horizon 2020 sme instrument first results, hints &...
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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: [email protected]
FTI Pilot – Useful Information
