The Information Day, organised in partnership with Graham Hughes, the Healthcare National Contact Point and the Healthtech and Medicines Knowledge Transfer Network, gave delegates advance an overview of the projects the European Commission are looking to fund. Speakers were also able to hear about a range of support available for companies looking to participate and also a case study from John Anson of Oxford Gene Technology.

Kenny Legg, R&D Funding Advisor at Enterprise Europe Network South West said: “We are delighted that we can share our knowledge of EU funding initiatives and provide attendees with notification of call contents. This event highlights the opportunities in FP7 and gives SW companies the opportunity to meet regional and national support teams and network with potential partners and experienced FP7 participants”.

To download the presentations from the event please click here.

A full day event outlining how to form a consortium and write a proposal will be held on the 7th September at the Marriot Hotel, Swindon.  More details and online registration can be found here.

The Enterprise Europe Network can assist by helping companies to identify opportunities, join consortiums and reach agreements with the Commission. For more details of how the EEN can assist in accessing European R&D funding here. Our FP7 factsheet can be downloaded here.

Major research areas earmarked for funding in the new FP7 round include  1.2 billion for  ICT, €600 million for health,  270 million for nanotechnologies and  205 million for environment. In the new funding calls top priority is given to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME), who will receive close to €800 million and for the first time, there will be ring-fenced budgets in several areas.

Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said: "Investment in research and innovation is the only smart and lasting way out of crisis and towards sustainable and socially equitable growth. This European package will contribute to new and better products and services, a more competitive and greener Europe, and a better society with a higher quality of life. We are offering researchers and innovators €6.4 billion for cutting-edge projects focusing on big economic and societal challenges: climate change, energy and food security, health and an ageing population. This is a huge and efficient economic stimulus and an investment in our future."

The Enterprise Europe Network can assist by helping companies to identify opportunities, join consortiums and reach agreements with the Commission. A full list of the calls and their contents can be found by clicking here and details of how the EEN can assist here. Our FP7 factsheet can be downloaded here.

Anyone interested in FP7, or any European R&D funding opportunities, can email Kenny Legg or call him on 01275 370808

The deadline for submission is 2 September 2010. Based on a diligent evaluation and projects selection process, projects labelling is planned for the end of November 2010.

You can also find the EUROGIA+ press release here.

Find out more and register...
 

The competition is open to participants from the UK, Austria, Germany, Israel, and Poland and project proposals must include at least one partner from another country.  It is expected that a mixture of small and large projects will be funded, with total costs typically ranging from EUR 0.5m to EUR 3m.

For more details about the competition visit the PIANO+ pages on the Technology Strategy Board website.

For the PIANO+ website and to find collaboration partners see www.pianoplus.eu

For more details on how Enterprise Europe Network can help your organisation access European R&D funding please contact Kenny Legg on 01275 370 808 or email kenny.legg@enterpriseeuropesw.org.uk

Eurostars has a number of eligibility criteria but the rewards are exciting, as Kenny Legg of Enterprise Europe South West explains: “UK participants are entitled to a maximum grant level of EUR 300,000 provided they are a R&D-performing SME and are the lead partner in a scheme which has at least two participants from two different participating countries.”

Projects can address any technological area and should be aimed at the development of a new product, process or service. Download our factsheet for more information.

Eco-innovation
Also running until September is the EUR35m Eco-Innovation fund. This programme aims to tackle barriers to market penetration which some companies may have encountered. The fund is geared towards organisations that have developed an environmental product, service, management practice or process which has a proven track record, yet is not fully marketed due to residual risks. For more information please click here.

Intelligent Energy Europe
Another carbon-busting scheme is the Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) programme. This scheme funds projects dedicated to finding ways of saving energy and encouraging the use of renewable energy sources across Europe. “This is specifically related to exchanging experience, education, training, awareness raising, information provision and market development and intelligence,” Kenny continues. “If your project concerns energy efficiency in buildings and transport and new energy sources, IEE could be perfect.”

The closing date for this is 24 June so interested applicants are advised to contact Kenny as soon as possible.

Ambient Assisted Living initiative.
On a completely different plain is the AAL initiative which strives to enhance the quality of life of older people and strengthen the industrial base in Europe through the use of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies.
UK participants can gain up to 50% project funding to this scheme,” explains Kenny. “NHS Trusts, charities and foundations, local authorities and businesses are very much in the frame for this. The maximum grant level per participant is EUR 400,000 and projects must feature at least bodies from three participating countries.”
 

Anyone interested in any of the above, or indeed any European funding opportunities, can email Kenny or call him on 01275 370808

Each call is published with guidance information on the call topic and budget, call publication dates and additional information, as e.g. the applied funding rules.

Further information on AAL and the latest call (the call closes on 30th July 2010)

The guidelines for applicants and the evaluation guide have also been translated into the following 5 languages: French, German, Italian, Spanish and Polish. These translations are provided for information only (in case of an inconsistency, the English version is considered to be the only original and will prevail). The translated documents can be downloaded here.

You may download the leaflet on:

http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/services/docs/services-dir/leaflet/services_directives_en.pdf

The call will help SMEs which do not have the capacity to undertake research themselves to commission work from R&D performers such as universities, research centres and industrial companies.

The programme’s goal is to strengthen innovation capacities in European SMEs and improve their contribution to the development of new technologies.

Project bids for this call can address any research topic in the field of science and technology, but they must be centred on the innovation needs of the SMEs that are outsourcing their research requirements. Projects should aim to produce new knowledge and results that can be harnessed to develop or improve products, processes or services for participating SMEs.

To be eligible under the scheme, a consortium must include at least three independent SMEs from three different EU Member States or Associated Countries. They must also include two R&D performers independent of any other participant.

The deadline for this call is 3 December 2009 – for further details, including an information pack, please click here