SME InstrumentNina Mazgan27. MAJ 2015

Nina Mazgan, po izobrazbi diplomirana politologinja in magistra ekonomskih znanosti ter Cotrugli business school MBA, ima več kot 7 let izkušenj na področju vodenja evropskih projektov ter ocenjevanja inovacijskega potenciala start-up podjetij.

Te izkušnje je pridobila v okviru dela v mednarodnem podjetju META Group ter upravljanja sklada tveganega kapitala META Ingenium d.o.o., za katerega je pregledala več kot 300 poslovnih načrtov ter sledila osmim naložbam od prvega kontakta, preko skrbnega pregleda do izvedbe in spremljanja lastniške naložbe.

Za METO je vodila več mednarodnih projektov, med drugimi okvirni program ESIC2, ki s strani Evropske skupnosti odobrenim raziskovalnim projektom nudi pomoč pri komercializaciji raziskovalnih rezultatov.

Nina trenutno deluje tudi kot samostojna svetovalka pri pridobivanju sredstev iz naslova evropskega programa SME Instrument, za katerega deluje kot ocenjevalka pri Evropski komisiji.

SME Instrument on the life-cycle

Who can apply

The dedicated SME instrument encourages for-profit SMEs to put forward their most innovative ideas with an EU dimension. The instrument aims to fill gaps in funding for high-risk innovation and close-to-market activities to give a strong boost to breakthrough innovation.

It targets highly innovative SMEs with a strong ambition to develop, grow and internationalise. It covers the whole innovation cycle, the focus being on delivery of new products, services or processes on the market.

Start-ups are not excluded but the SME instrument is not meant as a company creation vehicle/instrument but rather supports the growth of companies with interesting, innovative ideas with European or global potential.

SME instrument budgetHorizon 2020 supports Innovative Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) through a new dedicated SME instrument. This instrument it is managed by the Executive agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME).

In total, more than € 2.8 billion will be allocated for the SME instrument from 2014 to 2020, at least 7% of the total budget of the Societal Challenges and Leading and Enabling Technologies (LEIT) blocks of Horizon2020.

Out of this total value, € 90 million will be allocated for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in 2014 and 2015. They will specifically address LEIT block and will be presented under the Open and Disruptive Innovation (ODI) items.

The new SME instrument is a simpler and more easily accessible funding scheme for SMEs. It comes in addition to the support provided through the participation of SMEs in collaborative projects continued within Horizon 2020, as well as other measures related to SMEs such as the EU contribution of the Eurostar programme. 

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IDEA business coaching throughout the project

MARKET

Concept & Feasibility

Assessment

DemonstrationMarket Replication

ResearchDevelopment

Commercialisation

SME window EU financial facilities

Procurement

SME instrument

6

Desired SME profile

For innovative SMEs with a BIG potential and desire to grow Focused on established SMEs with high growth potential (at least) Clear European dimension Single company support possible Only for-profit SMEs established in the EU or associated countries may apply No obligation for applicants to sequentially cover all three phases; each phase open to all SMEs

TRL 6 = > TRL 9

Different phases

•Phase 1 aims to cover the assessment of technical feasibility and market potential of new ideas. The project will be supported by an investment of € 50,000 and the typical duration should be no longer than 6 months.

•Phase 2 aims to cover R&I activities with a particular focus on demonstration activities (testing, prototype, scale-up studies, design, piloting innovative processes, products and services, validation, performance verification etc.) and market replication encouraging the involvement of end users or potential clients. Project funding should amount to no more than € 2,500,000 and the typical duration of this phase should range from 12 to 24 months (more funding and longer durations are possible if duly justified).

•Phase 3 concerns support measures aimed at helping SMEs move towards commercializing their innovative products and services through measures like networking, training, coaching and mentoring, facilitating access to private capital or better interaction with key stakeholders. SMEs will not be funded directly under phase 3.

Phases

Phase 1 vs Phase 2

PHASE 1

The assessment of the technical feasibility and the commercial potential of a breakthrough innovation.

Lump sum of 50.000€

Usually 6 months – could be shorter or longer.

A feasibility report including a detailed business plan.

Technical annex 1-3 (10 pages)

PHASE 2

A breakthrough innovation strategy underpinned by its strategic feasibility assessment and commercialization plan. Close-to-market activities and their commercial exploitation.

Cost reimbursement between 500.000€ and 2.5 million€ - 70% of eligible costs.

Between 1-2 years – could be longer. A new product, process, service that is new to the market and a commercialization plan linked to it.

Technical annex 1-3 (30 pages) SUBCONTRACTING!! Value for money and realistic, feasible, justifyible

Phase 1: Concept and feasibility

assessment

Phase 2: R&D, demonstration,

market replication

Input: Idea/Concept: "Business Plan 1"

(~ 10 pages) 10% budget

Activities:Feasibility of concept

Risk assessmentIP regime

Partner searchDesign study

Pilot applicationetc.

Output: elaborated "Business plan 2"

Input: "Business plan 2" plus description of activities under Phase

2 (~ 30 pages)90% budget

Activities:Development,

prototyping, testing, piloting,

miniaturisation, scaling-up, market

replication, research

Output: "investor-ready Business plan 3"

Lump sum: 50.000 €

~ 6 months No direct funding

Phase 3: Commercialisation

1-2.5 M€ EC funding

~ 12 to 24 months

Promote instrument as quality label for

successful projects

Facilitate access to private finance

Support via networking , training,

information, addressing i.a. IP management, knowledge sharing,

dissemination

SME window in the EU financial facilities (debt

facility and equity facility)

Possible connection to public procurement

activities

10-15% success ~ 50 success

Phase 3 & coaching ~ 2% budget

12

Eligible topics

•ICT: Open Disruptive Innovation (2014: 45 M€ / 2015: 45 M€)

•Uptake of nanotech, advanced materials or manufacturing and processing technologies

•Space research and development

•Validation of biomarkers and/or diagnostics devices

•Eco-innovative food production and processing

•Blue growth

•Innovation for transport

•Low carbon and efficient energy systems

•Eco-innovation and sustainable raw material supply

•Protection of urban soft targets and urban critical infrastructure

•Biotechnology-based industrial processes

•Mobile e-government applications (2015 only)

•SME business model innovation (2015 only)

Without restrictions it is estimated to receive 10 to 15,000 SME applications for Phase 1 every year.This number is limited in case of topic oriented calls

Measures to "reduce" applications:

1. Only one application per company (in both phases)2. This implies: no possibility to apply for Phase 1 during the submission and/or

implementation of a Phase 2 project and vice versa.3. Advice by the support network(s)4. SMEs should be encouraged to enter the scheme in Phase 1

Demand

How to applyREGISTRATION

- register to the participants portal

- get your PIC code (ECAS)

APPLICATION

- online admin forms

- Part B (excellence, impact, efficiency, partner, ethics)

Application form (Phase 1) The application shall provide:

1) an outline of the envisaged overall innovation project, its intended scope, merits, risks and state of development to allow for an assessment of the business idea as well as an initial business plan based on the proposed idea/concept

2) a description of the activities to be undertaken during phase 1 that shall result in a comprehensive feasibility report, including the specifications of the elaborated business plan, which is to be the outcome of the project (for more details refer to the Work Programme and the Guidance documentation).

Prijavnica SME Instrument Phase 1 Q&A?

Deadlines 2015

PHASE 1- CONCEPT FEASIBILITY:

18 March 2015; 17 June 2015; 17 September 2015; 16 December 2015

PHASE 2 - DEMONSTRATION & PROTOTYPING:

18 March 2015; 17 June 2015; 17 September 2015; 16 December 2015

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDZMvMZyURc

Jean-David Malo, Head of Unit, SMEs, DG Research and Innovation:

Evaluators hat

Criteria1. Excellence

2. Impact

3. Quality and efficiency of implementation

(25 % weight of overall perception)

Treshold 4/5 per criteria and 13/15 to pass

Impact - impact on the market + impact on your SME

- your market / demand well described (demonstrate the need / wish to „buy“)

- who are your target users and beneficiaries

- market dimensions (TAM), growth rates, competition and their solutions

- alignment with the company strategy and boosting its growth

- initial commercialisation plan is outlined and explains how will be further

developed

- clear European dimension (known Euroepan competition)

- IPR status and strategy

Excellence - addressing an EU/global challenge

- state of the art, added value and competitive advantage (comparison with state-of-the-art)

- objectvies consistent with planned impact

- convincing performances of proposed solution / value added (better from existing)

- risks and opportunities (technical and commercial)

Quality and efficiency of implementation - relevant resources for implementation (personal,facilities, networks, etc.)

- realistic time frame

- comprehensive description of work

- team competences (right mix)

What do evaluators look for?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iuk_Tjqh9t0&list=PL6ybzXFnnCiid9Lwz6DJlux8nSpu2dXlR&index=6

PREGLED STATISTIKE PRIJAV (pdf)

Komentar?

Komentar ocenjevalca na H2020(blog)

„But one year in it is not flawless. The average success rate for the 45,000 Horizon 2020 grant applicants to date is 14 per cent. This is well below counterparts in the US, with the National Science Foundation success rate standing at 22-24 per cent and the National Institutes of Health at 18-21 per cent. Even in Australia, where public R&D funding has been cut, applicants to the National Health and Medical Research Council have a 21 per cent chance of success.

With only one in seven proposals are being selected – and note that several H2020 sub-programmes like Marie Curie-Sklodowska and the SME Instrument have an even lower odds - this means around 38,700 applications were rejected.

As an innovation and grants consultancy with 20 years’ experience in EU funding, we know that a collaborative single-stage proposal costs between €70,000 and €100,000, on average, in time and effort to develop and write.“

NAJPOGOSTEJŠE NAPAKE

Glavne napake prijaviteljev

- nejasno izdelana ideja (prijava zgolj zaradi pridobitev sredstev)

- nizka inovativnost projekta (prenizke ambicije)

- pomanjkanje razumevanja namena razpisa in njegovih pravil

- slabo poznavanje trga in trendov na trgu ter slabo ali sploh nepoznavanje konkurence in svojih konkurenčnih prednosti

- osredotočenost na tehnični opis rešitve in premajhen poudarek na učinku rešitve na nivoju družbe

- prevelik poudarek na raziskovanju namesto na poslovni in komercialni utemeljitvi (razpis podpira dejavnosti, ki so bližje trgu)

PRAKTIČNI NASVETI

Praktični nasveti 1/3 - izhajati morate iz želje po dejanski realizaciji ideje, ki jo prijavljate

(skladnost z dolgoročno strategijo in dvigom konkurenčnosti MSP)

- uskladite cilje projekta s poslovnimi cilji vašega podjetja

- identificirajte najustreznejši razpis in prijavo prilagodite vplivom (»impact«), ki izhajajo iz delovnega programa in teme na katero se prijavljate.

- pokažite jasno dodano vrednost za ciljne skupine, ki jih projekt naslavlja („še tako inovativen rezultat ni vreden nič, če ne rešuje določene težave“)

- davkoplačevalska sredstva!

Praktični nasveti 2/3

- iskanje partnerjev (pravočasno, preverite potrebne kompetence, znanja, reference)

- ocenjevalec bo pri konzorciju ocenjeval predvsem usklajenost in multidisciplinarnost partnerjev ter reference in veščine posameznih članov ekipe (podobno kot to ocenjujejo VC-ji)

- inovativnost ideje (v skladu z razpisom)

- iščejo se disruptivne inovacije, tako pri novih tehnologijah, kot tudi inovativnih poslovnih modelih (tukaj navajajo primere kot so Airbnb, Spotify in Uber).

Praktični nasveti 3/3 - Jezik prijave (preprost, vendar prepričljiv) – SMART (specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic, time)

- Vsebina naj bo jasna, jedrnata in konsistentna v celotni prijavi (ocenjevalci na dan preberejo okoli 6 prijav, ki obsegajo do 30 strani)

- jasni stavki, kratki, odstavki, tematski naslovi, kratki povzetki …

Fast track to Innovation Pilot

Fast track to Innovation Pilot

Projekti, ki se bodo spodbujali, morajo biti že blizu prototipa, in sicer mora biti tehnologija, ki je predmet projekta, že testirana v ustreznem okolju. To pomeni, da se ne morejo prijaviti podjetja, ki imajo samo idejo, niso pa še preverila, kako bi bila uspešna na trgu.

Z instrumentom želi EU doseči: skrajšanje časa prodora ideje na trgpovečanje sodelovanja industrije ter predvsem malih in srednjih podjetijspodbujanje zasebnih vlaganj v raziskave in inovacijepromoviranje raziskav in inovacij s poudarkom razvoja tehnologij v inovativne izdelke, procese in storitve.

IMPACT

Največjo moč pri ocenjevanju bodo imeli učinki projekta, in sicer:

hiter razvoj poslovni prevzem in uvajanje trajnostnih inovativnih rešitev (izdelkov, procesov, storitev, poslovnih modelov...) reševanje družbenih izzivov hiter prodor na trg - najpozneje v treh letih po začetku projekta

Upravičene aktivnosti 

poskusno izvajanje, testiranje, potrjevanje sistemov v resničnem svetu...

Namenjen je torej razmeroma zrelim idejam, torej novim tehnologijam, konceptom, procesom in poslovnim modelom, za zadnje razvojne korake, ki bodo prodrli na trg in imajo čim širšo uporabo. Vedno je treba razmišljati, da vaša rešitev ni namenjena le ožji specifični skupini, ampak čim širšemu krogu uporabnikov.

KONZORCIJ

Konzorciji morajo vsebovati udeležence iz:Industrijeuniverze, raziskovalne in tehnološke organizacije in druge akterje na področju inovacij.

Prijava

Rok za oddajo vlog: 29.4., 1.9. ter 1.12.2015

Trajanje projekta: do 36 mesecev

Višina subvencije: do 3 mio eur

Konzorcij: najmanj trije partnerji iz treh različnih držav ter največ 5 partnerjev.

Uporabne povezavehttp://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/

http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/sme-instrument-0

Hvala za pozornostnina.mazgan@outlook.com

Backup slides

Clara de la Torre: Supporting innovation (the new SME instrument)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URgDkaIArIY

1. Neuspešni so evropski projekti, ki predstavljajo globalne rešitve

Zelo pogosto prijavitelji v projekt zapišejo presplošene rešitve, kot je npr:»Znižanje brezposelnosti in dvig zaposlenosti bo vplival na večji BDP…«

Takšen zapis vas ne razlikuje od ostalih prijaviteljev, saj bolj ali manj vsi trdijo podobno. Raje zapišite konkretno rešitev ali še bolje – naj bo takšna, da jo lahko zagotovite samo vi. V tem primeru ima razpisovalec dober razlog, da vas izbere na razpisu.

2. Vaša prijavnica ne sme postati pismo o nameri

Evropski projekti so si pogosto zelo podobni. Zakaj? Večina prijaviteljev v svojem projektnem predlogu opiše, kaj nameravajo narediti ali pa so mnenja, da je potrebno narediti. Tak ukrep hitro naredi vtis neodločnosti in predvsem dajanja praznih obljub.

Namesto tega raje izpostavite, kaj že delate in kako boste te aktivnosti vključili v projekt. Predstavite se kot prijavitelj h kateremu gremo, ko želimo, da so stvari narejene.

3. Kaj mislite? Koga v resnici zanima, kako dolgo vaše podjetje obstaja, katere reference imate in koliko projektov ste izpeljali?

Kot je pokazala analiza prvih prijav na EU razpis Instrument for SME’s, so se podjetja zelo slabo predstavila – in prijave so bile zavrnjene. Večina jih je le faktografsko naštela kdo so in kaj počnejo.

A ocenjevalec vas zato ne more ločiti od ostalih podobnih podjetij. Nič ni narobe, če predstavite podatke – a predstavite jih tako, da bo jasno, zakaj je to pomembno. Ste zaradi tega hitrejši, cenejši, kakovostnejši? Predstavite se v relaciji do drugih in svojo trditev podprite s kazalci, primeri in literaturo.

4. Zagotovite, da so vaše prednosti res prave prednosti

Za uspeh na razpisu morate izpostaviti, v čem ste najboljši. A tu je skrita past. Če s svojim projektom bolj ali manj le zadostite potrebam razpisa, vas ne bo težko premagati.

Svojo zgodbo zgradite na najboljših dosežkih, ki jih lahko argumentirate s prejetimi nagradami, priznanji in izraženim zadovoljstvom uporabnikov. Vaše prednosti morajo preseči minimalne zahteve razpisa, če želite, da bodo ocenjevalci spoznali, da lahko resnično prispevate k rešitvi problema.