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.

CIVITAS 2020: EU FUNDING BOOST TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT

Civitas - an acronym for "cities, vitality, and sustainability" - is an initiative funded by the EU's research framework programme to support cities in their efforts to innovate for more sustainable urban mobility.

Since the start in 2002, Civitas has supported more than 700 demonstration activities in around 60 cities (within a total network of 200 cities who learn from those demonstration activities), with a total investment of more than €200 million from the EU. This leveraged an additional investment of close to €1 billion from local and regional authorities, and from private partners.

On the 30th of September, European Commission signed a grant agreement worth €4 million with a consortium of 14 European research institutes, associations and consulting companies - including 10 SMEs - for a three-year project known as "Civitas Capital".

Civitas Capital will:

 - pool existing knowledge through groups dedicated to specific topics who will produce best-practice guides;

 - issue recommendations on future Research and Development priorities which the Commission will integrate in its 2014–2020 research programme;

 - develop training packages and organise placement and exchange of urban mobility professionals — around 500 professionals will be trained or offered a placement;

 - manage an activity fund of close to €500,000 to support the transfer of measures to other cities, allowing more cities to implement successful urban mobility measures;

 - create five additional national and regional networks and continue to manage the five existing ones — these networks increase the dissemination of know-how and best practice within their language group or geographical group;

 - develop a knowledge centre that will be available to all stakeholders through the Civitas website — a one-stop-shop where all material produced for and by Civitas will be available to all, for learning and reapplication. 

Horizon 2020, the new EU's research framework programme will support several initiatives on sustainable mobility and transport

Civitas Brochure

Delivering on skills for growth and jobs

Progress call for proposals

Deadline: 15th January 2013

The overall objective of the Call is to is to encourage new forms of collaboration through partnerships between public and private actors on the labour market (such as public and private employment services, companies including SME’s, chambers of commerce, training and education providers, social partners, labour market intelligence entities) to address persistent skills shortages and mismatches to help fill the gap between labour supply and demand in the EU. 

The activities should aim to achieve the following technical objectives: 

1. Delivery to the end users of specific employment service(s) leading to sustainable placements in jobs and apprenticeships or other measureable outcomes by a mixed set of actors, including measures to support labour mobility at national and European level. 

2. Provision of analytical and methodological evidence based findings related to the form and working method of the partnership between the co-operating organisations experienced during the development and implementation of the actions, including an assessment of success and failure factors, challenges and solutions for shortcomings. 

3. Development of concrete labour market intelligence tools, allowing for the identification of skills gaps and needs resulting from structural shifts to a low carbon economy, as well as their impact on changing skills sets. Measures to be financed under this call should be concrete and action oriented and carry a true added value in terms of making a difference where rolled out.

Detailed newsletter

SMEs in Horizon 2020

Horizon 2020 aims to enhance the participation of SMEs (also micro-SMEs), addressing all forms of R&D and types of innovation (non-technological and service innovations), towards exploitation and commercialization. SMEs should get access to international networks, new markets and customers and qualified staff. Better conditions for SME participation are envisaged. 

The concept of SMEs in Horizon 2020: Whereas mainstreaming SME support is offered via the new SME instrument that will be implemented in the societal challenges as well as in the enabling and industrial technologies, specific support is provided via different measures. Research intensive SMEs are tackled by Eurostars 2 (Article 185 initiative), targeting market oriented innovation of R&D performing SMEs with a bottom-up approach. 

The innovation capacity of SMEs will be enhanced by awareness raising, information and dissemination training and mobility activities, networking and exchange of best practice. In addition, specialised innovation support on IP-exploitation, networks of procurers, tech transfer offices and strategy design is completing this specific support. 

Download the Horizon 202 leaflet

Europe-Brazil relations

Exchange of New Entrepreneurs between the Federative Republic of Brazil and Europe

DEADLINE: 4 July

This call for proposals assumes that exchanges with knowledgeable entrepreneurs from Brazil and from CIP Participating Countries will help Brazilian and European SMEs and entrepreneurs to address the lack of business and entrepreneurial know-how and skills environment to grow and encourage their development.

The overall objective of this call for proposals is:

• To increase exchanges between Brazil and CIP Participating Countries;
• To provide on-the-job-training for New entrepreneurs in small and medium-sized enterprises in Brazil and in Europe in order to facilitate a successful start-up, and development of their business ideas;
• To foster sharing of experience and information between entrepreneurs on the obstacles and challenges of starting up and developing their businesses in Brazil and in the CIP Participating Countries;
• To enhance market access and identification of potential partners for new and established businesses in Brazil and in Europe;
• To support business networking between entrepreneurs from Brazil and the CIP Participating Countries by building on knowledge and experience from each other.

The specific objective is to select an organisation which will manage the exchange of new entrepreneurs between the Federative Republic of Brazil and CIP Participating Countries at local level. This call for proposals is expected to result in 100 successful exchanges.

 

CONTACT US for further information

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.

 

Detailed newsletter

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 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 grant for Ambient Assisted Living

Research funding in the ICT sector for Ambient assisted living

Call deadline: 29h May 2012

The aim of the AAL Joint Programme is to provide innovative ICT-based solutions including innovative products, systems or services to enhance older adults’ quality of life and to strengthen the industrial base in Europe

The AAL programme is a demand-driven research and development funding programme for innovative ICT-based products, services, and systems. Its main goal is improving the quality of life, autonomy, participation in social life, skills, and employability of older adults, while improving service delivery and reducing the costs of care are secondary targets.

European SME Week 2012

The European SME Week 2012 will take place from 15 - 21 October.

The European SME Week aims to:

• provide information on what the EU and national, regional and local authorities are offering as support to micro, small and medium-sized businesses;
• promote entrepreneurship so that more people, and in particular younger ones, seriously consider becoming an entrepreneur as a career option;
• give recognition to entrepreneurs for their contribution to Europe's welfare, jobs, innovation and competitiveness.

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

European fundings for ICT

European fundings:ICT PSP programme

Deadline: 15th May 2012

The programme addresses obstacles hindering further and better use of ICT based products and services and barriers for the development of high growth businesses, notably SMEs, in this field. In addition to illustrating and validating the high value of digital technologies for the economy and society, it will foster the development of EU-wide markets for innovations enabling every company in Europe to benefit from the largest internal market in the world.

The 2012 call focuses on 5 themes. These themes and actions will be supported by a limited number of high impact pilot or best practice projects, as well as thematic networks

European fundings: Safer internet programme

European funds: PROTECTION OF CHILDREN USING THE INTERNET AND OTHER COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

Deadline: 29th March 2012

Area of Intervention:
Safer Internet is based on four actions:
(a) ensuring public awareness;
(b) fighting against illegal content and tackling harmful conduct online;
(c) promoting a safer online environment;
(d) establishing a knowledge base.

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.

European grants for the audiovisual industry

European call for proposal: MEDIA 2007 — Promotion/Access to markets

Deadline: 22nd December 2011

Eligible actions
The present call for proposals is aimed at supporting actions and activities that take place in and outside the member countries of the programme (download the call for more information on eligible countries)
The objectives are to support actions that have the following aims:

• to improve the circulation of European audiovisual works by ensuring that the European audiovisual sector has access to the professional European and international audiovisual markets,
• to encourage common actions between national film and audiovisual programme promotion organisations,
• to encourage the building-up of an economic partnership between countries and professionals inside and outside theprogramme and facilitate better mutual knowledge and understanding.

Projects shall last for a maximum period of 12 months. Activities must begin at the earliest on 1 June
2012 and must end at the latest by 31 December 2012.

Receive in your email the full text of the call for proposal

European funds for biotechnology research

European gratn funds for industrial Research and development project in Biotechnology 

Deadline: 1st February 2012

MAIN AREAS OF INTERVENTION:

The strategic objective of the call is to foster the competitiveness of Europe’s biotechnology industry by supporting research intensive SMEs and their strategic partnerships. The programme focuses on supporting innovation and competitive research in SMEs by funding transnational projects with challenging application aspects and a substantial commercial impact on the market.

This call addresses applications in all fields of modern biotechnology, irrespective of particular branches (red, green, grey (environmental), white (industrial) and blue biotech projects are welcome).

Funding is intended for innovative biotech-projects in the fields of:

• Industrial research & development (planned research or critical investigation aimed at the acquisition of new knowledge and skills for developing new products, processes or services or for bringing about a significant improvement in existing products, processes or services. It comprises the creation of components of complex systems, which is necessary for the industrial research, notably for generic technology validation, to the exclusion of prototypes as covered by “experimental development”)
• Applied research (the implementation of the results of industrial research for the creation of commercial applications. Applied research is performed in order to solve specific, practical questions related to product development up to the first prototype).

Partner search for EU project in the field of environment

Call title: ENVIRONMENT 2012: TWO-STAGE
Call identifier: FP7-ENV-2012-two-stage
Deadline: First stage: 20 October 2011 at 17.00.00 for preproposal
Indicative budget: EUR 50 million for the activity “Improving resource efficiency”

About the call

ENV.2012.6.3-1 Innovative resource efficient technologies, processes and services

Natural resources including fuels, mineral resources, but also water, air, soils, biomass or land are facing higher demand and intensification of use. Therefore greater efforts have to be made to fully valorise their potential and avoid growth ruptures while mitigating unsustainable pressures on the environment. New innovative solutions are essential for the necessary transition towards a more resource-efficient and circular economy.

Training for europe: courses

IGC organises two courses on European funds and project techniques in November 2011

The courses will be held in Turin, Italy and delivered in Italian.


For further information please visit www.corsoeuroprogettazione.blogspot.com