FUNDS FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Reducing impacts and costs of freight and service trips in urban areas
Deadline: 18th march 2014

Proposals should address one or several of the following aspects:

• Improving basic knowledge and understanding on freight distribution and service trips in urban areas. This could address research on indicators, measurement and data (e.g. delivery/service characteristics, operators, movements, and impacts); economic and behavioural modelling; impacts of urban planning; effects of logistics sprawl (e.g. impact of decentralisation of logistics facilities on transport movements); freight mitigation strategies; effectiveness of partnerships and stakeholder engagement; and comparative analyses and evaluation of policies and experiments.

• Assessing innovative policies and solutions to ensure a better use of infrastructure (e.g. delivery spaces, off peak deliveries, non-road modes, urban waterways) and vehicles (types, load factors); improve network management; address demand side measures, innovative use of transport modes, new ways of stakeholder collaboration; and provide policy frameworks that allow sustainable business models for urban logistics solutions.

• Assessing innovative policies and solutions on consolidation and distribution centres in urban areas, including design (e.g. cross-docking); business models for consolidation schemes (including fleet and freight sharing and pooling and adequate collaboration frameworks); integration of direct and reverse logistics; tools to identify and measure consolidation opportunities; and governance models.

Project Budget: between EUR 2 to 4 million each

Funding rate: 100%

Source: European Commission official website

MARCO POLO-NEW WAYS TO A GREEN HORIZON

DEADLINE: 23 AUGUST 2013

From the road to more environmentally friendly modes

This call supports actions to reduce road congestion resulting from freight traffic with a view of improving the environmental performance of the transport system and enhancing intermodal transport, thereby contributing to a more efficient and sustainable transport system which will provide EU added value without having a negative impact on economic, social or territorial cohesion. It is specifically intended to help cover initial stage losses resulting from freight transport in new or enhanced intermodal services or resulting from freight traffic avoidance actions.

 

The measures proposed under the Marco Polo Work Programme 2013 shall contribute to Achievements of the EU goals for sustainable growth as established in the Europe 2020 Strategy.

In 2013, the programme supports five distinct types of action:

• 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.
• Catalyst actions change the way non-road freight transport is conducted in the European Union. Under this type of action, structural market barriers in European freight transport are overcome through a highly innovative concept: causing a real break-through.
• 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.
• Traffic avoidance actions integrating transport into production logistics: reducing freight transport demand by road with a direct impact on emissions.
• 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.

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EU fundings for research and innovation

Agreement on Horizon2020 – the EUs next framework programme for research and innovation

The European ministers for research- and innovation have after long and hard negotiations reached an agreement on the overall structure for the EUs coming Framework programme for research and innovation – Horizon 2020 – which has a proposed budget of EUR 80 billion.

European Funds for ecoinnovation

European fundings: CIP Eco-innovation First Application and Market Replication Projects Deadline: 6th September 2012

The three main aspects of CIP Eco-innovation are:
1. Environmental benefits
2. Economic benefits (including wide replication)
3. Contribution of projects to innovation

European funds for research

Clean Sky JTI 2012-02

Deadline: 10 July 2012

Clean Sky is made up of 6 Integrated Technology Demonstrators.

Smart Fixed Wing Aircraft will deliver active wing technologies and new aircraft configuration for breakthrough, news products.

Green Regional Aircraft will deliver low-weight aircraft using smart strutures, as well as low external noise configurations and the integration of technology developed in other ITDs, such as engines, energy management and new system architectures.

The Week of Innovative Regions WIRE 2012

The Week of Innovative Regions WIRE 2012 Conference will be a flagship discussion forum dedicated to regional development based on knowledge and innovation addressing main current issues related to the effective implementation of EU headline targets at the regional level.

The Conference will dedicate the special attention to the regional dimension as the regions are at the core of the Cohesion Policy and create a significant stakeholders of the EU main documents as the Strategy Europe 2020 and the Horizon 2020.

EU grant - IMI programme

European funding - Innovative medicines initiative (IMI)

Deadline: 16th May 2012 for expression of interest

The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) has officially launch its 5th Call for proposals, giving researchers from diverse sectors the opportunity to participate in ambitious public-private partnerships that will pave the way for the development of the medicines of the future.

The EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) Secretariat invites you to take part in the 2012 edition by organising an Energy Day in your city or region (18-22 June 2012).

Five good reasons to get involved:

1. Confirm your active role in this European movement towards a change in the energy landscape
2. Get communication support from the EUSEW Secretariat (event organisation, media relations, social media) and improve your chance of impact
3. Showcase your initiatives throughout our social media channels, and join the online EUSEW community
4. Benefit from the EUSEW online web platform, and get in the official programme
5. Benefit from an European media focus on sustainable energy and achieve media coverage for your organisation.

European fundings: Civil Justice

Deadline: 3rd April 2012

Types of activities

Projects may consist of :

- studies;

- research;

- meetings and seminars;

- exchanges between judicial authorities and judicial cooperation networks;

- training;

- dissemination of information on access to justice;

- design, development and implementation of innovative IT solutions;

- exchange of good practice, or - a combination of these activities.

European funds for electric vehicles

European funds for promotion of electric vehicles technologies

Deadline: 30th April 2012

The general objective of the call is to raise the level of social awareness about the high performance of electric vehicles and the benefits of their utilisation, at the same time that specific aspects that may have created a certain degree of public reluctance about the purchase of vehicles based on electric powertrains are addressed.

European funds for creative districts

European funds for creative districts

Deadline: 4th May 2012

The “European Creative Districts” will support traditional industrial regions in their transition from a traditional economy with strong “heritage” value and cultural identity to a sustainable and innovative economy. This notably includes the promotion of all forms of creativity and the better use of service innovation and creative industries to stimulate structural change for cultural, craft and manufacturing-based industry.

Renewables and energy Efficiency

European funds: Innovation for renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions in mediterranean regions and cities

Deadline: 12th April 2012

Priority Axis 1: Strengthening innovation capacities

The focus will be on the strengthening of SMEs innovation capacities, knowledge management and networking with the support of public and intermediary bodies. Projects will have to make proposals to strengthen the position of SMEs in the energy sector in Mediterranean regions and to increase their potential at transnational level.

Priority Axis 2: Protection of the environment and promotion of a sustainable territorial development

PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

European programme: Switch Asia -  sustainable consumption and production

Deadline of the call: 23rd March 2012 for project outlines

All industrial sectors (except primary production) are eligible to be targeted in the projects, under the following conditions:
• They are polluting and have sufficient potential for improvement
• They form a substantial share of the economy and have potential for market demand
• They have sufficient potential for further multiplication in the country and/or region

The SWITCH-Asia Programme is expected to achieve the following results:
1) Reduce the environmental and social cost of production and consumption
2) Move SCP practices from demonstration to replication
3) Norm shift in policy-making towards sustainability

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Eureka- Acqueau programme

European funds within the Eureka- Acqueau programme

Deadline: 27th February 2012 for project outlines

Activities:

1.Water and ICT Innovations for Sensing and Monitoring Applications in the Water Cycle

The call is intended to initiate project proposals that will develop new sensing and monitoring applications in the water cycle

2.Sustainable Processes for Disinfection and Oxidation

The call is intended to initiate project proposals that will develop new disinfection or other oxidation processes for the removal of microbiological activity or other harmful compounds.

3.Open Call within the context of the ACQUEAU Blue Book

The ACQUEAU blue book identifies nine components within the context of the overall water cycle, and for each of these components a vision is described along with challenges, benefits and expected technological breakthrough

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Europen funds for energy

European funds "Intelligent energy for a suistanable future"

Deadline: 5th May 2012

The objective of the Intelligent Energy - Europe Programme is to contribute to secure sustainable and competitively priced energy for Europe, by providing for action:

• to foster energy efficiency and the rational use of energy resources;

• to promote new and renewable energy sources and to support energy diversification;

• to promote energy efficiency and the use of new and renewable energy sources in transport

Energy efficiency

• Industrial excellence in energy:
• Consumer behaviour
• Energy Services

European funds in the health sector

European Health programme

Deadline: 9th March 2012

Main areas of intervention:

1. Improve citizens' health security

1.1 Protect citizens against health threats

1.1.1 Response coordination in the face of chemical events

1.1.2 The impact on air transport of health threats due to biological, chemical and radiological agents

2. Promote Health

2.1 Increasing healthy life years and promoting healthy ageing

2.1.1 Support to the European Innovation Partnership on active and healthy ageing

2.2 Addressing health determinants to promote and improve physical and mental health and taking action on key factors such as nutrition and physical activity, and on addiction-related determinants such as tobacco and alcohol

2.2.1 Local community including school based initiatives to prevent overweight and obesity among children and adolescents

2.2.2 Good practice and working methods to support healthy choices and enhance life skills to prevent alcohol-related harm integrated into regular youth activities or through peer support

European financial support for long term professional career integration projects

Deadlines:6th March 2012 AND 18th September 2012

This action consists of financial support for long term professional career integration projects in a host organisation of a Member State or associated country.

The financial support aims to provide the researcher with the best possible conditions for establishing herself/himself in a long term research career. For selected projects, a grant agreement is issued with the integration host organisation, which will commit itself to ensure an effective and lasting professional integration of the researcher for a period of at least the same duration as the project.

The integration host organisation must provide the researcher with an employment contract with a remuneration package of at least the same level to that offered to equivalently qualified researchers at the same institution. Evidence that the researcher will be integrated in the host organisation on this basis for a longer term will be positively taken into account during evaluation. Projects will be selected on the basis of a proposal submitted by an eligible researcher in liaison with a host organisation.

OBJECTIVES:

New European programme for SMEs (2014/2020)

The Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs, COSME will focus on financial instruments and support to the internationalisation of enterprises.

The Programme has the following general objectives:

- Improve access to finance for SMEs in the form of equity and debt: First, an equity facility for growth-phase investment will provide SMEs with commercially-oriented reimbursable equity financing primarily in the form of venture capital through financial intermediaries. Second, a loan facility will provide SMEs with direct or other risk-sharing arrangements with financial intermediaries to cover loans.

Resarch funds for SMEs

European Contribution for SMEs’ Research and Innovation Activities

Deadline: 1st March 2012

The activities to be implemented include:

• Industrial research activities (planned research or critical investigations aimed at gaining new knowledge, which has to be exploited in order to develop new products, processes or services, or else to allow a significant improvement of the already existing ones).

• Experimental development activities (acquisition, combination, structuring and use of the existing knowledge and skills: these can have either a scientific, technological or commercial nature, in order to produce plans, projects or designs for new products, processes or services, amended or enhanced).

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Eu funds in the energy field

European grant funds for transeuropean energy networks

Deadline: 29th February 2012

The 2012 programme for grants in the field of trans-European networks (TEN) - area of energy infrastructures (TEN-E) - will encourage the effective operation and development of the internal market, reinforce the security of supplies and the diversification of energy suppliers and routes, facilitate the development and reducing the isolation of less-favoured regions, contribute to sustainable development and protection of the environment, inter alia by involving renewable energies.

Furthermore, it will promote interconnection, interoperability and development of trans-European energy networks and access to such networks in accordance with current EU law.

Particular attention shall be given to projects of European interest that contribute to:

(a) The development of the network to strengthen economic and social cohesion by reducing the isolation of the less-favoured and island regions of the Union;