HORIZON 2020 DEDICATED SME INSTRUMENT

Boosting the potential of small businesses for eco-innovation and a sustainable supply of raw materials

Cut-off dates:

18/03/2015

27/06/2015

17/09/2015

This topic is targeted at all types of eco-innovative SMEs in all areas addressing the climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials challenge, focusing on SMEs showing a strong ambition to develop, grow and internationalise. All kinds of promising ideas, products, processes, services and business models, notably across sectors and disciplines, for commercialisation both in a business-to-business (B2B) and a business-to-customer (B2C) context, are eligible.

The SME instrument consists of three separate phases and a coaching and mentoring service for beneficiaries. Participants can apply to phase 1 with a view to applying to phase 2 at a later date, or directly to phase 2.

FUNDS FOR INNOVATION

Future natural gas powertrains and components for cars and vans

Deadline: 28 August 2014

The challenge is to reach the fleet level of 95g CO2/km and 147g CO2/km emissions targets for passenger cars and light duty commercial vehicles respectively (according to the new Worldwide harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure), through the development of advanced engine and after-treatment concepts adapted and optimised to use natural gas. Significant reductions in terms of real driving emissions of NOx and PM are also expected.

The technology needs to be competitive with respect to current vehicles using conventional fuels. Therefore the challenge can only be reached if vehicles demonstrate a driving range of at least 600 km with no space penalty in comparison to gasoline vehicles.

Scope: Proposals should focus on any combination of combustion process optimisation, variable compression, control systems, dual fuel operation, optimised fuel injection, adaptive systems and sensors to cope with different qualities and blends, after-treatment systems, advanced fuel tanks, ancillaries and overall powertrain optimisation.


Project Budget: between EUR 10 to 20 million each

Funding rate: 70% (except for non-profit legal entities, where a rate of 100% applies)
Source: European Commission official website

Funding for victims of torture

DEADLINE: 22 October 2013

The main objective of this Pilot Project is to create a new line of funding for the final benefit of victims of torture (EU or non-EU citizens) present in the Union.

 

The funding should cover the following actions designed, developed and implemented in EU Member States:

• 
  to create rehabilitation centres for victims of torture or to support the existing ones by providing funds for their rehabilitation costs and their other activities;
  
• to provide access to multidisciplinary support and counseling, including physical and psychotherapeutic treatment, psycho-social counseling, legal services, and socioeconomic support to the victims;
• to support international networking between rehabilitation centres in order to build capacities, support the exchange of good practices among specialists, allow peer supervision as a means of prevention of vicarious trauma, etc.;
• to support activities which aim to empower torture victims themselves and, in general, to support the ability of torture victims to integrate into society in European countries.

 

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects is EUR 2.000.000.

The minimum grant will be EUR 175.000 and the maximum grant will be EUR 350.000. Financial contribution from the European Union cannot exceed 90 % of the total eligible costs of the action.

 

Eligible organisations are: national, regional and local authorities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), public or private bodies, university departments, research centres that are constituted with a legal personality and are duly registered in one of the eligible countries.

 

CONTACT US FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Partnerships within the Youth in Action programme

Partnerships

DEADLINE: 5 September

Within the “Youth in Action” programme, this call for proposals aims at supporting partnerships with regional or local public bodies or other stakeholders active in the youth sector at European level in order to develop over the long-term projects which combine various measures of the programme.

The specific objectives of such partnerships are to:

• encourage the involvement of public bodies at regional or local level or other stakeholders active in the youth sector in European youth and non-formal education activities

• support their capacity capacity-building as bodies active in the youth field providing non-formal education opportunities to young people and youth workers

• promote the development of sustainable networks, the exchange of best practices as well as the recognition of non-formal education.

 

 

Preference will be given to well-structured projects which are framed within a longer-term perspective and planned with a view to achieve a multiplying effect and a sustainable impact. The projects will support the development of a programme including one activity or combining several activities taking inspiration from the ‘Youth in Action’ programme.

The following activities are eligible under this call:

• Trans-national Youth Exchanges
• National or Trans-national Youth Initiatives
• European Voluntary Service
• Training and Networking

CONTACT US NOW for further information

Actions for Youth Workers

Support to Youth Workers' Mobility

DEADLINE: 10 September 2013

The aim of this call is:

• to support youth workers’ mobility and exchanges with a view to promoting the acquisition of new skills and competences in order to enrich their profile as professionals in the youth field.
• to strengthen the capacities of the structures involved in the project, which will benefit from the experience and new perspective brought by a youth worker from a different background.

Preference will be given to those projects which best reflect following priorities:

• permanent priorities of the ‘Youth in Action’ programme: participation of young people, cultural diversity, European citizenship, EN C 150/20 Official Journal of the European Union 29.5.2013 inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities;
• annual priorities of the ‘Youth in Action’ programme: awareness-raising of the rights linked to the EU citizenship, inclusive growth, creativity, entrepreneurship and employability, healthy behaviours.

Who can apply? NGOs, bodies active at European level in the field of youth, public bodies at regional or local level.

Contact us for further information.

AAL - Ambient assisted living

Deadline: 30 April 2013 

Call 6 aims at the development of ICT-based solutions which enable older adults to continue managing their occupation – at work in an office, a factory or any working environment; in a first or subsequent career, in paid or voluntary occupation including local social activities – while preserving health and motivation to remain active. Occupation in the context of this Call 6 is defined as paid and unpaid activity that results in benefit for the community, society and economy. 

The AAL Joint Programme is looking for ICT solutions to promote, enhance and sustain: 

• paid activity (including but not exclusive to professional, entrepreneurial/small business and self-employment) 
• unpaid activity (e.g. volunteering, knowledge sharing, counselling).

 The AAL Joint Programme aims at innovative and ICT-based solutions delivered through applied research and development activities, which are financially sustainable and underpinned by a credible business case at proposal submission stage. Projects are expected to target market needs and demands

Detailed newsletter

European fund for the integration of third country nationals

Deadline: 26th February 2013

Established in the framework of the European Union Programme “Solidarity and management of migration flows” for the period 2007-2013, the European Fund for the integration of third country nationals aims at supporting the member states in their efforts for the smooth integration of third country nationals into the European nationals

Priority 1: Local action to enhance migrants' economic, social, cultural and political participation 

Priority 2: Cooperation with source countries in fostering integration

Priority 3: Governance and effectiveness of integration measures

Beneficiaries: any private or public legal entities established in any EU member state (except Denmark)

Detailed newsletter

European funds for culture

EuropeAid programme

EU grant funds for Supporting culture as a vector of democracy and economic growth 

Deadline: 18 December 2012 for concept notes

The call for proposals is divided into two lots, corresponding to two different specific objectives, as follows: 

Lot 1: Encourage cultural expressions which promote diversity, intercultural dialogue and human and cultural rights, in the context of reconciliation, conflict resolution and democratisation 

Target groups include cultural actors (such as policy-makers, artists and cultural workers), media, education professionals and civil society.  

Lot 2: Strengthen capacities of cultural actors for the development of a dynamic cultural sector contributing to economic growth and sustainable development 

Target groups include different categories of cultural actors, such as policy-makers, artists and cultural workers in general (including technicians, managers and professionals involved in production, promotion and distribution), entrepreneurs, etc., as well as other stakeholders involved in the cultural sector, including relevant public bodies, civil society organisations or private entities.

Detailed newsletter and official documents

European funds for SMEs

7 Framework programme: Research for the benefit of SMEs

Deadline: 15/11/2012

Activites

1. Research for SMEs scheme

The objective of this scheme is to directly support SMEs in the project to outsource their research activities. The scheme aims at supporting SMEs in need of outsourcing research activities to RTD performers such as universities, research centres or research performing SMEs. 'Other enterprises and end-users', which belong to the same value chains as the participating SMEs, can participate, if it is in the interest of the project.

Projects aim at creating new knowledge or achieving results with a clear exploitation potential to improve or develop new products, processes or services which meet the needs of the participating SMEs.

This scheme can assist SMEs in acquiring technological know-how and accessing international networks for their medium to long-term business development and follow a bottom-up approach, meaning that the research can originate in the entire field of science and technology in all industrial sectors.

 

2. Research for SME Associations scheme

The objective of this scheme is to indirectly support SMEs through their associations /groupings to outsource research activities. This scheme targets SME associations which act on behalf of their members to identify and address common technological problems and to promote the effective dissemination and take-up of research results. Projects include research, technological development and demonstration activities and are encouraged to include other activities such as training, to facilitate the dissemination and exploitation of results.

 

3. Demonstration activity

The objective of this activity is to prove (demonstrate) the viability of a new solution (itself a successful outcome of a research project) that offers a potential economic advantage but which cannot be directly commercialised as further technological or other developments are required. SMEs often need to follow up research projects with work linked to ‘demonstration’ or production of prototypes before actually commercialising goods and services but funding for this kind of activity is not readily available. Activities could e.g. include testing of prototypes, scale-up studies, performance verification and implementation of new technological and non-technological solutions. This action could also include detailed market studies and business plans. There are no thematic restrictions.

 

4.Coordination and Support Action - supporting action

The Commission, in its proposal for the SME support in the forthcoming programme Horizon 2020, has put strong emphasis on the development of a direct face-to-face mentoring and coaching support to SMEs desiring to innovate.

 

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EU Funds for research and developments

European funds for research: 7 Framework programme (7FP)

KBBE: knoweldge-based bio-economy

Deadline: 5 February 2013

Sustainable production and management of biological resources from land, forest and aquatic environments 

• Enabling research Area 
• Increased sustainability of all production systems (agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture); plant health and crop protection 
• Optimised animal health, production and welfare across agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture 
• Socio-economic research and support to policies 

Eu funds: Youth in Action Programme

Youth Support Systems - Partnerships

Deadline for submission of applications: 17 September 2012

This call for proposals aims at supporting partnerships with regional or local public bodies or other stakeholders active in the youth sector at European level in order to develop over the long-term projects which combine various measures of the Youth in Action Programme.

This mechanism aims at encouraging synergies and cooperation between the European Commission – via the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency – and the different actors working in the field of youth by pooling resources and practices with a view to maximising the impact of the programme and to reaching out to a higher number of beneficiaries.

The project must include activities of a non-profit-making nature that are related to the field of youth and non-formal education.

The following activities are eligible under this call:

• Trans-national Youth Exchanges
• National or Trans-national Youth Initiatives
• European Voluntary Service
• Training and Networking

Further information

Prevention of and Fight against Crime

European funds for Prevention of and Fight against Crime 

Deadline 10 August and 12 October 2012 

Proposals submitted should target at least one of the following specific objectives of the Programme:

- to stimulate, promote and develop horizontal methods and tools necessary for strategically preventing and fighting crime and guaranteeing security and public order such as the work carried out in the European Union Crime Prevention Network, public-private partnerships, best practices in crime prevention, comparable statistics, applied criminology and an enhanced approach towards young offenders; 

- to promote and develop coordination, cooperation and mutual understanding among law enforcement agencies, other national authorities and related Union bodies in respect of the priorities identified by the Council in particular as set out by the Europol's Organised Crime Threat Assessment; 

- to promote and develop best practices for the protection and support witnesses; 

- to promote and develop best practices for the protection of crime victims.

European funds for tourism

Cooperation projects to create transnational tourism products based on cultural and industrial heritage 

Deadline: 28/09/2012

The final goal of the present call for proposals is to complement regional and national policies by supporting transnational cooperation and joint initiatives aiming at designing innovative transnational products in the fields of cultural and/or industrial tourism, with a view to: 

 1) Contributing to differentiate the European tourism offer by capitalising on and giving value to the shared cultural heritage; 

 2) contributing to economic regeneration and job creation in declining (post) industrial regions through interregional and transnational cooperation projects in the field of tourism.

Further information

EU grant funds in the Transport sector

European funds for reducing Freight Traffic: Marco Polo programme.

Deadline: 21st September 2012

Five main actions:

1) Modal shift actions, which focus on shifting as much freight as economically meaningful under current market conditions from road to short sea shipping, rail or/and inland waterways

2) Catalyst actions: change the way non-road freight transport is conducted in the European Union.

3) Motorways of the sea actions: offering an integrated service, which shifts freight from long road distances to a combination of short sea shipping and other modes of transport

4) Traffic avoidance actions integrate transport into production logistics integrating transport into production logistics: reducing freight transport demand by road with a direct impact on emissions

5) Common learning actions enhance knowledge in the freight transport and logistics sector and foster advanced methods and procedures of co-operation in the freight market, with an overall objective of promoting intermodal solutions aiming at achieving modal shift or traffic avoidance

Detailed newsletter and official documents

European fundings

Call for proposals under the under the Lifelong Learning Programme

The general objective of the call is to promote the implementation of the four strategic objectives of the 'Strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020)' (lifelong learning and mobility; quality and efficiency; equity, social cohesion and active citizenship; creativity and innovation) and a set of strategic priorities agreed for 2012-14.

The call is divided into two parts:

  - providing support to national implementation and awareness-raising of the objectives of European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020);

- providing support to implementation of innovative learning environments using information and communications technology.

Transnational cooperation may occur at national, regional or local level. It may cover different types (formal, non-formal, informal) and levels (pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, adult, initial and continuing vocational education and training) of learning and may include links to other sectors (e.g. employment and business).

Further information:

European funding - Innovative medicines initiative

European funds - Innovative medicines initiative (IMI)

Deadline: 9th July 2012 for expression of interest

The aim of IMI is to propose a coordinated approach to overcome identified research bottlenecks in the drug development process, in order to accelerate the development of safe and more effective medicines for patients, by fostering collaboration between all stakeholders such as industry, public authorities (including regulators), organisations of patients, academia and clinical centres, and enhancing Europe’s competitiveness.

The IMI 6th Call 2012 consists of two topics:

1 : Innovative Trial Design and Clinical drug development

2 : Learning from success and failure and Getting Drugs into Bad Bugs

European fundings for environment

Anticipation on the new call for proposal within the VII Framework programme for research and development: Environment

Topics will cover the following area:

• Coping with climate change
• Sustainable use and management of land and seas
• Improving resource efficiency
• Protecting citizens from environmental hazards
• Mobilising environmental knowledge for policy, industry and society
• Public-Private Partnership 'Energy Efficient Buildings Initiative'

European fundings: future internet

European funding for research and innovation: Future internet

Deadline: 24th October 2012

The Future Internet Public Private Partnership aims to advance Europe's competitiveness in Future Internet technologies and systems and to support the emergence of Future Internet-enhanced applications of public and social relevance.

Areas of intervention for 2012 call for proposals:

Pervasive and trusted network and services infrastructures

• Use case scenarios and early trials

• Capacity buildings and infrastructure support

Detailed newsletter and official documents

ICT Proposers' Day 2012

ICT Proposers' Day 2012

26-27 September, Warsaw

Networking for European ICT Research and Development

The ICT Proposers' Day is a unique networking opportunity to build quality partnerships for participating in the new Information and Communication Technologies Work Programme for 2013. Building on the success of the previous ICT Proposers' Days, the event will provide:

• first-hand information from European Commission officials on the new ICT Work Programme 2013, offering around 1.5 billion euro of EU funding
• answers to questions related to the upcoming calls for proposals
• an opportunity to present and discuss your project idea during one of the networking sessions a platform for exchanging ideas and finding right partners to form project consortia
• guidance on how to present a successful proposal

Who should attend?

Eu funds: Support to national activities aiming at combating discrimination and promoting equality

European programme: Progress - antidiscrimantion and diversity

Deadline of the call for proposal: 28 June 2012

The objectives of this call are to support national authorities in charge of equality and nondiscrimination of PROGRESS participating countries in:

a) Developing their national policy to combat discrimination and promote equality beyond legislation; b) Fostering the dissemination of information on EU and national policy and legislation in the non discrimination field;

c) Identifying best practices which could be transferable to other participating countries