EU support to SMEs ready for change
After helping thousands of SMEs across Europe access funding to fuel their innovation, the SME Instrument is soon to change radically.
On the 18 March 2019, the European Commission revolutionised the traditional framework to support innovation in SMEs, by signing off the updated version of the Enhanced European Innovation Council (EIC) pilot for the period 2019-2020 of Horizon 20202 programme. With an allocated budget of 2 billion euros, this important update to the framework programme, will prepare the ground for the upcoming Horizon Europe 2021-2027 programme.
Besides including other calls and actions – such as Fast Track to Innovation and the Horizon Prizes – the Enhanced EIC Pilot sanctioned:
- The end of the Phase 1 SME instrument, with a final deadline for applications issued to be 5 September 2019;
- The replacement of the current Phase 2 SME Instrument with the new EIC Accelerator Pilot, starting from October 9th, 2019. From this deadline the programme will cease to provide only grant support, to move to a mixed model in which grants-only and blended finance(combining grant and equity) opportunities will be equally provided.
- Starting from the 9 October 2019 single beneficiary only (a single company, not a consortium) can apply for Phase 2/EIC Accelerator.
The SME Instrument was launched in 2014 and since then, it has become a very popular and competitive instrument that has firmly established itself on the European SME and startup scene. By the end of 2018, the instrument has invested in more than 3,200 ambitious SMEs in the amount of 1.3 billion euros and created a network of 750 business coaches to advise the beneficiaries.
If you are looking for funds and you are a SME, there is still enough time for you to apply the SME Instrument programme! Don’t miss the chance to win €50,000 up to €250,000 worth of funding to support your innovation. Contact us at info@redknightconsultancy.co.uk to find out how.
Innovate UK ready to fund Smart energy
Starting from 7 May 2019, UK business will have a chance to compete for a share of up to £30 million to develop designs for smart local energy systems that make the best use of innovative technologies including cheaper renewables, energy storage, low carbon heat and digital infrastructure.
The aim of the competition is to create a pipeline of highly innovative, ambitious, local energy system designs that are investable and ready to roll out across the UK in the 2020s.
Projects will create new market and business models using smart energy systems that enable deployment at scale of the latest in energy technologies across heat, power and transport, in a way that is reproducible across the UK.
Projects are expected to:
- develop novel market and business approaches for smart energy systems
- integrate new energy technologies across heat, power and transport in replicable and scalable ways across the UK
- investigate and design approaches that will significantly lower energy system costs and emissions
- create economic benefits for the local area and the UK as a whole
- develop finance and investment models for the deployment of low carbon technologies at scale
To know more, visit Innovate UK or contact us on info@redknightconsultancy.co.uk
Source: Innovate UK
Top Commissioner pledges for UK amid COST funding chaos
Whilst Brexit has been delayed until October 2019, uncertainties about the future of UK research in Europe still loom long and large over academics and grant holders in general; and this has come not without some daunting episodes, the most recent of those coming from the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Association.
As a matter of fact, the Brussels-based association issued last April that U.K. grant holders would have shifted financial administration to a partner in Europe by 1 May. This has been an extraordinary decision that does not follow the political direction taken by other EU funding schemes, such as Horizon 2020, and it is worth reminding that COST is not strictly part of the EU (indeed it is an intergovernmental organisation, although its funding for grants comes from Horizon 2020); yet, the decision has cast a dire shadow over UK researchers.
The action caused inevitably commotion amongst the 20 networks administered by UK researchers, who wasted no time in showing their disapproval, but mot importantly it raises a strong concern about the future opportunities for a post-Brexit UK to access EU funding, and contributes in further stirring an already confused scenario. However, latest declarations from EU research commissioner Carlos Moedas, might help easing the tensions and cast a relieving light.
As a matter of fact, ahead of the major vote that approved the deal on the next Horizon Europe programme, commissioner Moedas thus commented: “I cannot see the European programme, to be frank, in the future – whatever happens to the UK – without the UK,” said Moedas. “I will fight for having the UK on board” he said, “I hope that the UK also fights for that.” Also Moedas did not show fear for the lack of clarity with regards to Brexit in Horizon Europe’s upcoming agenda. “It’s probably something that will become clear in the next couple of months,” he said. “I don’t foresee any major problems on those discussions on the international associations, to be frank.”
Horizon Europe’s association rules are indeed yet to be discussed as part of negotiations on the EU’s overall long-term budget, which was originally supposed to be finalised in time for the next EU summit in Sibiu, Romania on 9 May. We all look forward to seeing some major step forward in defining the role of a post-Brexit UK in EU funding.
Source: ScienceBusiness & Science Mag