Horizon 2020 FUNDS FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Hybrid light and heavy duty vehicles

Deadline: 28th august 2014

Specific challenge: The competitiveness of European road vehicle manufacturers is based on technological leadership particularly on system optimisation and affordability, particularly with respect to powertrains. The challenge is to recover a leading position in hybrid technology. The technology will also have positive effect on the reduction of CO2 emissions from road transport and air quality.

Scope: Proposals should develop new knowledge on hybrid components (storage system power electronics, etc.) and system engineering, simulation and technology integration with the aim of achieving hybrid powertrain weight and cost reduction, increased functionality, simplification of complex systems, efficiency and affordability while decreasing emissions and improving performance, comfort and functional safety. For light vehicles, preference would be given to concepts providing significant zero emission ranges. The research should be validated through at least one demonstrator for each platform subject of research.

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

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

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

European funding for innovation

Towards the energy efficient and emission free vessel

Deadline: 18th March 2014 (for pre-proposals)

The challenge is to support developments that make new and existing vessels used in maritime operations (including leisure) and in inland navigation significantly more efficient and less polluting through solutions addressing four ship sub-systems: engine, pollution abatement systems, propulsion, energy sources and management including the efficient operation of on-board systems

: In order to meet this challenge, proposals should address one or several of the following aspects:

• Optimisation of conventional ship engines, including fuel flexibility, new materials, lifetime performance and near zero emissions engines.

• Development of low-maintenance, affordable off-the-shelf retrofit solutions for emission reductions of existing engines.

• Development of Liquified Natural Gas/dual fuel powered engines for small and mid-size ships, including the specific aspects of retrofitting, fuel supply and storage, safety (on-board and on-shore) and classification, and solutions to address the risks of methane slip.

• Design and demonstration of new and improved propulsion means and vessel configurations that include the entire drive train and the propeller and hull optimisation for vessels, including applied research in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

• Use of new energy sources including renewables, alternative fuels, hybrid and electric solutions with the aim to demonstrate the feasibility of the zero or near-zero emissions vessel.

Project Budget: between EUR 8 to 17 million each

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

Source: European Commission official website

FUNDS FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT - AVIATION

Competitiveness of European Aviation through cost efficiency and innovation

Deadline: 18th March 2014 (for pre-proposals)

Regarding aircraft, research and innovation actions could target the development of technologies and methodologies which have the potential to save costs and time across the whole life cycle of the aircraft (design, production, maintenance, overhaul, repair and retrofit), including for certification aspects. Research and innovation actions could also target the integration of additional functions (e.g. sensing, actuating) or materials in structural components of the aircraft, the increased use of automation and artificial intelligence in control systems allowing versatility and new capabilities or to provide passenger with additional services on-board of the aircraft or at the airport.

Regarding air transport operations, research and innovation actions could target cost efficiency of ground operations, as well as innovative approaches which can reduce the needs or accelerate the pace of the training of personnel.

Funds for innovation actions

Technologies for “super” low “real world” CO2 and polluting emissions

Deadline: 18th march 2014 (for stage 1)

Proposals for research and demonstration activities should address one or more of the following domains:

• Future spark-ignited non-hybrid engines and their pollution abatement systems for gasoline and bio-based liquid fuels for passenger cars and light freight vehicles focussing on the optimal combination of innovative engine and after-treatment technology and of modelling, sensing on-board emission monitoring and testing to improve the design and control capability.

• Future diesel non-hybrid engines for cars and vans also focussing on the combination of the most appropriate engine and after-treatment technologies and on modelling, sensing on-board emission monitoring and testing to improve the overall design and control capability.

• Preparation of the life-cycle assessment of proposed technology combinations to quantify their environmental impacts along the entire well-to-wheel chain if not already covered by existing studies in the field.

• Low environmental impact brake systems to reduce micro and nano particles emissions while improving the measurement and understanding of their effects on health and the environment.

Project budget: 4-10 million EUR each
Funding rate : 70% (except for non-profit legal entities, where a rate of 100% applies)

Source: European Commission official website

WP2014-15 Web Entrepreneurs Challenge

Deadline: 23/04/2014

This objective calls for projects to create an environment in Europe that encourages more web entrepreneurs to start a business in Europe and scale it up. The focus of this topic is on entrepreneurs who use web and mobile technologies as main components in their innovation with a positive impact across the continuum of actors for entrepreneurship.

The forthcoming €10M funding will be allocated to projects to accelerate web entrepreneurship in Europe by using new cross-border services co-developed by several local web entrepreneurship ecosystems and hubs working together. Coordination activities to strength the environment for web entrepreneurship in Europe and that exploit synergies across stakeholder communities will also be funded.

The expected impact is to support the emergence of dynamic European ecosystems for web entrepreneurs that also contribute to shaping future web entrepreneurship specific policies, in particular for the implementation of Startup Europe EU initiative

Scope:
a. Accelerate web entrepreneurship in Europe: Online platforms with new services
b. Coordination activities in the area of web entrepreneurs

Grants: 70% of total eligible costs

For more information, please contact us

Second European Social Innovation Competition

Do you have an idea to fight high unemployment? Do you think you could improve the working conditions of people stuck in low-paid jobs – whether because of their gender, age, social status or handicap? Do you know how to enhance opportunities for the 27 million Europeans currently out of work? Then the second European Social Innovation Competition is for you! 

The Competition, launched in memory of Diogo Vasconcelos, invites Europeans to come up with new solutions to reduce unemployment and minimize its corrosive effects on the economy and our society both now and in the future.

The three winning projects will be awarded financial support of EUR 30,000. 

But there's more. Winners of the first edition emphasize that the Competition has given them the chance to develop a great idea, to bring legitimacy to their work, and last but not least, to make their solution accessible to more people. Don’t keep your great ideas to yourself. 

As one of the winners says: "Should you have an idea, work on it and take your chance. The same could happen to you. You could end up winning."

Med Programme: Call for Proposals on Integrated Maritime Approach

Deadline: 10 January 2014 

The call shall be targeting four priorities, namely: 

 1) Maritime Innovation and economic development, 

 2) Environment protection, 

 3) Transport and accessibility

 4) Governance and policy response. 

With respect to the first 3 priorities, partners should either have experience within previous Med projects or other European cooperation projects. 

Priority 4, on the other hand, is only open to national and local authorities and previous participation in Med or EU funded projects is not necessary. 

The total budget for this call amounts to EUR 5 million.

For further information, please contact us

European Mobile and Mobility Industries Alliance 2013

Deadline for submitting applications 04/11/2013 

The main objective of the call for proposals is to develop large-scale demonstrators of Copernicus and the European GNSS-based services.

For the purpose of this Call, a large-scale demonstrator will be required to: 

 1. Demonstrate how innovative, added-value services based on Copernicus and the European GNSS could address in an effective manner societal challenges. In this respect, the intention is to support the achievement of targets defined by the Europe 2020 strategy, supporting smart, inclusive and sustainable growth, while ensuring complementarity with the priorities foreseen under the future Horizon 2020 programme and to test the envisaged approach; 

2. Demonstrate how innovative, added-value services based on Copernicus and the European GNSS could support the emergence of new industries in a region or metropolitan area. The potential for export of the developed services to other European regions must also be demonstrated. Take-up of Copernicus services should consider, at least, the already functioning projects stemming out of the 7th Framework Programme. 

Each large-scale demonstrator can propose to tackle only one of activities (1) / (2) or both (1)+(2). 

The large-scale demonstrator shall encourage activities with a strong and visible impact. It shall be based on a holistic approach that brings together a large number of regional innovation actors to create a favourable eco-system for innovative mobile services based on Copernicus and GNSS. 

Regional and metropolitan governments and business communities are thus called upon to create supportive technical infrastructures and business conditions that facilitate the take-up of innovative services based on Copernicus and the European GNSS in a given region or metropolitan area, paving the way for their possible deployment in other regions.

Budget: € 2 375 000

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT US 

EUROPEAN UNION ICAPITAL PRIZE

With the European Capital of Innovation Award, the European Commission wants to acknowledge the outstanding achievement of a city in building up an innovation ecosystem, i.e. a system which links the citizens (People) with a built environment (Place) and public organizations and policy-makers (Public) through business (Private). 

 The contest is open until 3 December 2013.

 The award of EUR 500 000 will be given to the winning city to scale up its achievement. 

 An independent panel of experts will judge the applications on the basis of the following criteria: 

• Innovative - Initiatives must be highly innovative in terms of concepts, processes and tools. 
• Inspiring - Proposals should manage to attract talent, funding, investment and inspire citizens' involvement and engagement. 
• Integrated - The proposal should target the entire innovation ecosystem and has to clearly highlight its links with the Europe 2020 goals. 
• Interactive - The implemented action and the proposed scale-up should help facilitating the interactions between the different actors in the innovation ecosystem. 

The experts will examine and select the iCapital which will be announced in spring 2014.

Further information

Green future travelling

Future travelling call

DEADLINE: 4th NOVEMBER 2013

The call aims at ensuring options for future travelling in a green, smart, safe, user-friendly, efficient and integrated transportation system by coordinating national/regional funding programs in order to fund transnational RTI project.

RTI projects can address aspects of both or either one of the research questions in the following domains:

• Future Vehicle Technologies (technology oriented research domain)

• Traveller of the Future (social, organizational and technological research domain)

Future vehicle technologies, novel information and communication system, as well as social innovations and new organizational models, will help to create more sustainable mobility in European cities and at the same time ensure adequate accessibility and mobility options in rural areas.

 

BENEFICIARIES: Transport infrastructure operators and infrastructure managers, Public transport operators and transport infrastructure operators, Industry, Governmental Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, Academia.

PARTECIPATING COUNTRIES/REGIONS: Austria, Basque Country, Belarus, Catalonia, Flanders, Germany, Israel, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Turkey.

 

CONTACT US FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

European price for innovation in public administrations

VII Framework programme for resarch and innnovation- Capacities

Deadline: 15th February 2013

The Commission plans to award prizes to successful, already running, and innovative public initiatives. The initiatives, managed by the national, regional or local public administrations, will have made significant improvements in citizens' lives.

With this Prize the Commission wants to reward excellence and innovation in strategies, services, networks, processes and infrastructure. 

The Commission wants to recognise the outstanding achievements of public administrations in the following three categories:

1. Initiatives for citizens (e.g. special assistance for the elderly; eco-friendly public transport; participatory budgeting)

2. Initiatives for firms (e.g. providing networking platforms for start-ups; supporting rural entrepreneurs with e-trade tools)

3. Initiatives for education and research (e.g. new approaches to vocational training; fostering a better learning environment for primary schools; facilitating entrepreneurship of researchers)

Newsletter

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

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 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.

E-inclusion awards 2012

Established by the European Commission, the e-Inclusion Awards is on a mission to discover and celebrate the most innovative ways of plugging the digital gap and helping people to enjoy the benefits of the internet.

Aimed at inspiring individuals, businesses, entrepreneurs, NGOs and governments the Awards reward those championing the way forward and exploiting the potential of technology in dealing with today’s challenges. With almost a quarter of Europeans remaining offline, growth of the digital economy will be stunted as will access to the benefits achieved from access to online facilities. Europe’s Digital Agenda includes a vision of 'Every European Digital' in which all people truly benefit from technology innovations, improving their well-being throughout their lifetime and contributing to economic recovery.

European funds for ICT research project

EU Financial Contribution within the VII Framework Programme - ICT

Deadline: 17th April 2012

Call topics:

1) Cognitive systems and robotics

2) Technologies for Digital Content and Languages - Digital Preservation

3) ICT for Health, Ageing Well, Inclusion and Governance -Virtual Physiological Human

4) ICT for Learning and Access to Cultural Resources -ICT for access to cultural resources

5) Future and Emerging Technologies

• Quantum ICT (QICT) including ERA-NET-Plus

• Fundamentals of Collective Adaptive Systems

• Neuro-Bio-Inspired Systems

• Coordinating Communities, Identifying new research topics for FET Proactive initiatives and Fostering Networking of National and Regional Research Programmes

Detailed newsletter

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

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.