horizon 2020 sme instrument first results, hints &...

Horizon 2020 SME InstrumentFirst results, hints & tips

The Executive Agency for the SMEs

Since 1st January 2014 EACI became EASME

COSME, part of Horizon 2020, EMFF and LIFE added to the programme portfolio.

Located in Brussels, Place Rogier 16Covent Garden Building

EASME

For the first cut-off phase 1, every second good proposal is funded

First results Phase I and II

The 5 highest country success rates

Ireland: 20%Austria: 15%United Kingdom: 11%

Israel: 10%

Spain: 9%

First results Phase I 18/06/2014

First results Phase I 24/09/2014

First results Phase I18/06/2014 vs. 24/09/2014

First results Phase II 09/10/2014

78%

13% 7%

1% 1% 0%

Number of Participants

per Proposal 1

2

3

4

5

6

First results Phase II 09/10/2014

http://ec.europa.eu/easme/sme/beneficiaries_en.htm

Unsuccessful proposals were:

• Too much focused on the project, not on the opportunity• Without convicing description of the company• Without enough information on competing solutions• Not innovative enough• Without commercialisation concept (TRL too low)• Just trying ones' luck

First lessons learnt

Before taking a strategic decision to apply:

• Look carefully at the programme target• Assess if your project is mature in all aspects of evaluation

criteria• Take advise on other funding programmes from NCP, EEN, etc.

Hints and tips

When applying: • Make sure your proposal is balanced and covers all aspects of each

evaluation criteria• Write to convince evaluators to invest • Put concrete realistic figures

Show market size, market share, sales price, Show 3 years projections of sales volumes, turnover, jobs created

• Invest in a caching title and a good abstract• Use the full 10 pages – delete the hints in the template• Form matters, test your proposal, review the language, • Do not wait the cut-off date

Hints and tips

Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) Pilot

• Strong challenge-based approach, allowing industry applicants to have considerable freedom to come up with innovative solutions

• Emphasis on innovation, with continuing support for R&D • Less prescriptive topics, strong emphasis on expected impact• A strategic approach, with two-year work programmes (that take into

account industry concerns and changing business needs) • Focus areas bring together different technologies, along entire innovation

chain • Dedicated support through various specific instruments: SME

(instrument), FTI Pilot, InnovFin…

Industry-friendly Features

The FTI pilot is the only fully-bottom-up measurein Horizon 2020 promoting close-to-the-market

innovation activities that isopen to all types of participants

FTI Pilot - What is it?

Three Priorities of Horizon 2020

ExcellentScience

(ES)

IndustrialLeadership

(IL)

SocietalChallenges

(SC)

Fast Track To Innovation

(FTI)

Reduce time from idea to market -- last push

Increase participation of industry, first-time applicants, SMEs

Stimulate private sector investment in R&I

FTI Pilot - What is the idea?

research demoTRL6

innovationTRL9

fast track funding range€ 1-3 million

marketlaunch

• Follows bottom-up logic (within SC and LEITs)• One common call, permanently open, 3 cut-offs per year• Time-to-grant 6 months• Funds innovation actions (70%), grant up to €3 mn

FTI Pilot – Key Features

• Allows consortia of min. 3, max. 5 members — mandatory industry involvement

• Impact criterion has higher weighting in evaluations• Budget: €200 mn for 2015/2016 (100 + 100) — ca. 100 projects

with average EU contribution of €2 mn• Future of pilot (beyond 2016) only decided after full evaluation

FTI Pilot – Key Features

Mandatory industry involvement can consist in the following:• … either at least 60% of the overall budget of the proposal

must be allocated to consortium partner(s) from industry • … or the minimum number of industry participants must be 2 in

a consortium of 3 or 4 partners, and 3 in a consortium of 5 partners

Proposals shall include a business plan (market development strategy)SMEs and first-time industry applicants particularly welcome

FTI Pilot – Industry Involvement

• Topic = Fast Track to Innovation Pilot (bottom-up!)• Call opening: 6/1/2015• Planned cut-off dates (or "ranking" dates) > funding decision

FTI Pilot – Planning and Implementation

• Remote evaluation• At least 4 evaluator per proposal• Balancing knowledge of industry/technology, market and finance • Not more than one evaluator from the applicant's country • No consensus meeting• Short standardised feedback

• No negociation

FTI Pilot – Evaluation process

Individual evaluation of proposals upon arrival, with particular attention for the following:• 'Impact' is evaluated first and 4 out of 5 is a must ( ~ fast development

& market take-up/ wide deployment no more than 3 years after the beginning of the FTI project, business development, growth and job creation…)

• 'Excellence' is evaluated second; FTI proposals pursuing technological innovation are expected to have a readiness level of 6 out of 9 (technology demonstrated in relevant environment)

• Overall score not below 12 out of 15

FTI Pilot – Evaluation criteria

• Participant Portal: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/topics/9096-ftipilot-1-2015.html

• Work Programme: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2014_2015/main/h2020-wp1415-fast-track_en.pdf

• Launch event: January 9, 2015 in BrusselsRegister now via e-mail: RTD-FTI-EVENT@ec.europa.eu

FTI Pilot – Useful Information

QUESTIONS?

For more information

http://ec.europa.eu/easme/sme/Pilar.cervero-barcena@ec.europa.eu