the sme instrument in horizon 2020

The SME Instrument in HORIZON 2020

Natascia Lai Executive Agency for SMEs (EASME)

Horizon 2020

Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 - 2020)

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SME support in Horizon 2020

• 20% of H2020 budget (about €9.3 billion) to be allocated to SMEs across the "Societal challenges" and "Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies"

• The dedicated SME Instrument (about €3 billion), following a predominately bottom-up logic, will address the needs of innovating SMEs

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The SME Instrument 3-stage support

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Phase 1 - Concept & Feasibility Assessment

o €50 000 in EU funding

o Feasibility study

o 10-page application

o 6 months in duration

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Idea to concept

Phase 2 – Demonstration activities

o Between €0.5 million and €2.5 million in EU funding

o The SME will further develop its proposal through innovation activities, such as demonstration, testing, piloting, scaling up, and miniaturisation

o 30-page application including business plan

o 1-2 years in duration

o 70% funding (exceptions possible)

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Concept to market-maturity

Phase 3 – Market launch

o No stand-alone phase!

o No direct funding

o SMEs will receive extensive support, training, mentorship

o Facilitate access to risk finance

o Additional support and networking opportunities (EEN)

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Prepare for Market Launch

Business coaching

• Coaches will drive the performance of the organisation

• Coaches suggested by EEN, and selected by the SME

• Voluntary business coaching:

o Phase 1: 3 days

o Phase 2: 12 days

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The Horizon 2020 Participant Portal

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Online application submission system

The application template

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Phase 1 : max 10 pages

Phase 2 : max 30 pages

The evaluation process

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Consensus report (automatic - median of individual scores)

4 experts / proposal

Evaluation criteria

• Economic impact

• Excellence in innovation

• Quality and efficiency of the implementation

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The application: key elements

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Excellence • Objectives • Relation to the work programme • Concept and approach • Ambition Impact • Expected Impacts • Users/Market • Company • Dissemination and exploitation of results • Intellectual property, knowledge protection and regulatory issues

Implementation • Work plan – work package and deliverable • Management structure and procedures • Consortium as a whole (if applicable) • Resources to be committed

Themes for 2014-2015

In 2014 and 2015 the SME Instrument will sponsor SMEs operating within 13 themes:

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• High risk ICT innovation

• Nanotech, or other advanced tech for manufacturing and materials

• Space research and development

• Diagnostics devices and biomarkers

• Sustainable food production and processing

• Blue growth

• Low carbon energy systems

• Greener and more integrated transport

• Eco-innovation and sustainable raw material supply

• Urban critical infrastructure

• Biotechnology-based industrial processes

• Mobile e-government applications (2015 only)

• SME business model innovation (2015 only)

Technology Readiness Level (TRL)

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• TRL 1 – basic principles observed

• TRL 2 – technology concept formulated

• TRL 3 – experimental proof of concept

• TRL 4 – technology validated in lab

• TRL 5 – technology validated in relevant environment

• TRL 6 – technology demonstrated in relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)

• TRL 7 – system prototype demonstration in operational environment

• TRL 8 – system complete and qualified

• TRL 9 – actual system proven in operational environment (competitive manufacturing in the case of key enabling technologies; or in space)

Minimum TRL for SME Instrument proposals: 6

Timeline

• Open call: Submissions can be submitted any time, and will be immediately evaluated

• 4 cut-off dates per year (March, June, September, December) for ranking and finance decisions

• Budget: total is roughly € 3 billion.

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Thank you!

For more information go to:

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

@H2020SME

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