
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Language
English
Delivered
Online
- Self-paced, Semi-structured
- Continuous support with feedback on request, Proactive tutoring and support
- Individual work/assignments (with online group discussions)
Campus Location
- Maastricht, Netherlands
Disciplines
Public Administration International Development Social PolicyWhat students do after studying
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Academic requirements
We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.
English requirements
We are not aware of any English requirements for this programme.
Other requirements
General requirements
Admission requirements
- Applicants should have the ability to function academically and professionally at Bachelor level.
- Because it is an interactive programme, candidates should have an adequate level of spoken and written English (C1 of C2 level) to be able to follow the programme and to actively participate. If it turns out and applicant does not have the sufficient level of English, a certificate will not be awarded.
- Personal résumé / CV demonstrating the minimum requirement of at least 3 – 5 years of relevant working experience, obtained after your bachelor’s degree
- Copy of your passport or your EU identity card (valid on the start date of your programme)
- To submit your online application, you have to complete all required fields and upload the necessary documents.
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.
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International Applies to you
Applies to youNon-residents2199 EUR / full≈ 2199 EUR / full -
Domestic Applies to you
Applies to youCitizens or residents2199 EUR / full≈ 2199 EUR / full
Additional Details
Early bird application deadline: 24 August 2026 (10% discount)
Funding
Corporate Discount:15% for 2 participants coming from the same organisation within 1 academic year25% for 3 participants coming from the same organisation within 1 academic year40% for 4 - 6 participants coming from the same organisation within 1 academic yearFor > 6 participants we will offer a tailor made programmeAlumni Lifelong Learning:15% discount for MSM and UM registered AlumniDean's Development FundFor the Dean's Development Fund, please select your country to see the actual price of the programme. Based on country of residence (non-EU only). See programme page.
Scholarship opportunities can be combined up to 50% of the tuition fee.
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