Evaluating Communication Support for Green Deal Projects

The Green Deal Projects Support Office (GD-SO) supports projects funded under the H2020 Green Deal Call. Its aim is to foster collaboration between these funded projects and ensure project results are visible, understood and used by relevant audiences across Europe. 

Why this evaluation? 

An independent evaluation was carried out by the Ecorys research team to assess how effectively GD-SO communication activities were supporting Green Deal Call projects. The objective was to understand what was working well, where improvements were needed, and how changes could increase the impact of these projects. 

What we did 

To evaluate the GD-SO communication, the research team carried out a structured review that included: 

• Desk research and scoping interviews with DG RTD and GD-SO staff to map out communication activities. 

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) development to measure outputs, results, and impact. 

• 27 stakeholder interviews, an audience survey, and two focus groups to assess communication effectiveness, identify areas for improvement, and validate previous findings. 

• Analysis of online communications including the GD-SO website, newsletters, and social media channels, against peer and industry benchmarks. 

This approach allowed us to combine quantitative data with qualitative insights, giving a clear picture of what was working well, where improvements were needed and provide recommendations on how to increase the impact of GD-SO communication. 

Key findings and conclusions: 

• Stronger support and visibility: The GD-SO communication support helps projects share results, gain recognition and connect with others. Many project leads reported that being featured in articles, newsletters, and success stories helped them reach new audiences. 

• Need for tailored communication: While the overall aim is to boost awareness and impact, communication objectives could be more clearly defined and linked to specific audiences – such as policymakers, researchers, and the public. 

• Flexible and responsive support: Project representatives noted the responsiveness and tailored support of the GD-SO. The flexible approach has helped projects communicate more effectively, especially under tight deadlines. 

• Opportunities for better online engagement: The GD-SO website is useful but could be more user-friendly. Suggested improvements include better integration of resources, enhanced newsletter readability, multilingual availability, and a stronger social media presence with dedicated hashtags.  

• Collaboration and best practice sharing: The evaluation highlighted the value of joint activities, (such as webinars and co-authored articles) which help projects learn from each other and amplify their messages. However, some projects would like clearer timelines and more chances to contribute to communication outputs. 

Actions underway 

Based on the evaluation, GD-SO is implementing improvements to maximise impact: 

• Long term communication objectives are being clarified and better aligned with stakeholders’ needs. 

• Tools and practical guides are being developed and published on the website to help projects share updates more easily. 

• The website and newsletter are being updated for accessibility, clarity, and engagement. 

• Efforts are prioritising quality over quantity, focusing on content that drives impact, including project updates for projects to share their landmarks, highlights and achievements. 

• New opportunities are being created for collaboration, sharing best practices, and reaching new audiences. 

What this means for Green Deal Call projects 

These improvements will help Green Deal Call projects: 

• Achieve greater visibility for their results and achievements. 

• Access more support to communicate with key audiences, including policymakers and the public. 

• Share updates more easily and participate in collaborative activities. 

• Strengthen their sense of community and shared purpose within the Green Deal Call projects network. 

Ultimately, these steps are designed to ensure that Green Deal Call projects are seen, understood, and able to drive real progress toward the EU’s climate goals. 

For more information:  
Visit the GD-SO website or follow updates on Horizon Europe’s Twitter/X and the EU science, research and innovation on LinkedIn.