Research for the benefit of specific groups (in particular SMEs)

Purpose: The funding scheme “Research for the benefit of specific groups (in particular SMEs)” will support research and technological development projects where the bulk of the research is carried out by RTD performers for the benefit of specific groups, in par­ticular Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) - in small groups or in associations - or for Civil Society Organisations and their networks (CSOsTPF 3 FPT). Research for SMEs and for SME associations, aims to solve problems common to SMEs; research for CSOs aims to develop scientific knowledge related to CSOs activities in order to contribute to public debate.

Specific Programmes concerned: The funding scheme “Research for the benefit of specific groups (in particular SMEs)” may be used:

• In the related work programmes of “Capacities” for actions for the benefit of SMEs;
• In the related work programmes of “Capacities” and “Cooperation” for actions for the benefit of CSOs.

Participants: A participant means a legal entity contributing to the project and having rights and obligations with regard to the Community under the terms of the grant agree­ment. There must be a minimum of three participants, established in three different Member States or Associated countries; all three legal entities must be independent of each other. In addition projects under the funding scheme “Research for the benefit of specific groups (in particular SMEs)” require two different participant categories with a respective minimum number of participants and role in the projects:

• Research for SMEs: 3 SME participants (from three different Member States or Associated countries) and 2 RTD performers;
• Research for SME associations: SME associations (3 associations from three different Member States or Associated countries or 1 European), 2 RTD performers and at least 2 SMEs (as other enterprises and end-users);
• Research for CSOs: At least one participant must be a CSO from a Member State or Associated countries (Additional conditions may be set in the work programme concerned). In addition, other participants, e.g. other enterprises and end-users may participate by making a particular contribution to the project and in solving specific problems or needs of the SMEs, SME associations or CSOs, though not in a dominant role. The relevant Work Programmes will specify additional requirements for each participant categories concerning the eligible entities and their role in the project.

International European Interest Organisations (IEIO) and the JRC may participate as RTD performers or other participants under the same conditions as legal entities from Member States. The projects will be open to the participation of entities from non-associated third countries, with special provisions for possible Community financial support for entities belonging to certain groups of countries.

Size, resources and Durata: The budget, the duration of the projects and the size of the consortium should provide the necessary resources to achieve the objectives. The relevant Work Programmes may include recommendations for the total budget, the duration of the projects and/or the number of participants.

Activities:Projects under the funding scheme “Research for the benefit of specific groups (in particular SMEs)” may contain the following types of activities:

• Research and technological development activities from the core of the projects and aim at significantly advancing in the established state-of-the-art.
• Demonstration activities, designed to prove the viability of new technologies that offer a potential economic advantage, but which cannot be commercialised directly (e.g. testing of product-like prototypes).
• Management activities to provide an appropriate management framework linking together all the project components and maintaining communication with the Commission.
• Other activities including training directly related to the project’s objectives identified in the relevant work programme or call for proposals. For “Other activities including training” the relevant Work Programmes may include definitions of eligible activities and recommendations for the share of the total eligible project costs allocated to them.

Financial Regime: The financial regime for projects is built on the reimbursement, in whole or in part, of eligible costs (based on maximum rates of reimbursement specified in the grant agreement for different types of activities within the project) and shall not exceed the maximum EC contribution determined by the rules for participation. For actions under the funding scheme “Research for the benefit of specific groups (in particular SMEs)” the Community financial contribution is limited to 110% of the remuneration of the RTD activities outsourced to the RTD performers. (This ceiling does not apply to CSOs). In accordance with the key outsourcing principle, full ownership of the entire foreground belongs to the specific group benefiting from that action and the RTD performers are remunerated accordingly. However, the beneficiaries (SMEs, SME associations or CSOs) may agree on other conditions with the RTD-performers. It is e.g. conceivable that the beneficiaries do not require property rights on Foreground but that their interest is fully satisfied by a (non)-exclusive license. In such a situation, the RTD-performer could retain ownership of the IPR and certain use rights to valorise and get a return on its own investment. This in turn will affect the level of remuneration paid by the beneficiaries for the research services delivered.

Coordination and support actions (CASA)

Purpose:This funding scheme allows for two different types of actions to be financed:

• “Co-ordination (or networking) actions” aimed at coordinating research activities and policies.
• “Support actions" aimed at contributing to the implementation of the Framework Program­mes and the preparation of future Community research and technological development policy or the development of synergies with other policies, or to stimulate, encourage and facilitate the participation of SMEs, civil society organisations and their networks, small research teams and newly developed or remote research centres in the activities of the thematic areas of the Cooperation programme, or for setting up of research intensive clusters across the EU regions.

Specific Programmes concerned: This Funding Scheme is to be used for the implementation of the actions under the Specific Programmes “Cooperation”, "Capacities", "People" and, Ideas".

Participation: For Coordination (or networking) actions whose purpose is to coordinate research activities. There must be at least three ‘legal entities’ established in different EU Member States or Associated countries* (the countries concerned are listed in section 3). The entities must be independent of each other.
For other coordination actions and support actions, the minimum condition shall be the participation of one legal entity. A higher number of participants may be specified on a call-by-call basis (See the call fiche).

Size and resources: The size, scope and internal organisation of coordination actions and support actions can vary from research theme to research theme and from topic to topic.

Indicative average Durata: Coordination actions are expected to have a duration of typically two to four years, while support actions are expected to have a shorter duration from some months to two to four years. However, there will be no formal minimum or maximum duration.

Activities: Coordination (or networking) actions may cover activities such as:

• the organisation of events - including conferences, meetings, workshops or seminars -, related studies, exchanges of personnel, exchange and dissemination of good practices, and, if necessary, the definition, organisation and management of joint or common initiatives, together with management of the action.
• Support actions may cover activities, depending on their nature such as:
  • monitoring and assessment;
  • conferences;
  • seminars;
  • studies;
  • expert groups or individual expert appointment letters;
  • high level scientific awards and competitions;
  • operational support;
  • data access and dissemination, information and communication activities;
  • specific services activities related to research infrastructures, such as for example transnational access;
  • preparatory technical work, including feasibility studies for the development of new infrastructures;
  • contribution to the construction of new infrastructures;
  • cooperation with other European research schemes;
  • or a combination of these.

Form of Reimbursement: Reimbursement will be based on eligible costs (based on maximum rates of reimbursement specified in the grant agreement for different types of activities within the project) in some cases the reimbursement of indirect costs is based on a flat rate. The work programmes shall specify if other forms of reimbursement are to be used in the actions concerned.

Networks of excellence (NoE)

NoE’s are an instrument to overcome the fragmentation of the European research landscape in a given area and remove the barriers to integration. Their purpose is to reach a durable restructuring and integration of efforts and institutions or partners of institutions. The success of a NoE is not measures in terms of scientific results but:

• By the extent to which the social fabric for researchers and research institutions in a field has changed due to the project;
• By the extent to which the existing capacities become more competitive as a result of this change.

Collaborative projects (CP)

Purpose: Collaborative projects are objective driven research projects aiming at deve­loping new knowledge, new technology, products, demonstration activities or common resources for research in order to improve European competitiveness or to address major societal needs. As such, they may also be targeted to special groups, such as SMEs and other smaller actors.


Specific Programmes concerned: This Funding Scheme is to be used for the implementation of the actions under the Specific Programmes “Cooperation” and "Capacities".


Participation: There must be at least three "legal entities" established in different EU Member States or Associated countries (the countries concerned are listed in http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/who_en.html). The entities must be independent of each other. A higher number of participants may be specified on a call-by-call basis. (See the call fiche).


Size and resources: The size, scope and internal organisation of collaborative projects can vary from research theme to research theme and from topic to topic. A call may distinguish between different forms of collaborative project (projects can range from small or medium-scale focused research actions to large-scale integrating projects for achieving a defined objective) based on limits to the requested EC financial contribution. Any such limits will be indicated in the call fiche, and will be applied as eligibility criteria.


Indicative average Durata: Collaborative projects are expected to last typically two to five years. However, there is no formal minimum or maximum duration.


Activities: The activities to be carried out in the context of a collaborative project should include:

• research and technological development activities, reflecting the core activities of the project, aimed at a significant advance beyond the established state-of-the-art, inclu­ding scientific coordination and/or
• demonstration activities, designed to prove the viability of new technologies that offer a potential economic advantage, but which cannot be commercialised directly (e.g. testing of product-like prototypes) and management activities, over and above the technical management of individual work packages, linking together all the project components and maintaining communications with the Commission
• any other activities such as:
  • activities directly related to the project’s objectives (as identified in the relevant work programme or call for proposals) and likely to have a potential impact on the outcome of the project (e.g. debates and initiatives on issues such as ethics, gender, socio-economic, etc.);
  • activities to disseminate research results and to prepare for their take-up and use, including knowledge management and, activities directly related to the protection of foreground;
  • training of researchers and key staff, including research managers and industrial exe­cutives (in particular for SMEs) and any potential users of the knowledge generated by the project. The training should aim to improve the professional development of the personnel concerned.

Form of Reimbursement: Reimbursement will be based on eligible costs (based on maximum rates of reimbursement specified in the grant agreement for different types of activities within the project). In some cases the reimbursement of indirect costs is based on a

Funding schemes

Across all these themes, support to trans-national cooperation will be implemented through:

Collaborative research: Developing new knowledge, new technology, products, including scientific coordination. Demonstration activities or common resources for research. Instruments are:

1. Collaborative projects
   

   Support to research projects carried out by consortia with participants from different countries, aiming at developing new knowledge, new technology, products, demonstration activities or common resources for research. The size, scope and internal organisation of projects can vary from field to field and from topic to topic. Projects can range from small or medium-scale focused research actions to large scale integrating projects which mobilise a significant volume of resources for achieving a defined objective. Projects may also be targeted to special groups such as SMEs.

2. Networks of Excellence
   

   Support to a Joint Programme of Activities joint research programmes implemented by a number of research organisations integrating their activities in a given field, carried out by research teams in the framework of longer term cooperation. The implementation of this Joint Programme of Activities these joint programmes will require a formal commitment from the organisations integrating part of their resources and their activities.

3. Coordination and support actions
   

   Support to activities aimed at coordinating or supporting research activities and policies (networking, exchanges, trans-national access to research infrastructures, studies, conferences, etc). These actions may also be implemented by means other than calls for proposals.

4. Individual projects Support for “frontier” research
   

   Support to projects carried out by individual national or transnational research teams. This scheme will mainly be used to support investigator-driven “frontier” research projects funded in the framework of the European Research Council.

5. Support for training and career development of researchers
   

   Support for training and career development of researchers, mainly used for the implementation of the Marie Curie actions.

6. Research for the benefit of specific groups (in particular SMEs)
   

   Support to research and technological development projects where the bulk of the research is carried out by universities, research centres or other legal entities, for the benefit of specific groups, in particular SMEs or associations of SMEs. Efforts will be undertaken to mobilise additional financing from the EIB Group and other financial organisations.