Multilevel Strategy: Your Map to Stay on Course in European Projects

When it comes to European project design, many organisations make the same mistake: they focus only on the next deadline.
They identify a call, write a proposal, submit it. Then they wait.
If the answer is “no,” they start over.
If it’s “yes,” they jump straight into implementation — without thinking about what comes next.

This “stop-and-go” approach may work in the short term, but it doesn’t build long-term vision or resilience.

The multilevel strategy was created to solve this very issue: to create a coherent thread that connects actions, goals, and resources across different levels — from local to European — without losing direction.

What Do We Mean by Multilevel Strategy?

Put simply, it means designing projects with an awareness that every action has ripple effects at multiple levels:

• Local: the community or territory where you work every day
• National: the networks, policies, and opportunities that can amplify your impact
• European: the programmes, partnerships, and shared visions shaping long-term development

These are not separate layers, but interconnected dimensions.
A strong local action can become a national model.
A European project can generate concrete change in a single neighbourhood.

Why It Matters

A multilevel strategy allows you to:

• Avoid isolated or disconnected projects with no follow-up
• Maximise every investment: a result from a local project can become the foundation of a European proposal
• Build credibility: partners and funders see that you know where you're going
• Respond quickly to new opportunities — because every new call fits into a bigger plan

From Projects to Vision: How to Build It

Developing a multilevel strategy takes time and method. Here’s where to start:

• Define your destination: where do you want to be in 3, 5, or 10 years?
• Map out the opportunities: which calls — at different levels — can help you get there?
• Create meaningful connections: each project should feed into the next, sharing results, tools, and networks
• Communicate clearly and consistently: from your website to your conversations with partners, your vision should be visible and recognisable
  

A Practical Example

Imagine a small organisation launching a local environmental education project in schools.
With a multilevel strategy, that same project could:

• Expand into a national initiative through a network of schools and associations
• Grow into a European Erasmus+ or LIFE project, exporting the methodology to other countries
• Generate new data and best practices at each stage — to reinvest in future proposals

The True Strength Is the Map

An organisation working with a multilevel strategy doesn’t chase calls — it chooses them.
Each proposal is a deliberate step in a clear direction, and every result becomes a launchpad for a more ambitious goal.

Want to build your multilevel roadmap?
At Impacto, we help organisations develop strategic plans that balance ambition and realism, local and international engagement, vision and action.