“Building a greener, safer and better Europe”, this is the motto of the €2 billion partnership between the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) and the European Union: the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU). CBE-JU funds projects advancing competitive circular bio-based industries in Europe.
CBE JU operates under the same rules of Horizon Europe - the 2021 – 2027 EU’s research and innovation programme. The partnership is building on the success of its predecessor, the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU), while addressing the current challenges facing the industry.
CBE JU aims to scale up technologies leading to industrial deployment, thus attracting investment and creating jobs. Furthermore, different stakeholders including the primary sector, regional authorities, and investors to prevent market failures and unsustainable bio-based processes will be involved.

What is CBE JU's mission? The European bio-based sector, including SMEs, regions and primary producers should become climate neutral, more circular and more sustainable while remaining competitive on the global market. A strong, resource efficient and competitive bio-based innovation ecosystem can decrease Europe’s dependency on and accelerate the substitution of non-renewable fossil raw materials and mineral resources.
CBE-JU mission is to implement the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), through yearly open calls for proposals to fund projects in research, demonstration, and industrial deployment. These are the main goals of the partnership:

• Accelerate the innovation process and development of bio-based innovative solutions
• Accelerate market deployment of the existing mature and innovative bio-based solutions
• Ensure a high level of environmental performance of bio-based industrial systems

How CBE JU will achieve its objectives?The CBE JU calls fund different types of actions:

Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs): 'testing', 'demonstrating' and 'piloting' activities to establish new knowledge or to explore the feasibility of new/ improved technology, product, process, service, or solution. Basic and applied research, technology development and integration, testing, demonstration, and validation on a small-scale prototype, in a laboratory or simulated environment are included. It is expected that RIA delivers TRL3-5 at the end of the project.

Innovation Actions (IAs): 'testing', 'demonstrating' and 'piloting' activities also aiming at scaling up activities from prototype, in a (near to) operational environment, industrial or otherwise, to large-scale product validation and market replication. At the end of the project TRL6-8 have to be delivered.

Flagships: important and specific type of Innovation Action with the objective to support the first application/deployment in the EU market of an innovation already demonstrated but not yet applied/deployed in the EU market (first-of-its-kind innovation). Flagship projects need to deliver TRL 8 at the end of the projects.
In each topic the end TRL is specified.

Coordination and Support Actions (CSAs): addressing needs to i) structure stakeholder communities; ii) support dissemination and exploitation of research or innovation projects; iii) exploit synergies of scale among projects; iv) raise awareness in specific areas; v) support technological visions (e.g. road-mapping, user cases, etc.) and outreach (e.g. events, publications, etc.); vi) promote international cooperation with specific regions and/or technological areas for any of the above-mentioned activities; vii) undertake other activities similar in nature to those above (i.e., this is not an exhaustive list).

Pre-commercial Procurement Action (PCPs) may also be considered if relevant to attain the objectives of the CBE JU in future CBE JU AWP. Additionally, financial support to third parties may be included in specific call topics and funded as part of the received grants from CBE JU via financial support.

What are the calls for proposal of 2022?The CBE-JU Annual Work Programme 2022 will fund projects developing innovative and sustainable bio-based solutions, with a focus on the following strategic priorities: feedstock, processing, products, cross-cutting aspects of communication and environmental sustainability.
​
CBE JU will welcome project proposals across 12 topics with a total indicative budget of €120 million:

Innovation Actions

• HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022-IA-01 Biogenic carbon capture and use (CCU) for circular bio-based products - €10 million.
• HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022-IA-02 Cooperative business models for sustainable mobilisation and valorisation of agricultural residues, by-products, and waste in rural areas - €10 million.
• HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022-IA-03 Cost-effective production routes towards bio-based alternatives to fossil-based chemical building blocks - €12 million.
• HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022-IA-04 Co-processing of mixed bio-based waste streams - €12 million.        

Innovation Actions - Flagships

• HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022-IAFlag-01 Maximum valorisation of sustainably sourced bio-based feedstock in multi-product, zero-waste, zero-pollution biorefinery - €14 million.
• HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022-IAFlag-02 Alternative sources for high added value food and/or feed ingredients - €14 million.

Research and Innovation Actions

• HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022-R-01 High performance bio-based polymers for market applications with stringent requirements - €9 million.
• HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022-R-02 Bio-based coatings, barriers, binders, and adhesives - €9 million.
• HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022-R-03 Circular-by-design bio-based materials to improve the circularity of complex structures - €9 million.
• HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022-R-04 Proteins from alternative and unconventional sources - €9 million.
• HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022-R-05 Sustainable fibres biorefineries feedstock - €9 million.

Coordination and Support Actions

• HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022-S-01 Developing and validating monitoring systems of environmental sustainability and circularity: collection of best practices and benchmarks - €3 million.

The application must be done via the Funding & Tenders Portal, deadline for application is September 22nd at 17.00 CET.
Check out all the funding opportunities and get more information about the whole programme.

Are you planning to apply to any of these calls? Our members are expert in accompanying consortia from small to very large size. They are acting in line with our code of conduct which guarantees qualitative and professional behavior at all times.

Are you interested to get support from a consultant? Indicate here the type of service you are needing and we will get back to you very shortly!

Article courtesy of EAIC member ENCO Engineering and Consulting
​

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship programme supports postdoctoral researchers to develop their research careers with a total budget of €257 million. It provides fellowships to the most promising researchers, who wish to carry out their research activities abroad, by either coming to Europe from any country in the world, moving within Europe or even moving to Third Countries not associated to Horizon Europe.

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) is the main European instrument supporting young women and men to make a career in research with the goal to retain excellent researchers within Europe and reintegrate those working elsewhere. Since their launch in 1996, they have become Europe’s reference programme for doctoral education and postdoctoral training.

​The MSCA PF programme that is part of the Excellent Science pillar of Horizon Europe aims to equip postdoctoral fellows with new transferable skills and international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral exposure via advanced training and mobility. The MSCA PF is based on the principle of physical mobility, meaning that researchers who receive funding have to move from one country to another. Researchers who wish to apply are also encouraged to move between sectors and disciplines.
​
The main objectives of a Postdoctoral fellowship are to:

• Enhance the research and transferable skills and competences of postdoctoral fellows, leading to their improved employability and career prospects
• Foster researchers’ international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary mobility
• Enhance networking and communication capacities with scientific peers, as well as with the general public to broaden the research and innovation impact
• Strengthen R&I capacity and output among participating organisations, by implementing original and innovative research projects
• Facilitate transfer of knowledge by building bridges between the academic and non-academic sector  

What’s new this year?
This year MSCA place a stronger emphasis on collaborations between academia and business. There’s also a renewed emphasis on effective supervision and career guidance to postdoctoral fellows according to the  MSCA Guidelines on Supervision. Applicants are also encouraged to address the principles of the MSCA Green Charter, in line with the European Green Deal, and implement measures to promote sustainable research activities and minimise the environmental footprint of such activities.
Another novelty in MSCA PF in Horizon Europe compared to Horizon 2020 is that areas of research covered by the Euratom Research and Training Programme, specifically nuclear research and innovation, are now included in the range of topics supported by the MSCA, including Chemistry, Social Sciences and Humanities, Economic Sciences, Information Science and Engineering, Environment and Geosciences, Life Sciences, Mathematics and Physics.

When and how to apply?
The 2022 call is now open for submissions through the Funding and Tenders Portal, with a deadline on 14 September 2022. Although, the project proposal should be written jointly by the postdoctoral candidate and the host organisation, only the Host Supervisor is allowed to submit the proposal. The EU average success rate for the 2021 call was 13-14%.
Host organisations are encouraged to read the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Guidelines for the Inclusion of Researchers at Risk comprising researchers experiencing threats to their life, liberty or research career, and those who are forced to flee or have been displaced. Following Russian’s invasion of Ukraine, the new MSCA4Ukraine scheme includes €25 million for actions supporting researchers previously active in Ukraine.

Who can apply?
You can apply for an MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship if you:

• are interested in engaging in research and innovation projects at a host organisation abroad (otherwise known as Beneficiary) that can be a university, research institution, business, SME or other organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
• hold a PhD degree at the time of the deadline for applications. Applicants who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will also be considered eligible to apply.
• have a maximum of eight years of experience in research, from the date of the award of your PhD degree. Years of experience outside research and career breaks do not count towards this maximum, nor do years of experience in research in third countries, for nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries who wish to reintegrate to Europe.
• have not resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the beneficiary (for European Postdoctoral Fellowships), or the host organisation for the outgoing phase (for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.

​There are two types of Postdoctoral Fellowships:

1. European Postdoctoral Fellowships (overall budget: €218.45) are open to researchers of any nationality moving to or between EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. These fellowships can last between 1 and 2 years.
2. Global Postdoctoral Fellowships (overall budget: €38.55) are open to researchers, who are national or long-term residents of EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries and wish to carry out their research activities outside Europe. These fellowships can last between 2 to 3 years, of which the first 1 to 2 years will be spent in a non-associated Third Country, followed by a mandatory return phase of 1 year to an organisation based in Europe.

Both types of fellowships may also include short-term secondments anywhere in the world within the overall duration of the fellowship, as well as a placement of up to six months in a non-academic organisation based in Europe at the end of their research project for which researchers receive additional support.

What does the postdoctoral fellowship cover?

• a living allowance
• a mobility allowance
• family, long-term leave and special needs allowances, if applicable
• research, training and networking activities
• management and indirect costs

Evaluation process
Submitted proposals will be evaluated between October and December 2022 against three evaluation criteria, including Excellence (50% of the evaluation score), Impact (30%) and Implementation (20%). Applications with a total score equal to or higher than 85% receive a Seal of Excellence, which adds weight to the researchers’ applications when they seek to apply to other EU Funding Calls. The evaluation results will be published by February/March 2023 and projects are expected to start around May-September 2023.

Are you planning to apply to any of these calls? Our members are expert in accompanying consortia from small to very large size. They are acting in line with our code of conduct which guarantees qualitative and professional behavior at all times.

Are you interested to get support from a consultant? Indicate here the type of service you are needing and we will get back to you very shortly!

Article courtesy of EAIC Member GrantXpert Consulting Ltd. 

​We're pleased to welcome our newest member:

GRANTEX ADVISORY GROUP started its activities in December 2012 in Czech republic. It focuses mainly on grant consulting, especially in the field of R&D, digital transformation, energy savings and renewable energy. In 2021 GRANTEX started to develop its activities also in Slovakia.


The main services they offer:

• EU Project Management
• National or Regional funds
• Other services:
  • Tax Credits
  • Expoitation support in EU Projects

View our full list of members here.

Horizon Europe (HE) Cluster 5 supports EU’s strategic objectives through activities in the are a of Climate, Energy and Mobility and by supporting a number of Institutional European Partnerships such as Clean Hydrogen, Transforming Europe's rail system, Integrated Air Traffic Management, and Clean Aviation.

Activities in this work programme will contribute to all Key Strategic Orientations (KSOs) of the Strategic Plan (KSO C being the one with the most direct contribution):

1. Promoting an open strategic autonomy by leading the development of key digital and, enabling and emerging technologies, sectors and value chains to accelerate and steer the digital and green transitions through human-centred technologies and innovations;
2. Restoring Europe’s ecosystems and biodiversity, and managing sustainably natural resources to ensure food security and a clean and healthy environment;
3. Making Europe the first digitally enabled circular, climate -neutral and sustainable economy through the transformation of its mobility, energy, construction and production systems;
4. Creating a more resilient, inclusive and democratic European society, prepared and responsive to threats and disasters, addressing inequalities and providing high-quality health care, and empowering all citizens to act in the green and digital transitions.

Here we provide an overview of some of the open calls of Cluster 5 closing in September and October:

• Battery:

The expected impact is “Nurturing a world-class European research and innovation eco-system on batteries along the value chain based on sustainable pathways”. It includes improvement of technological performance to increase application user attractiveness (in particular in terms of safety, cost, user convenience, fast charging and environmental footprint), in parallel “supporting the creation of a competitive, circular, and sustainable European battery manufacturing value chain”.
​
11 Calls have been released with 6 September 2022 deadline for 138 M Euro budget:

 
Some notes about the calls:

• The calls are generally Research and Innovation Action (RIA). Some calls aim at really low TRLs such as TRL 3-4-5.
• EU contributions are not very high especially in some RIA calls. So, applicants/coordinators should define the scope in accordance with call’s exact expectations.
• It is critical to understand the main goal of the call: battery pack or battery chemistry. Some calls don’t have enough EU contribution to make novel innovation for both sides.
• Applicants/coordinators should include the battery value chain in their consortium as partner and/or advisory board member. Especially for recycling, a dedicated partner will be beneficial to show environmental-friendly side of your solution. Also some calls address industry partners.
• Artificial intelligence is the key part of proposals. Applicants/coordinators should add some activities to use AI in development or developing AI tools for future research.
• The page limit of the application is generally 70 pages.

 

• Renewable Energy:

The expected impact, in line with the Strategic Plan, is to contribute to “More efficient, clean, sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply through new solutions for smart grids and energy systems based on more performant renewable energy solutions”, notably through.
The final aim is decarbonising the economy in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement, the European Green Deal and the European Union’s 2050 net-zero target, and Climate Law. So, proposals should address how they will contribute to these.
 
8 Calls have been released with 27 October 2022 deadline for 99 M Euro budget:

Some notes about the calls:

• Calls considers cost reduction even in low TRL projects. Affordability is emphasized in some calls for targeted new technologies.
• Some calls address industry partners for demonstration activities.
• Renewable fuel call proposals should present the sustainability of sources. Agricultural or forest wastes are highly welcome. In this part, there is a link with Cluster 6. So, to review funded projects about valorisation of agricultural or forest wastes will give idea about sustainable resources that EU prefers to fund.
• Energy management systems are expected in some calls. There are many funded projects already in this area. So, it is crucial to review the previous projects to define the gaps and pain points.
• Life cycle analysis is frequently stated in the calls.

Are you planning to apply to any of these calls? EAIC members are expert in accompanying consortia from small to very large size. They are acting in line with our code of conduct which guarantees qualitative and professional behaviour at all times.

Are you interested to get support from a consultant? Indicate here the type of service you are needing and we will get back to you very shortly!
 
Article Courtesy of EAIC Member Intract

Today the EAIC releases the second update of its flagship report: “NextGenerationEU Guide, for the industry to better understand and seize its opportunities”. The first edition was released back in July 2021 when the first National Recovery Plans were being adopted by the European Commission. 

• The new edition includes projects already starting to be implemented across Europe to recover from the COVID-19 pandemia.
• Report synthetises the National Recovery Plans in 26 EU member states to spend €750 bn foreseen from NextGenerationEU, the EU’s recovery plan announced in 2021.
• This new update includes summarised information on opened and planned calls in each country to implement the recovery plans.
•  Member states had to dedicate at least 37% of the expenditures to measures contributing to climate objectives and at least 20% to digital objectives.
• International collaboration in strategic Value Chains such as Hydrogen, Battery, or Semiconductors to reduce dependency of the EU on foreign technologies is favoured, the report summarises where EU countries are focusing their efforts into. 

Novelties of the second update
The guide  includes a synthesis of the content of each National Recovery Plan, providing details on priorities for reforms and investments to help the recovery. Altogether, the 27 plans represent a total of €723 bn in grants or loans foreseen to be spent or lent over four years. Each country had indicated in their plan the share that will go to Green or Digital recovery, on average 37% and 20% will go respectively to these priorities. 
The newly updated report includes fresh information on programmes and national calls that are programmed or are ongoing, “This report intends to give transparency on the opportunities that NGEU is offering to SMEs and Industries throughout Europe, showing how effective the EU recovery plan is” said Alex Alvarez, EAIC Board member and coordinator of the report. 

IPCEI and REPowerEU
The guide also makes focus on the international cooperation through the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) mechanism that allows member States to provide additional support in view of helping strategic European Value Chains. This mechanism was already used in the Semiconductor or foreseen in Batteries and Hydrogen before the pandemia but the COVID crisis has put stress on Europe’s dependency on foreign technology. This mechanism is welcome as it helps to finance with state aid further collaboration between several countries in research and innovation. 5 areas are covered by IPCEI: Microelectronics, Batteries, Decarbonisation & Hydrogen, Health, and Cloud Services.

The new update includes examples of projects that are already being kick-started exactly one year after the launch of the plan. 
We can highlight a few examples of projects already being funded: 

• In Bulgaria, a project to digitalise the education sector is going to finance over 2240 establishment in the area of STEM: science, technology, engineering en mathematics, in total more than €246 M is foreseen for this project
• In the Czech Republic, a digital transformation project will help a number of several public administrations in the country to be better equiped to face cyber attacks prepared. The project has a total size of €74M. 
• In Estonia, some local municipalities are being supported with a €5M budget to construct 24 km of bike- and walkways infrastructures to reconnect existing cycling and pedestrian networks
• In Greece a Smart Prognosis Model for Ships supported by digital integrated sensors is being developed by the company Sigma Electronics with universities and research centers, the total budget is €800K
• In Italy, 5 National Centers dedicated to frontier research in the technological areas in line with the priorities of the European research agenda and the National Plan of Research 2021-2027 are being created by Federico II University. The budget will be between €200M and €400M. These centres aim to improve sustainable productivity and promote resilience to climate change; reduce waste and environmental impact; develop circular economy strategies, promote the development of safety, traceability, and typicality in the agri-food supply chains.
• In Portugal, 5 different municipalities: Chaves, Melgaço, Rio Maior, Campo Maior, Beja are creating demonstration spaces, in line with the new climate and digital agendas, testing integrated solutions in the area of  Renewable energy; Self consumption; Energy storage; Sustainable mobility; 5G and fire prevention. Total Budget: €65M. 
• In Finland 12 projects built around leading companies aim to solve future challenges, increase RDI investments, create jobs and RDI ecosystems with potential of several billions of additional investments. The projects receive funding from RRF and national sources with grants up to €20M for the leading companies with additional €50M available for ecosystem partners.

​
Click here to download the guide

Click here to download the Press Release.

At European level a number of funding programmes exist, some are more fit to SMEs than others. The EUROSTARS programme, managed by the Eureka Network is specially designed for SMES. It allows to facilitate international expansion of SMES, boosting their industrial scaling.
Eurostars is the largest international funding programme for SMEs wishing to collaborate on R&D projects that create innovative products, processes or services for commercialisation. Your consortium must spotlight an innovative SME as the main project participant.
This program seeks to fund projects of innovative European companies, helping to overcome the valley of death they may go through.

New call for proposals
This year opens the opportunity to actively participate in EUROSTARS 3.
With two cut-offs dates per year (One closed on 24th March , next one is closing on 15th September 2022), the EUROSTARS programme has been supporting innovative SMEs to develop collaborative and market-oriented R&D transnational projects since 2008.
The EUROSTARS Programme involves 37 Countries, overall, more than 1 billion euro for the period 2021-2027 is available. The evaluation of proposals is managed by the Eureka Secretariat, i.e. centrally and independently.

EUROSTARS evaluation
Once the proposal has been submitted, the evaluation mechanism is set in motion, ensuring that, in as little as 15 to 16 weeks, the applicants can be informed of the outcome of the evaluation. 
During this time, the proposal is evaluated by 3 international technical experts, in addition to a financial, legal, and ethical evaluation to ensure EU principles. 
Once these activities are completed, a last step is carried out by an Independent Experts Panel (IEP), whose main mission is to finalise the list of best projects according to all evaluation criteria. The strength of this evaluation allows funding to be allocated to the best projects until the budget allocation for each countries is exhausted.

Rules for participation differ per country
37 countries provide funding under the Eurostars programmes, each country has specific conditions for participation. It is important to check the rules for each participant prior applying, these rules can be viewed on the Eurostars programme website or contacting the responsible organisation at national level.

Tailored event for EAIC members
On 6 July the Eurostars Programme Manager at Eureka Network, Camilla Del Latte will present the programme to EAIC members in a dedicated webinar. If you are interested to take part, please contact EAIC secretariat sending a mail to info@eaic.eu.

Article courtesy of EAIC Member FI Group.

Several European programmes are implementing EU’s political priorities in the health area. With the new EU multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 and COVID-19 pandemic, budget and programmes focusing on Health have evolved significantly. Four main programmes can be identified in the area of Health: Horizon Europe, the Innovative Health Initiative and the new post-COVID EU4Health programme and Digital Europe. Here we present the main funding opportunities and upcoming calls in health sector.

Horizon Europe to tackle the key challenges in healthcare
The aim of the ongoing Horizon Europe (HEU) framework programme (2021-2027) is to strengthen the connection between scientific and technological innovation, as well as tackle the key societal challenges, like equal opportunities for healthcare across the Europe, demographic changes, ageing, shift from treating illnesses into maintaining wellness and predictive healthcare, relationship with changing environments and diseases, chronic diseases, pandemic preparedness. Horizon Europe framework program is to improve and protect the health and wellbeing of citizens of all ages by generating new knowledge and developing innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose, monitor, treat and cure diseases. The aim is also to support and enable patients' participation and self-management.

Health related HEU funding calls
The funding calls for 2022 focus on different aspects of health such as health throughout the life course, noncommunicable and rare diseases, innovative tools, technologies and digital solutions for health and care, including personalised medicine, environmental and social health determinants, infectious diseases, including poverty related and neglected diseases, health care systems. Apart from this, cluster 4 (Digital, Industry and Space) and cluster 6 (Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment) also offer opportunities to integrate life sciences, medicine, and health-tech.

Eligibility and funding model under Horizon Europe
All European legal entities are eligible to apply for research and innovation Action (RIA), innovation action (IA) and coordination and support actions (CSAs). Minimum of three partners from member states of the EU should be present in the consortium. The funding rates are beneficial for participants, ranging from 70% to 100% depending on the maturity of the innovation and on the type of the participant.

Innovative Health Initiative (IHI)
The Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) is a public-private partnership (PPP) between the European Union and the five European industry association representing a wide area of companies in the fields of pharmaceuticals (EFPIA), medical technology (MedTech Europe), medical imaging (COCIR), vaccine industry (Vaccines Europe) and biotechnology (EuropaBio). IHI is building on the success of its predecessor Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), with expertise of 14 years and almost 200 projects.

What will be funded in 2022 in IHI?
IHI encourages the development of tools, data, platforms, technologies, and processes that will in turn facilitate the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of diseases, especially in areas where there is an unmet public health need.
The first single-stage calls opening in the end of June 2022 focuses on nneurological diseases, oncology, and other diseases with unmet needs such as:

• Innovative clinical decision support for improved care for neurodegenerative diseases (15 M€)
• Next-generation imaging guided precision medicine (40 M€)
• Personalized approach in oncology (40 M€)
• Integration of heterogeneous health data for improved healthcare services (40 M€)

In turn, the IHI two-stage call topics focus on the following:

• Improved cardiovascular disease management in EU (10 M€)
• Set-up a harmonized methodology for early feasibility studies across EU (10.7 M€).

The total budget for IHI during 2021-2027 is 2.4 B€. 50 % of the funding is provided by the European Union (1.2 B€ via Horizon Europe Health Cluster) and the remaining funding comes from IHI industrial partners and other life science industries or associations.

EU4Health
EU4Health programme is ambitiously designed to support the health policy goals of the European union and to address the resilience of European healthcare systems. It provides funding to national authorities, health organisations and other bodies through grants and public procurement, contributing to a healthier Europe. It is the fourth and largest of the EU’s health programmes with a budget of 5.3 B€.
Eu4Health is one of the EU's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a total funding of 5.3 B€ over the next seven years, EU4Health represents an unprecedented level of financial commitment to improve and foster health in Europe. EU4Health will go beyond the COVID-19 crisis, supporting actions on disease prevention, reducing inequalities, the digital transformation of health systems, the reinforcement of the health system and the healthcare workforce. It will pave the way to a strong European Health Union that will improve and safeguard the health of all EU citizens.
The specific objectives of EU4Health are:

• To improve and foster health in the Union
  
• To tackle cross-border health threats
• To improve medicinal products, medical devices, and crisis-relevant products
• To strengthen health systems, their resilience and resource efficiency

In terms of key priorities for funding, the 2021 and 2022 work programmes are based around five key strands that focus on: 

1. Crisis preparedness and preventing shortages of medicines.
2. Disease prevention, early detection, and health promotion. 
3. Research that supports the fight against cancer and Europe’s beating cancer plan. 
4. Reforming and strengthening health systems and the healthcare workforce.
5. Health digitalisation and preparing for a European Health Data Space. 

 
Funding model for EU4Health
The EU4Health programme co-funds the eligible costs of the selected actions at the level of 60% (normal co-funding rate) or 80%, in case of exceptional utility. The criteria for exceptional utility are fulfilled if: a) at least 30 % of the budget of the proposed action is allocated to Member States whose GNI per inhabitant is less than 90 % of the Union average; and b) bodies from at least 14 participating Member States participate in the action, of which at least four are Member States whose GNI per inhabitant is less than 90 % of the Union average.
In-Kind contributions: Applicants are expected to provide their own funding, including through the contribution of staff employed by the beneficiaries included in the budget. e.g. staff already on the payroll of universities or hospitals can be assigned to the project and their work time spent on the project will be funded up to 60% co-financing rate (80% in case of “exceptional utility” projects). The remainder (40% or 20%) must be covered by the beneficiaries.

Digital Europe
Digital Europe is the first EU programme that aims to accelerate the recovery and drive the digital transformation of Europe. Worth 7.6 B€ this programme provides funding for projects in five crucial areas: supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, and ensuring the wide use of digital technologies across the economy and society. Several of the applications of these five crucial areas will be in healthcare sector.
Digital Europe is fine-tuned to fill the gap between the research of digital technologies and their deployment, and to bring the results of research to the market - for the benefit of Europe's citizens and businesses, and in particular SMEs. Investments under the Digital Europe programme supports the Union’s twin objectives of a green transition and digital transformation and strengthens the Union’s resilience and strategic autonomy.

What will the Digital Europe Programme fund?
The Digital Europe Programme will provide strategic funding to several challenges, supporting projects in five key capacity areas: in supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, and ensuring a wide use of digital technologies across the economy and society, including through Digital Innovation Hubs. With a planned overall budget it aims to accelerate the economic recovery and shape the digital transformation of Europe’s society and economy, bringing benefits to everyone, but in particular to small and medium-sized enterprises.
The Digital Europe Programme will complement the funding available through other EU programmes, such as the Horizon Europe programme for research and innovation and the Connecting Europe Facility for digital infrastructure, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the Structural funds, to name a few. It is a part of the ongoing long-term EU budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027.
 
Article courtesy of EAIC Member Spinverse

The new Interregional Innovation Investment (I3) instrument aims to favour the cooperation among regions in line with their areas of specialisation. Let’s debate about the challenges posed by this new funding programme.
When? Tuesday 24 May from 10h to 12h CET
By whom? This event is organised at the initiative of EAIC member KiNNO
For whom? This workshop is reserved to EAIC members.  
Interested? Contact us sending a mail to info@eaic.eu 

On Tuesday 10 May, EAIC submitted its contribution to the European Innovation Agenda call for evidence launched earlier in April by the European Commission. 
The EC was seekign feed-back on Five essential action points it identified to improve Europe’s innovation performance:

1. Access to finance,
2. Regulatory sandboxes,
3. Innovation ecosystems,
4. Better Innovation Policy making,
5. Talent

By early July an EC communication on the new European Innovation Agenda is expected. 
​
The EAIC welcomes this initiative, we stress in particular the following: 

• Scale up gap: Grants under EIC Accelerator are being delivered, however the equity part of the instrument still needs to prove to be successful. Strong delays in the allocation of EIC equity funds runs the risk to undermine the image of the EIC Accelerator and its effectiveness. We encourage the European Commission to consider the set up of a European sovereign investment mechanism, as initially foreseen when the EIC Accelerator was designed. The European Commission should remain the single decision-maker with regards to equity funding. The EIC Fund should only be responsible for the investment implementation modalities and exit strategy. 
• Regulatory sandboxes: The use of regulatory sand-boxes and any new approach to test new regulations favourable to the adoption of innovation is certainly a step in the right direction. We gathered expertise in this field and have been sharing it in a guide on Next Generation EU where we synthesize the content of recovery plans from across the EU and about ongoing or planned calls in each member States. This report can be downloaded here. 
• Innovation ecosystems: We fully agree that synergies between mechanisms and funding instruments to support R&I (such as cohesion policy, Horizon Europe, Recovery and Resilience Facility, Innovation Fund) should be fully exploited. Our members have comprehensive knowledge of the variety of EU funding instruments, we can be a great support to the Commission to explore these synergies..
• Innovation performance: We fully agree that differences among EU regions should be addressed. EAIC is present in all EU member states, including in Widening countries, we have expertise and strong knowledge of the local innovation ecosystems, a deep understanding of the framework conditions existing in each Member States and regions. We would like to offer our support to the Commission in addressing this innovation gap across Europe as we see it as one of the most important challenges the EU has to face to set a stable long term and sustainable recovery.
• Talent: We fully support the new scheme WomenTech EU aimed at encouraging woman entrepreneurship. Our members have dedicated time to communicate on this new initiative and supported projects. Moreover, we support the EU policies regarding the knowledge square, to encourage collaborations between higher education, research, innovation and civil society actors.

Read the full EAIC reply to the consultation here.

We're pleased to welcome our newest member:

Erdyn is a consulting company specialised in innovation that provides support and consultancy for European and national funding programmes proposal preparation, project management, public policy evaluation, strategic and market studies.

Erdyn was founded in 1984 in Paris. Erdyn is involved in EU projects since the 5th Framework programme. For the last 10 years, Erdyn has been very actively supporting EU projects (more than 80 projects), with a highly skilled dedicated team and a high success rate.
Erdyn also coordinated 2 European projects. Erdyn is involved in EU projects as a partner or subcontractor, supporting project management, communication and exploitation studies (market analysis, competitiveness monitoring, technical-economic analysis, IP support…)

The main services they offer:

• Collaborative projects (IA, RIA, CSA, PCP, PPI)
• Other European Programmes (LIFE, Erasmus+, Eureka, Innovation Fund, CEF...)
• EIC (Accelerator, Pathfinder, Transition)​
• National Funding
• Project Management Support
• Other services:
  • EU Positioning Services
  • Exploitation support in EU Projects 
  • Communication activities
  • Public policies consultancy
  • Market studies

View our full list of members here.

Artificial Intelligence, Data Spaces, Cloud, Cybersecurity and Digital Skills: projects in these areas should be on the alert for this year’s new round of Digital Europe programme calls. This newly created EU funding programme for 2021-2027 supports investments in five crucial areas: supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills and deployment of digital technologies. The objective is to bridge the gap between digital technology research and market deployment, as well as continuing the initiatives started under previous programmes such as Horizon 2020 and the Connecting Europe Facility.
With a planned overall budget of €7.5 billion - €1.8 billion of which is already advanced through its first-two-year plan - the Digital Europe programme has a different approach than other centrally managed EU funding programmes: it aims to build strategic digital capacities at EU level, ensuring a wide geographical impact and going beyond supporting smaller investments in individual countries.

What is funded?
Looking into the programme’s objectives, four are focused on building capacities in key technological areas:

• deploying cloud-to-edge infrastructure and services
• establishing sectoral data spaces
• setting up four key sectoral AI reference testing and experimentation facilities (TEFs)
• deploying quantum communication infrastructure systems and creating a European network
• building European cybersecurity infrastructures
• creating future experts in these technological key areas, reskilling and upskilling workers, and developing a high-performing digital education ecosystem

A further objective pertains to deploying and using these digital capacities, promoting the Digital Single Market and advancing the digital transformation in a wide range of areas, such as the modernisation of public administrations, health, judiciary, transport, mobility, energy and the environment, education, culture and media.

Approach and financing
A common approach for different initiatives under the programme is to support, at first, one project that will define the governance mechanism, roadmap and requirements, and then deployment follows either through grant schemes or procurement, or using a combination of both.
As a general rule, the Digital Europe programme ensures 50% of the co-financing for the investments, thus safeguarding the commitment of the funding recipients and the Member States where the investments are deployed. The remaining 50% can come from other EU funding sources, such as Horizon Europe for research and innovation, the Connecting Europe Facility for digital infrastructure, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the Structural Funds.
In common with other central programmes and supporting the wide EU impact, large consortia are expected to prepare and submit projects under this programme. The consortia must target different stakeholders in different areas and ensure a balanced approach in terms of responsibilities and ownership of the results.
 
European Digital Innovation Hubs
Although part of the deployment objective, the European Digital Innovation Hubs can be treated as a stand-alone objective with their ambitious approach to develop a European Network. These hubs are key to bringing the technology and knowledge to the SMEs and public administrations delivering a quadruple set of services by:

• ensuring the needed digital infrastructure to “test before invest”
• providing training to develop the necessary skills
• creating an innovation ecosystem to stimulate the networking
• providing support to find investments

The list of selected EDIHs to set up the initial network, chosen from the call that closed this February, is expected to be released soon, in order to be able to start their operations from September 2022 onwards.

Success factors
Key factors contributing to a successful application include:

• A close cooperation of private stakeholders with the national public administrations to ensure commitment and co-financing
• Strong coordination of the consortium leader and internal buy-in and support from all consortium members
• Setting clear responsibilities and deliverables for all stakeholders

To stimulate the set-up of consortia, the European Commission is organising information days with dedicated networking sessions and providing networking platforms where different stakeholders can interact. 
What comes next?
Although the programme started later than expected, the first round of calls closed in February this year and mainly supported preparatory actions for different initiatives.
The 2nd round of calls is now open and focuses on the actual deployment of digital capacities.

The next work programme for 2023-2024/2025 is anticipated to offer a clear view on the approach and focus areas to be supported building on the results of these first calls.
How can we help?
Europe is only now developing its expertise in effectively leveraging the Digital Europe Programme. Being able to offer early intel on the project concepts, the stakeholders involved and the possibilities this programme offers has become one of our core strengths.
We can support your team in building your submission and help connect your projects with relevant stakeholders.
 
Article courtesy of EAIC member Schuman Associates, read the original article here
​

Important Projects of Common European Interest – IPCEIs – are considered one of the tools Europe can use to reach strategic autonomy in key industries. These projects represent a collective effort to build up entire European value chains.
Considering the different realities across Member States, building an IPCEI is an impressive work of reaching a common ground in identifying objectives, targets and projects that answer to the most stringent common problems in Europe today. The large number of stakeholders involved in building an IPCEI – governments, industry, academia - is one of the main reasons the process usually takes more than one year.
What makes an IPCEI different than other funding programs?State aid support for projects put forth by industry has a long history in Europe. Each country has designed its own support mechanisms to address specific market failures and incentivize their economies. In addition, programs managed in Brussels offer significant funding to very early-stage research that could benefit all Europeans.

In this context, why are IPCEIs necessary?
The EU funding landscape is known for working in silos. Member States offer funding to projects developed on their own territories, even if it might replicate a project already implemented beyond its borders. Centrally managed programs offer support for research but stops short of funding technology deployments.
IPCEIs support projects with a strong research component that is further developed up to first industrial deployment. IPCEIs lend a hand to emerging technologies and products throughout the entire product development cycle – from research to piloting and first-in-kind products.
In short, IPCEIs go beyond the scope of both centrally-managed or national research support programs today.

In addition, IPCEIs do not target the industry of a single Member State and they’re impact is not limited to a single national territory. On the contrary, a minimum of four Member States need to join forces to build an IPCEI. The most recent IPCEI on Microelectronics II saw 22 countries collaborating to solve the chips and microelectronics shortage.

IPCEIs reach across borders, reduce the risk of having redundant projects happening in parallel in several Member States and encourage synergies across ecosystems.
A typical national research support program can offer up to 40 MEUR depending on the type of research conducted without having to notify the aid to the European Commission. The aid intensity also depends on the type of research activities involved.

IPCEIs have no maximum threshold for the aid or aid intensity that can be awarded.
The grant offered is individually calculated based on the financial needs of each project, meaning that the riskiest projects can obtain up to 100% financing. The typical grant offered hovers around 100 MEUR, well above what national programs offer.
 
Lessons learned - building a successful IPCEI projectAs IPCEI popularity grows, so does the competition between projects submitted for support. The most recent calls for projects for hydrogen and microelectronics saw hundreds of projects submitted to Member States. Besides the technical criteria used to evaluate the projects, a few other factors play an important role:

Start early
There are several stages to the IPCEI process. The first ones might not seem very complicated but you are laying the groundwork for the full proposal you will be asked to develop. The clearer the picture you build from the very beginning, the smoother the process will run and the higher the chances of success.

Build internal buy-in
Make sure all key personnel is aware of what the IPCEIs are and are committed to building your project. Get management support but build a strong operational team as well, covering technical, financial and legal aspects. Having all the needed staff involved early on saves time and avoids the need to re-do work later.
​
Engage with participants
No IPCEI project is developed as a stand-alone investment. In fact, being able to prove the project benefits other companies, industries and use cases is one of the IPCEI key requirements. Start engaging within your industry at EU level early on to find synergies with other projects.
 
How can we help?Europe is only now developing its expertise in successfully using IPCEIs. Being able to offer early intel on the process, the stakeholders involved and the possibilities IPCEIs offer has become one of our core strengths. EAIC members can support your team in building an IPCEI submission and help connect your projects with relevant stakeholders.
EAIC developed a report on Next Generation EU and the National recovery and resilience plans around the EU. The report includes an overview on the status of IPCEIs per sector across EU member States. You can download the report here.
 
Article courtesy of EAIC member Schuman Associates

We're pleased to welcome two of our newest members:

VVA DEBT & GRANT SRL is a company of corporate financial advisory service that provides screening of grant opportunities and innovative financial alternatives to support businesses growth plans.

The services they offer:

• EU collaborative funding programmes proposal preparation
• EIC (Accelerator, Transition, Pathfinder);
• National or Regional Funding Programmes application

• Other services: 
  • EU Positioning Services;
  • Tax credits (linked to R&I)
  • Alternative finance by public and private investor

EVM defines itself as an entity with a "spirit of change", which designs and executes its projects from the commitment to provide value and generate impact on the welfare of people, making this premise the basis of their relationships.

Since its inception in 2008, EVM did not want to be a common company. The majority of the work team that began this journey was formed by people with experience in public administration who decided to bet for a change of the public from the private.

Their main capacities and services are:

• Consulting 
  • Strategic Consulting;
  • Educational Consulting;
  • Communication Consulting;
  • European Programmes
• Data Science
  • Data Technology;
  • Data Consulting;
• Digital:
  • Digital Academy;
  • Digital Factory;​

View our full list of members here.

1 year after the start of Horizon Europe: let's debate about how to address the challenges posed by the new template for collaborative calls!
When? Thursday 28 April from 14h to 16h CET
By whom? this event is organised at the initiative of EAIC member Bor&Bar
For whom? This workshop is reserved to EAIC members.  
Interested? contact us sending a mail to info@eaic.eu 

European Research and Innovation Partnerships play an essential role in defining research and priorities in strategic areas of interest to the EU. Understanding the landscape of partnerships may allow you to make a difference better position your company and increase your participation to R&I public funded projects that will help develop future innovative products and services in your sector.

20 years of European Research and Innovation Partnerships
Since the years 2000 with the European Research Area (ERA) policy priority launched in the frame of the Lisbon agenda, various types of research and innovation partnerships have been set up in the EU. The first reason was the need to better coordinate research priorities among member states. It would help to improve cost efficiency form scarce public funding for research across Europe by reducing overlaps and competition among member states and favour cooperation. The other objective was to strengthen the cooperation between the public and private sector in defining and funding key priorities for research in Europe.
The first type of partnerships in the frame of FP6 (2000-2006) were called ERA-NETs, they foresaw that a number of member states agreed to co-fund together common projects. The scheme further developed under FP7 (2007-2014) as ERA-NET Plus, the EC completed transnational calls with European Union funding. During FP7 other types of public-private partnerships were created such as Joint Undertakings (JU), Joint Technology Initiatives (JTI) and contractual Public-Private Partnerships (cPPP) where the industry was directly involved in the definition of priorities. All these various forms of partnerships further expanded during H2020 (2014-2020). The difficulty in that period was that there were too many partnerships of too many types which made it unmanageable to follow them all. This situation has led to the rationalisation of partnerships under Horizon Europe.
 
3 types of Research and Innovation Partnerships under Horizon Europe
For the period 2021-2027, it has been decided to set 3 types of Partnerships:

• Institutionalised: this type of partnership foresees a close cooperation between the EC, the private sector and EU Member States, a separate body manages the set-up of priorities, preparation and management of calls, evaluation of proposals and management of projects. These partnerships are regulated by a specific legislation foreseen by the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) (articles 185 and 187). Such partnerships are justified further to the preparation of impact assessments. Another sub-type of institutionalised partnerships are the EIT Knowledge Innovation Communities.
• Co-programmed: this is the success of former cPPPs, this type of partnership foresees a close cooperation between the EC, the private sector and Member states to define research and innovation priorities and influence Horizon Europe calls
• Co-fund: this is the successor of former ERA-NETs amongst others, this type of partnership foresees a co-funding by Member States and the European Commission. They elaborate joint research agendas and implement them with joint calls and joint additional activities.

​European R&I Partnerships absorb 50% of Horizon Europe Pillar 2 Budget
There are 49 partnerships foreseen during the Horizon Europe period, the picture below shows which partnership are foreseen under each pillar or cluster of Horizon Europe and the type chosen for each of the 49 candidates. The partnerships are expected to be largely (co-)financed by the pillar 2 of Horizon Europe, it represents about 50% of pillar 2, this is approximately €26bn euros over 7 years.

We can see that a majority of health (Cluster 1) and food or bio-economy (Cluster 6) related partnerships are of co-fund nature, while industry related or mobility related partnerships are co-programmed or institutionalised partnerships.
The negotiation of the reform of partnership took some time and the delay to launch Horizon Europe impacted their start. Co-programmed partnerships (E.g. Made in Europe or Zero-emission Road transport partnerships) are in most cases already operational, and the calls can already be identified in Horizon Europe calls. Most of institutionalised partnerships have not started yet to launch calls, there are few exceptions: the Clean Hydrogen partnership has already opened two calls. Co-fund partnerships are expected to be operational in 2022.

Why are Partnerships important for the European industry?
On the one hand a large part of the budget of Pillar 2 are funding research priorities defined within the frame of partnerships. Pillar 2 represents more than 50% of Horizon Europe, hence partnerships canalise one quarter of the whole Horizon Europe Budget.
On the other hand Partnerships gather the public and private sector to define priorities for research and innovation together. For companies willing to play a strategic role in the development of future innovative solutions and products they are essential to position themselves among other EU actors and develop the innovations of the future in specific sectors. For instance, a start-up or a university working on the development of future generation of clean batteries should follow closely the co-programmed partnership on batteries where there is a working group specifically focusing on this type of innovations. They will be potentially able to influence future calls for clean batteries.
Finally partnerships are an ideal place to develop your network of peers in Europe and find potential partners to prepare together proposals under Horizon Europe, and make business. Indeed, the best universities, research centres and companies in Europe are usually active in their respective partnerships of interest. If you want to maximise your chances and if you have some budget you may become a member, it will require that you pay a membership fee to support the EU association which is running the partnership (usually this is the case for institutionalised and co-programmed partnership) and that you invest some time to influence calls and networks with other organisations. If you don’t have (yet) the budget, you can review who the members of the partnership are and contact them to propose your company as partner for a proposal.
​
Get professional support to position your company
The landscape of R&I partnership is complex, fortunately there has been some rationalisation under Horizon Europe, allowing to give more clarity, transparency and openness on the topic. European Innovation Consultants are experts in various sectors and may help you to develop a positioning strategy in the areas that are important to you and help you increase your participation in EU projects. You can find the list of our members and the services they offer here. 

Today the European Association of Innovation Consultants (EAIC) launches its regular newsletter. Once every two months, our subscribers will receive a briefing with the main analyses we publish on our website, information about our members and the services they offer. We will also share an overview of future European innovation ecosystem events (both online and offline).
Our analyses explain funding opportunities for organizations throughout Europe, offer recommendations for both policy makers and potential beneficiaries and present different calls for proposals.
Our members offer project management & grant writing services for innovative organizations on all major European funding opportunities
Subscribe here.

​Today the European Association of Innovation Consultants (EAIC) releases the 1st update of its Next Generation (NGEU) guide including information on open or planned national calls for projects in the frame of National Recovery and Resilience Plans, the guide covers 25 EU member States.

Today it is the most complete report available at EU level which gathers updated, synthetic information in English on the content of the National Recovery Plans in so many countries.
The updated version published today includes the same information as the earlier version released in July 2021 but now also includes information on open and planned calls at national level and has extended the section related with IPCEIs in which the reader will find the status of each initiative in the different countries.

The EAIC has created this guide to inform the European industry how these stimulus measures are being deployed in Member States, as well as the existing synergies among them (priorities, instruments and countries). This aims to share synthetic information on the Next Generation EU funds in terms of governance, type of investments and reforms.

Initially released in July 2021, EAIC’s guide 1st update now covers 25 countries, it has been developed with the support of 13 EAIC members active in these countries. We aim to update it quarterly and keep increasing the content with new relevant sections.
Interested to know more about the National Recovery plan in your country? Our members can support you to find the best opportunities according to your interests or strategy in the different markets you are interested in. Don’t hesitate to contact us writing to info@eaic.eu if you want to receive more information how our members can help you.

Click here to download the guide.

We're pleased to welcome three of our newest members:

​FV Conseil Innovation is an independent consulting firm, based in Paris & Nantes in France that supports startups and SMEs in their search for national and European R&D funding, which include a range of services related to the preparation of successful applications to a number of identified, mostly highly competitive, funding programmes.
FV Conseil Innovation has a broad experience of several years of setting up and managing Research & Innovation projects, especially within European SME-dedicated programmes, such as the EIC Accelerator and Eurostars.
​Their clients benefit from the combination of the industry expertise and consulting methodology, which is part of a global and long-term approach, throughout the entire life cycle of innovation projects.

ABF DECISIONS, as a forerunner in operational consulting in territorial aid, their global vision of the public financing environment, unique approach on the national/European territory and the quality of the support have made them a well-known and recognised player in the public financing consulting.
With their multi-sectoral expertise, ABF DECISIONS intervene on the 3 levers of client`s  development: Innovation, Investment and International.

​GrantXpert Consulting is a Cypriot-based SME, with a cumulative expertise of more than 25 years in European and National funding programmes. The team has a proven, core expertise in providing training and consulting services to local and EU organisations, with a rich track-record.
The team’s mission is to deliver solutions, stemming from multidisciplinary strategic partnership on an EU level, tackling new European societal, digital & green challenges.
The overall vision, is to change and improve EU citizens’ life by implementing EU funded programmes, and maximising their overall impact. 

​View our full list of members here.

On January 17th PRIMA “Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area”, presented the 5th Annual Work Programme (AWP 2022) - out of seven foreseen - that will contribute to the achievement of PRIMA general objectives in making the Mediterranean Region more efficient and climate-resilient.
​
The Work Programme 2022 foresees an investment of approximately €123M and responds to some of the most crucial challenges in the Mediterranean Region. Climate changes are affecting this zone and represent a risk for the future generation, ecosystems and biodiversity. PRIMA - the ten-year initiative (2018-2028), partly founded by EU’s research and innovation programme Horizon 2020 – promotes R&I activities to foster production and consumption practices, respecting the people and the environment.

PRIMA is a joint initiative of 11 EU Member States (Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain), and 8 Participating States - Mediterranean Partner Countries (Israel, Tunisia, Turkey, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco).  The final aim of PRIMA programme is to contribute to solve water scarcity, food security, nutrition, health, well-being and migration problems. The Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) developed by PRIMA Participant States represents the strong point of the partnership, aligning research national programmes, thus financial and intellectual resources. PRIMA will strongly contribute to support the Mediterranean economy, creating a healthy and sustainable society.

2022 PRIMA calls for proposals will contribute to achieve several objectives stated in the 2030 UN Agenda of Sustainable Development and Paris Agreement, including some EU priorities - EU Farm to Fork Strategy, Zero Pollution Action Plan and EU Water Framework Directive – all responding to PRIMA 2022 guidelines: to promote affordable, healthy and environmentally-friendly food systems, to create an enabling environment for improving soil’s management sustainability and prevent land degradation, to promote nature-based solutions to increase the sustainability of water management, to foster the adoption of an integrated Nexus approach of water, energy, food, ecosystems (WEFE Nexus) to enhance sustainable use of natural resources to achieve sustainable development goals under the UN Agenda 2030 in the region, to prevent water pollution from improving water quality and protecting water-related ecosystems.
The 2022 AWP consists of 3 sections and a call for prize:

Section 1, directly funded by PRIMA, according to the Horizon 2020 rules, following Transnational calls organised by PRIMA-IS, consists of five separate calls divided in 5 topics (one call per topic):

• Thematic Area 1-Water management: Topic 1.1.1-2022 (IA) Sustainable and integrated management of natural and artificial water storages and distribution infrastructures;
• Thematic Area 2-Farming systems: Topic 1.2.1-2022 (RIA) Developing integrated soil data for the Mediterranean Region: a gateway for sustainable soil management;
• Thematic Area 3-Food value chain: Topic 1.3.1-2022 (IA) Alternative protein sources for the Mediterranean food value chain. From production, extraction, processing and marketing, to societal acceptance;
• Nexus theme Topic 1.4.1-2022 (IA) Predicting and testing options of socio-economic adaptation to declining Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) resources in the Mediterranean Region. Topic 1.4.2-2022 (CSA) Development of a Mediterranean Water-Energy-Food Ecosystem (WEFE) Community of Practice.

The Topic 1.2.1 is strictly related to EU Mission: A Soil Deal for Europe.
The proposals have been launched in a two-stage submission process with deadline for Stage 1 fixed to next 15th March and for Stage 2 to September 06th 2022.

PRIMA WEFE NEXUS AWARD 2022: a monetary recognition prize to promote scientific research and demonstrating the economic and social benefits of the Water Energy Food and Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus in the Mediterranean Area.

Section 2, indirect actions funded by PRIMA Participating States following transnational calls organised by PRIMA-IS, presents one multi-topic with 3 topics:

• Thematic Area 1-Water management: Topic 2.1.1-2022 (RIA) Prevent and reduce land and water salinization and pollution due to agri-food activities;
• Thematic Area 2-Farming systems: Topic 2.2.1-2022 (RIA) Improving the sustainability of agro-pastoralism in the Mediterranean Region under the context of climate change;
• Thematic Area 3-Food value chain: Topic 2.3.1-2022 (RIA) Enabling the transition to healthy and sustainable dietary behaviour.

The submission process is a two-stage, with deadline for Stage 1 fixed to next 22nd March and to September 13th 2022 for the Stage 2.
There is a total of three Innovation Actions (IAs), four Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs), and a Coordination and Support Action (CSA). Approximately thirty projects will be funded.

Countries eligible for funding are the aforementioned PRIMA EU participating States, including the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) linked to these Member States, Israel, Tunisia and Turkey (third-countries associated to Horizon 2020) and Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco as third-countries, not associated to Horizon 2020, having concluded international agreements for scientific and technological cooperation setting out the terms and conditions of their participation in PRIMA. Furthermore, any legal entity created under the European Union law and any international European interest organisation (as defined in point (12) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013), any international organisation (IO) or any legal entity established in countries not listed above as Participating State, may be eligible for funding provided that: i) participation is deemed to be essential for carrying out the action or ii) such funding is provided under a bilateral scientific and technological agreement or any other arrangement between the Union and the international organisation or, for entities established in a country which is not a Participating State, the country in which the legal entity is established.

Consortia must include at least three legal entities established in three different Participating States: at least one must be established in an EU Member State participating to PRIMA; at least one must be established in a Non-EU countries participating to PRIMA.
Proposals must be submitted in the electronic submission system on the ANR Platform active one month before the deadline.
Consortia are strongly encouraged to apply the Multi-Actor Approach (MAA) and to include capacity-development-activity, involving different actors: individual, organization and communities. They are also encouraged to actively seek synergies with local, regional, national and EU R&I programmes. 
Section 3 includes calls for proposals directly funded by PRIMA, following national calls with evaluation, selection and granting processes implemented by one or several PS in line with common principles, that must be adopted by PRIMA-IS after obtaining approval from the Commission. For more information, please visit: https://prima-med.org/
​
Article courtesy of EAIC member enco

Europe decided to take decisive steps to achieve digital sovereignty by improving the key digital infrastructures and its digital capacities. This includes the deployment of digital technologies, as well as the necessary digital skills for EU workforce.
The Digital Europe Programme has been designed to provide support to digital transformation of the economy and to contribute to the achievement of the digital targets, as outlined in the communication: "2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decade".
Establishing a genuine single market for data and the use of digital technologies to reinforce Europe’s common climate and environmental goals are key objectives. The Programme will be focusing on the key areas of artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, advanced computing, data infrastructures, data governance and processing, using these technologies within sectors like energy climate change and environment, manufacturing, agriculture and health.
In the first three years of the Digital Europe Programme, a network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) will be created, covering all regions of the European Union and Associated Countries being also open for collaboration with third countries.
EDIH is a single entity or a coordinated group of entities with complementary expertise and a not-for-profit objective to support on a large scale the digital transformation of (1) companies, especially SMEs and small mid-caps, and/or (2) public sector organisations at all levels conducting non-economic activities. Offering access to technology testing before investing, training and skills development, support to find investments, networking and access to innovation ecosystems, EDIHs will be an important tool supporting the twin (green and digital) transitions.
The proposed Policy Programme: a Path to the Digital Decade - factsheet | Shaping Europe’s digital future (europa.eu) has identified specific goals to be met such as raising the basic digital of adults from current 56% to 80%; increase the number of employed ICT specialists from 8,4 mil to 20 mil; introducing Gigabite network coverage of housholds from 59% to 100% as well as 5G coverage of all populated areas from 14% to 100%; increasing the EU production of semiconductors, including processors up to 20% of the world production from the current 10%. In terms of digital transformation of businesses, it is expected that cloud computing services would be used at level od 75%, as well as Big data and AI. The number of unicorn startups in Europe is supposed to double reaching the number of 224. A share of SMEs with, at least, a basic level of digital intensity is set to reach 90% from the current 60%, while overall online access to key public services is supposed to be delivered to all citizens and businesses.
A special support will be given to local SMEs, providing them with opportunities to connect to SMEs outside the region building new value chains in Europe. On top of it, SMEs would benefit in better understanding of the potential of their innovations and market maturity. EDIH would be also a great tool for investors looking for investment opportunities, for corporates looking for innovative digital solutions and for potential clients and customers, both public and private sectors.
In the first two years of the programme implementation, there will be four independent Work Programmes. The first one will be implementing the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs, while other three Work Programmes will be devoted to the following intervention areas:
1) High Performance Computing;
2) Data, AI, Cloud, Quantum Communication Infrastructure, advanced digital Skills and deployment activities for the best use of these technologies.
3) Cybersecurity.
The selection of the EDIHs will follow a two-step process: first, an Expression of Interest will request Member States to designate potential EDIHs through a national process, and secondly the European Commission will launch two restricted calls for proposals in which only designated potential EDIHs are eligible to participate, which would allow the EDIHs who did not manage to succeed at the first instance to reapply a second time.

Article courtesy of EAIC member ID Consortium