Currently, I can spend 10 hours voluntarily as I am working 1/2nd and studying 1/4th. But that can change on a monthly basis.
by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com)

Do we qualify for any EU grants ourselves?
by Migeru (migeru blogger at gmail dot com)

The EU does sometimes offer financial support to NGOs, though as far as I know mostly to existing NGOs. Don't know if they'll give money to start one up (I'll try to search some information later this evening). Anyway, it depends on whether we want a for-profit or not-for-profit organisation. If we do for-profit, there's no chance.
by nanne

There are several ways to get funding from the EU. I don't know all of them (but I can make some research). The ones I know are:

• European Commission calls for tenders: they are open to for-profit organisations ad well as non-for-profit, but they must answer a specific demand of the EC and follow the terms of reference. In this case, competition is tough and there are many specialised networks of research centres and think-tanks. The main issue is to establish your credibility/reliability.
  
• European Commission calls for proposals: these ones are to proposals on subjects that relevant to the activity of the concerned DG issuing them.They are open only to non-for-profit organisations, universities research centres, public administrations and local authorities (however the organisation which gets the grant can subcontract part of the project to other organisations, including for-profit ones). These proposals are presented to a jury which decides whether or not they accept to finance the project. The main criteria are the following: professional credibility and financial reliability of the leader organisation and of the projects partners; European dimension of the project measure by the number of countries involved in the project (not less than 6 now); relevance of the project vis-à-vis the DG's policies; innovation... Usually there are two deadlines a year to submit projects.
  

That means if ET would seek EU funding, it would have (at least n the beginning) to build partnership with existing credible organisations in several European countries. It is possible: I have organised and coordinated several such European projects.
Some more information about calls for proposals:
the EU can finance up to 80% of the projet's costs, which means at least 20% must be brought by other partners;
a detailed budget must be established and followed in order to get the funding.
by Melanchthon

A typical take-out from the Environment DG's LIFE+ programme (funding for 2008):
Under the terms of Regulation (EC) No. 614/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 May 2007 concerning the Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE+ Regulation) the Commission invites European non-governmental organisations, which are primarily active in the field of environmental protection, to present proposals with a view to obtaining a financial contribution for their operation.  Contributions would be towards the costs that European environmental NGOs have to bear in carrying out the activities provided for in their 2008 annual work programme. Applicant organisations should be operating at a European level, either singly or in the form of several co-ordinated associations, with a structure (membership base) and activities covering at least three EU Member States. Activities and membership base should primarily be at a European and not at an international level.
The Programme will be open to the participation of European NGOs established (legally registered) in EU27.  Organisations should have been legally constituted for more than 2 years and have had its annual statement of accounts for the two preceding years certified by an approved auditor.
This is the only grant I found that seeks to support organisations directly rather than tendering out some programme. Haven't had time to look through everything, obviously.
An overview of grands and calls for tender can be found here.
by nanne

Any of the Communication Mediums can be a source of revenue: books, music, film, pamphlets, lectures, radio (broadcast/internet,) YouTube, television, & etc.  (Even websites, gadzooks :-)
by ATinNM

Living Labs -
Bob, you should have a look at this:   http://www.cdt.ltu.se/projectweb/4421cddc626cb/Main.html
and this:  http://www.wlc.fi/etusivu_eng.htm
by Sven Triloqvist

"Living Labs bring together Enablers, Utilizers, Developers and Users.
These co-creators include the public sector, business and science parks, incubators, universities, companies and, of course, the end user communities, both non-professional and professional"
"Living Labs use real world testing by end-users in an authentic digital, physical, and social environment. For Living Lab partners, this process ensures that emerging technologies, and the innovative products and services they enable, are fully developed before they reach the market."
But you'd probably be more interested in the way they are financed and structured. All of these projects come under the EU CoreLabs and CLOCK programs. These are running at least to 2010, if not 2020. So they are still open.
Time for you to jump on the EU bandwagon, Bob ;-)
by Sven Triloqvist

What I have found is that there are a few experts in the byzantine workings of the EU funding whirlygig and that the only way to do it is through them. There's a very particular language to be used containing certain key words and phrases that are guaranteed to make eurocrats swoon. How you present your budget is also highly arcane.
It is not for the likes of you and me, though I have had a painful two days of passing this language through my brain and attempting to put it into the words and framework of mortals. The problem with the EU is that they start by handing you the detailed blueprints of the machinery and fail to mention that it is actually a locomotive, until you are already confused.
by Sven Triloqvist  

paul spencer