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Horizon 2020 Overview: upcoming EC calls, differences with FP7, EUREKA, Eurostars, COSME, new SME Instrument, Fast Track to Innovation
Funding: targeting the right calls, finding the instruments that match your TRL (technology readiness level)
Consortium: building a balanced consortium, find and qualify partners
Application: evaluation criteria, writing tips, common mistakes, ESR (evaluation summary report)
Next Steps: select and apply for proper support to develop your proposal
3. Agenda
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SME Participation in FP7
Overview of Funding Frameworks
Finding the Right Information
Project Application Timeline
Debunking EU Funding Myths
Technology Readiness Level
New SME Instrument in H2020
Advices on Project Application
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4. SME Participation in FP7
• FP7 target = 15%
• FP7 actual = 16.7%
• H2020 target = 20%
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6. What is an SME?
• entity engaged in an economic activity
• less than 250 employees
AND turnover < €50M OR balance sheet < €43M
• autonomous (or else upstream/downstream
enterprises have to be included in the calculation)
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7. What is Horizon 2020
• 7 years
• €70Bn
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8. SME Funding in Horizon 2020
• SMEs will receive around 20% of SC + LEIT budgets
€ 8.65 Bn
• H2020 increased opportunities for SMEs
– New instruments
– Simplification
– Synergies with other funding sources (ex: COSME)
• EC wants to make Horizon 2020
“the most SME-friendly EU support program in history”
euproject@zazventures.com
10. Hurdles to SME Participation in FP7
Quality of information
Portal difficult to
navigate, complex
application procedures
Application timeline
Long time to grant,
complex negotiation
procedures
Technology readiness
level
Focus on research
rather than technology
demonstration
Priority areas and
relevant topics
Top-down approach,
project has to fit in
existing topic line
euproject@zazventures.com
Source: survey conducted on
600 research performing
SMEs (2013) by THEIA,
IVSZ and CRIC
12. Finding the Right Information
FP7
CIP
NoE
NCP
E!
CP
CSA
ESR
IP
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STREP
13. Finding the Right Information
• New
participant
portal
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14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22. Project Application Timeline
Horizon 2020 will aim
to reduce this part of
the process
• Don’t be intimidated by long ”time to grant” periods
– Application results (ESR and invitation to negotiation) come 9-12 weeks after the
application has been submitted, so you know if/when your project will start
– At project start, the consortium will receive 50-60% of the total project funding, so
that there is no need to advance cash
– The post-ESR period can be used by SMEs to ramp up (staff) in preparation for
the project start
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23. A Few Myths around EU Funding
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27. SME Instrument - Examples
SC1 – Health, Demographic
Change and Wellbeing
PHC 12 - Clinical validation of
biomarkers
2014 2015
SC5 – Smart, green and
integrated transport
IT 1 - Small business innovation
research for Transport
2014 2015
LEIT – Information and
Communication Technologies
ICT 37 - Open Disruptive Innovation
2014 2015
LEIT – Nanotechnologies and
Biotechnology
NMK 26 - Accelerating the uptake of
nanotechnologies, advanced materials
or advanced manufacturing and
processing technologies by SMEs
2014 2015
LEIT – Nanotechnologies and
Biotechnology
BIOTEC 5 - SME boosting
biotechnology-based industrial
processes driving competitiveness and
sustainability
2015
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28. Fast Track to Innovation - Example
SC4 – Smart, green and
integrated transport
IT2 Fast Track to Innovation Pilot
Proposals for innovation actions linked to any
technology field will be invited, on the basis of
a continuously open call and a bottom-updriven logic
Three cut-off dates per year to evaluate
proposals (starting 2015)
No more than 5 legal entities shall participate
in an action
Max budget: 3M Euros
euproject@zazventures.com
2015
29. New Instrument Comparison
SME Instrument
Fast Track to Innovation
Project composition
Single applicant (stage 1)
Single applicant or mini
consortium (stage 2)
Small consortium
(max 5 organizations)
SME participation
Required
(SME as lead)
Encouraged
Budget
50k Euros (stage 1)
0.5-5M Euros (stage 2)
3M Euros
Deadlines
Continous submission
(3 cut-off dates per year
starting in 2014)
Continuous submission
(3 cut-off dates per year
starting in 2015)
EC Contribution
Typically 70%
Typically 70%
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30. Creating the Dream Consortium
• Finding the right balance
– Universities vs Research organizations vs SMEs vs Large companies
– Geographical balance
– Gender balance
• Involving end-user organizations
– Gain user feedback
– Drive exploitation of results
– In advisory board, user group or as full consortium member
• Building a good consortium is key, but takes time!
– Online search, social media groups, matchmaking events
– Like for any business development activity – qualify!
BANT: Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline
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31. Writing a Killer Proposal
• A significant effort that requires discipline and method
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Proposal development (incl. consortium) takes on average 400 hours
You need to address all evaluation criteria
You need to make it easy for the reviewers
Only excellent applications get funded (aim for the max score!)
• Frequent mistakes
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Too late start (less than 3 months before the deadline)
Vague objectives and KPIs
Weak state-of-the-art review
No convincing exploitation & dissemination plan
• How to get started if you have never done it?
– Join a consortium led by a good coordinator (track record)
– Use external consultant specialized in EU project proposals
euproject@zazventures.com
32. The Review Process
• Specific challenge
– adapted to each funding scheme and each thematic area
– specified in the work programme
• Main criteria
– Scientific & Technological Excellence
o Concept, objectives, progress beyond state of the art
o WP description, Pert diagram, GANTT chart
– Implementation
o Individual participants and consortium as a whole
o Allocation of resources
– Impact
o Contribution to expected impacts listed in work programme
o Plans for dissemination/exploitation
• Criteria generally marked out of 5
– Individual threshold = 3-4; overall threshold = 11
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35. Evaluation Outcome
• Calls have become very competitive
– There are a lot of experienced coordinators and proposal writers
– The skill levels have increased over time
– In general, only excellent proposals (ie 13+) get financed
• Make sure you engage the right resources
– Your time is better spent on running your business
– You can’t compete with the experts!
– There are national grants available to engage external help
o SMINT (Vinnova, Sweden, 20k Euros)
o APT (Oseo-Anvar, France, 30-50k Euros)
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36. Project Support Options
Call
Monitoring
Free
Call Identification & Analysis
Consortium
Formation
Success Fee
Partner Search, Partner Validation
Proposal
Development
Success Fee
Proposal Writing (all sections)
Proposal
Review
Fixed Fee
375-975 Euros (depending on length)
EC
Negotiation
Success Fee
Budget and DoW Support
Project
Management
Retainer
Exploitation & Dissemination Support
Administrative Support
Innovation
Workshop
Fixed Fee
Innovation Funding Strategy
Training
Workshop
Fixed Fee
Financial Reporting, Proposal Writing, etc…
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37. Project Support Examples
Funding Program
Project
ESR
CIP-ICT-PSP 2012
MobiCloud
12.5(15)
FP7-NMP-2013
Hippocamp
13.6(15)
FP7-ICT-2013
RASimAs
13.5(15)
FP7-ENV-2013
ResCoM
13.5(15)
AAL-2013
Iron Hand
27(30)
Consortium
Formation
Proposal
Development
Services Provided
EC
Negotiation
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Project
Management