EU funding for SMEs in H2020. A Practical Guide: How to Participate

Transcription

1 EU funding for SMEs in H2020 A Practical Guide: How to Participate

2 H2020 = HORIZON 2020 EU Funding for Industry R&D For: Industry Research & Development Group. Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown. Wednesday 26 June 2013 Presented By: Jim Codd THE CIRCA GROUP EUROPE

3 CIRCA GROUP EUROPE Research Technology & Innovation (RTI) programme implementation evaluation & policy studies Proposal preparation and contract management/administration Applied innovation & lean thinking implementation in companies

4 CIRCA IN FP7/H2020 We assist you participate in FP7: We will continue this in H2020 Aidan Kennedy, Jim Codd and Jim Ryan Each with 20+ years FP experience Building consortia, Proposal preparation, Pre submission proposal evaluation, Negotiations, Consortium agreements, Project management and administration, Post contract issues such as exploitation and dissemination. Chemistry, Materials, Nanotechnology, Aerospace, Food, Energy, Life Sciences, Innovation, New Products, SME R&D, Marie Curie, Research Management. Why have you got me today? I have worked on many SME proposals and am actively involved in the management of two SME association projects and one SME project today, so I drew the short straw!

5 The Timetable for H2020 Currently: European Parliament has agreed overall budget Including overall budget for H2020). Council of ministers still to agree. It will probably be just North of 70 billion for H2020 Late 2013: Adoption of legislative acts by European Parliament Late 2013: Draft Work Programmes with detail of content of H January 2014: H2020 Starts, launch of first calls.

6 The Structure of H2020

7 Where do SMEs fit in H2020? H2020 Research Projects Excellent Science mainly researchers The Marie Curie Actions (Researcher mobility Grants) will be in here and these could be of interest to SMEs again) Industrial Leadership 20% of budget for SMEs Societal Challenges 20% of budget for SMEs Eurostar's (Eureka) Programme not part of H2020, operated by member states, requires international collaboration, is suitable for companies with research capability in their own right. Research for the Benefit of SMEs of FP7 is scrapped, benefit deemed to have gone to research providers instead of SMEs SME instrument of H2020, accompanied by coaching: Concept and Feasibility Assessment Demonstration Market Replication R&D Commercialisation (Pre-commercial procurement, EU financial facilities).

8 The Budget of H2020 Not Finalised. Below is estimate therefore. 20% of industrial Leadership and Societal challenges funds for SMEs H2020 will probably be a little more than 70 billion Excellent Science ca. 24 billion Industrial Leadership ca. 18 billion (ca. 3.6 billion to SMEs) Societal Challenges ca. 33 billion (ca. 6.6 billion to SMEs) Eurostars/Eureka (Not H2020) 50% funding, max 450,000 SME instrument,, accompanied by coaching : - 70% funding. (Budget up in the air, 1.5 billion to 4.0 billion - clearly more than R4SMEs of FP7 which was 1.2 billion - (Source: head of SME Unit at REA, Corinne Amting) Concept and Feasibility Assessment - 50,000 per project, 6 months duration Demonstration Market Replication R&D - 1 million to 3 million per project, 2 years duration Commercialisation (Pre-commercial procurement, EU financial facilities). Unclear how this will work, but it is likely to be something like business angels with investment from the EIF (European Investment Fund)

9 What Continues from before SME support what continues SME participation in collaborative R&D or innovation projects Eurostars II Enhancing the innovation capacity of SMEs (Europe INNOVA former CIP-EIP) Exchange and mobility of researchers involving SMEs (Marie Sklodovska-Curie actions) Access to finance, but wider scope! what stops Research for the benefit of SMEs scheme

10 Features of SME instrument Targeted at all types of innovative SMEs showing a strong ambition to grow (develop and internationalise) Only SMEs allowed to apply for funding (single company support, but collaboration is certainly advisable) Competitive, EU dimension - Only the best ideas pass phase I Market-oriented, close-to-market activities: 70% funding Grant-based staged funding Entrance possible in all phases Bottom-up, based on focus areas of strategic interest, specific societal challenges and political priorities, defined in a broader manner

11 Coaching Scheme Objectives: Enhance the commercial potential and impact of SME participation in the dedicated H2020 instrument Achieve tangible organizational change Leave a legacy, H2020 to become the stepping stone to sustainable high growth To be delivered across the 3 stages of the instrument Extended and upgraded services of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) acting as entry point to the system Coaching provided through a European pool of coaches

12 Bureaucracy These being public funds, there are controls. Bureaucracy is heavy, but not impossible. When you get used to it, it is straight-forward. The EU are trying to reduce the bureaucracy, e.g.: Single set of rules for participation Same grant rate for all activities and partners in a project Same flat rate indirect costs (20%/25%?) for everyone, though this may be changing a bit. There is help if you do not have the resources to handle this RTDs in collaborative projects Project Management Partners

13 How to Access H H2020 Research Projects Build contact with researchers in your area in Universities, institutes of Technology and/or research institutions. They will know of relevant topics coming up and will be preparing proposals. There will be a big demand for getting SMEs into these projects to meet the 20% target. Get contact to the relevant Irish national contact point (NCP) for your programme and let them know that you are interested in participating. The Fp7 Irish team of 30 NCPs, who I am sure will largely be the H2020 NCPs, can be found at: ontactpoint#top Calls for proposals will be found on participant portal at

14 How to Access H Eurostars/Eureka (NOT H2020) Operated in Ireland through the EI R&D scheme Work through your EI development adviser Imelda Lambkin is the current Eurostars contact person for Ireland See Eurostars website at

15 How to Access H SME instrument: Calls will be continuously open. Work with support of the Irish national contact point (NCP) for the SME instrument. The Fp7 NCP for the Research for the benefit of SMEs programme is Sean Burke of Enterprise Ireland (EI). Calls for proposals will be found on participant portal at

16 Practical Tips! Liaise closely with relevant NCPs from idea stage right through to proposal submission. They are very helpful and they are FOC Liaise closely with relevant research providers for access as partner in collaborative research projects. They will be keen to help you, driven by the challenge of reaching 20% for SMEs EI can give support to cover some of the costs of preparing proposal: Coordination grant to cover travel, personnel, consultancy. Will this be there for H2020? Do not go in just for the money. Project must fit with where your company wants to go. Example: Nutrifish project! Projects can change, do not worry or panic if a project is not working out. Example: SolarSoft project Do not let the bureaucracy stop you, it can be handled and is being simplified really!! If you need more support, maybe CIRCA can help!

17 CIRCA H2020 contacts Contact: Aidan Kennedy Mobile: Contact: Jim Codd Mobile: Contact: Jim Ryan Mobile: