Lucia Merlino is a senior professional specialising in the design, management, and strategic coordination of complex programmes at European and national level, with a consolidated focus on social innovation, territorial cohesion, and capacity building of public actors and third-sector organisations.
She is currently EU Funding Advisor and Project Manager at AnciLab, where she oversees the development of multi-stakeholder projects, managing the organisation’s strategic positioning within European networks and transnational partnerships.
She has extensive experience in building and managing project proposals in response to European calls for funding (Erasmus+, CERV, AMIF, Horizon, Interreg), with particular attention to valorising local experiences through mainstreaming and scaling-up processes at European level.
Throughout her career she has coordinated complex programmes aimed at tackling educational poverty, promoting the integration of migrants, and fostering the active participation of young people and vulnerable citizens, facilitating multi-level dialogue between local authorities, civil society organisations, and supranational institutions.
Her approach is grounded in a deep knowledge of European policies and programming instruments, combined with strong networking skills, multi-level governance expertise, and the ability to activate synergies between local and European ecosystems.
Lucia Merlino acts as a bridge between the needs of local communities and the opportunities offered by European programming, contributing to the innovation of public policies through a systemic, impact-oriented perspective.