European portals are generally very intuitive and, when used correctly, can be extremely helpful for planning an EU project strategy. In training sessions and seminars, I often notice that some people view these databases as simple digital archives—useful for curiosity rather than as real work tools. In reality, they offer much more: calls for proposals, templates, guidelines, detailed descriptions of funded projects, results, beneficiary lists, good practices and success stories. They are free to use and require no registration. These databases are essential not only during project preparation but also for verifying information generated by Artificial Intelligence. Although advanced, AI systems can make mistakes—sometimes many. European databases therefore become indispensable tools for humans to manually validate AI outputs and assess their reliability. Access to these portals is free and does not require registration:
EU Funding & Tenders Portal – The EU’s official portal for calls, tenders, and funding opportunities. It allows users to find grants, submit proposals, and manage EU-funded projects.
FTS (Financial Transparency System) – A European Commission database listing the beneficiaries of EU funds, including amounts, programmes, and countries, to ensure transparency in the use of public resources.
CORDIS – The official repository of EU-funded research and innovation projects; it provides details on objectives, results, and partners for each European project.
TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) – The online edition of the EU’s Official Journal dedicated to public procurement. It publishes tender notices and contract awards above threshold in EU Member States and associated countries.
Registro per la trasparenza (lobby) – A database of interest representatives (lobbyists) accredited to EU institutions. It ensures transparency regarding lobbying activities and related funding.
Euractiv – A European news portal publishing updates on EU policies, analyses, and also job opportunities in the institutional and political sector.
Eurobrussels – A website specialising in job and internship listings within EU institutions, NGOs, think tanks, and companies operating in Brussels and in the EU sphere.