How startups and highly innovative companies can exploit european funding
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It focuses on the funding opportunities and how they can be exploited by startups, Small and medium enterprises and highly innovative companies. It outlines the necessary framework and recipe for achieving this as well as the what anyone should start doing from today in exploiting successfully european funding.
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How startups and highly innovative companies can exploit european funding
- 3. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy Who is Nikolaos Floratos • Founder of Funding Expert Academy programmes that masters individuals in EU funding programmes and exploits the most successful and largest no. of proposal developers across Europe • Ac4ve in european funding industry since 1997 (19+ years) • EC expert/evaluator since 2003 (13+ years) • Author of the ebook “Learn from the Horizon 2020 champions” downloadable from www.NikolaosFloratos.com • Trained and coached hundreds of consultants and organisaKons on exploiKng successfully EU funds • The only professional in the whole Europe with 40+ recommenda4ons in my linkedin profile (www.linkedin.com/in/floratos) as expert in european funds, trainer/coach 3
- 12. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy Fundamentals in funding for SMEs Why European Funding (its purpose) – Three PrioriKes • Create forefront (new and useful) knowledge in Europe (e.g. see all three pillars in Horizon 2020) • Advance Growth (e.g. see 2nd pillar in Horizon 2020:LEIT – Leadership in Emerging and Industrial Technologies) • Improve Quality of life of European CiKzens (e.g. see 3rd Pillar in Horizon 2020 – Societal Challenges) 12
- 14. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy 7 Myths in SME instrument • Myth 1: It is almost impossible for a start up to be successful in SME instrument • Myth 2: It is extremely difficult to convince evaluators for the high quality of our SME proposal • Myth 3: A project/product innovaKve at a naKonal level is suitable for SME instrument • Myth 4: Being successful in SME instrument requires a lot of Kme and resources • Myth 5: ParKcipaKng in a european project for SMEs such as SME instrument, Eurostars, COSME may jeopardise the ownership of my expected innovaKons • Myth 6: Perfect command of English is needed for a great SME instrument proposal • Myth 7: Submitng and implemenKng an SME instrument project is a complicated process 14
- 15. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy Myth 1: It is almost impossible for a start up to be successful in SME instrument • It is true that SME instrument has been mainly developed for SMEs, however startups from many countries have received financial funding from SME instrument(Source EASME update Apr 16) • Therefore, failure is not based on SME/startups size but on the following – InnovaKon disKncKon of suggested innovaKon – Maturity level of suggested innovaKon – European market prospects of suggested innovaKon – Startups/SME’s capacity to advance suggested innovaKon – DisrupKon level of suggested innovaKon (New, useful and saving resources) – Lack of support (coaching, training, etc) from SME instrument experts 15
- 16. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy Myth 2: It is extremely difficult to convince evaluators for the high quality of our SME proposal • It is true that very few (6%-10%) of SME proposals impress the evaluators but mainly because they fail to provide clear and well jusKfied presentaKon of the following in their suggested innovaKons: – Excellence quality: InnovaKon disKncKon, product maturity level, SME’s teams capacity, market opportuniKes, market disrupKon – Impact quality: European/global market posiKoning & prospects, european policies support, exploitaKon strategy – ImplementaKon quality: workplan quality, team resources, implementaKon methodology, risk conKngency measures 16
- 18. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy Myth 4: Being successful in SME instrument requires a lot of Kme and resources • Failed proposals in SME instrument start from scratch during the proposal development process • Successful proposals in SME instrument have already a clear vision and have worked towards that. This implies that parts of their applicaKon form should be based on exisKng (even dravs) of – A preliminary market analysis (market posiKoning) – A preliminary innovaKon analysis (disKnct innovaKons) – A preliminary impact analysis (expected benefits) • These analyses are essenKal not for the proposal development but also for self-assessing the success potenKal in the SME instrument • Any analysis should be based on reliable sources 18
- 20. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy Myth 6: Perfect command of English is needed for a great SME instrument proposal Perfect command of English is not needed at all but • Although proposals under SME instrument can be submiFed under any official language of European Union, English is strongly recommended • Proposal secKons should be well structured based on clarity, conciseness and credible sources • Easy to understand language should always be used, since most of the SME instrument evaluators do not have as mother tongue the English language 20
- 21. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy Myth 7: Submitng and implemenKng an SME instrument project is a complicated process • SME instrument proposals should be submiFed online based on a specific process but – Although submission process is straight forward, it requires some pre-requisites (e.g. to have a PIC no., SME status validaKon) – An administraKve person, normally a secretary can be involved in the proposal submission • Accepted projects in SME instrument receive financial support for any specialised tasks such as in conducKng feasibility study, business plan, market analysis, etc. 21
- 26. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy B. Build to Last! © FundingExpert.Academy European funded projects for SMEs shall support the • mission of your organisaKon • vision of your organisaKon • CreaKon of forefront know-how • Job growth and compe44veness • Increase the quality of life of EU ciKzens • i.e. don’t fall in the “Valley of Death” 26
- 28. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy U. Upset the Status Quo! • You know the SMART objecKves • Specific • Measurable • Achievable /Againable • Realis4c /Relevant • Time (in) • They are not complete, since SMART objecKves are not Innova4ve! • Think outside the box and be innovaKve 28
- 30. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy N. Never Eat Alone! © FundingExpert.Academy Three meals in a weekday • 2 meals with family, friends, old colleagues • 1 meal with new colleagues, partners, clients, funders, experts, mentors, project managers, etc • i.e. 260 meals in a year for sharing ideas, connecKng, getng feedback, establishing partnerships • What about coffee? • AFend infoday events Drop the rule “Ask and Shall Receive” and adopt the moFo “Give and Shall Receive” 30
- 32. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy D. Don’t Delay it, Delegate it! Winning SME instrument Proposals require teams with a 1. Proposal Leader 2. Proposal Wri4ng Team (in-house team incl. an Expert in the proposal topic 3. Secretary 4. Evaluator 32
- 33. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy D. Don’t Delay it, Delegate it! A Proposal Leader is responsible for • Coordina4ng the proposal wriKng process • “Ea4ng” with experts, funders, potenKal supporters and getng feedback • Engaging competent supporters • Coordina4ng the allocaKon of budget and resources • Coopera4ng with the secretary for the administraKve and submission process • Assessing the quality of proposal secKons and contribuKons and taking proper acKons for further improvements • Coopera4ng with the evaluator for the proposal review 33
- 34. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy D. Don’t Delay it, Delegate it! The Proposal Wri4ng Team is responsible for wriKng the proposal secKons based on the C.R.I.T.E.R.I.A. formula/EvaluaKon Criteria • Consor4um • Relevance of the Project • Innova4on • Transeuropean Dimension • Economic • Reputa4on • Impact • Approach Tip no. 1: Delegate different secKons to individuals according to their experKse and competencies 34
- 35. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy D. Don’t Delay it, Delegate it! “Secretary” is responsible for 1. Collec4ng all administraKve documents from partners if applicable such as agreements, profiles, CVs, LeFers of support, NDAs, admin forms including PIC, etc 2. Submijng the whole applicaKon in coordinaKon with the proposal leader 3. Ensures that the focus of the other members is in wriKng an excellent proposal 35
- 36. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy D. Don’t Delay it, Delegate it! “Evaluator” responsible for assessing 1. the proposal idea 2. The proposal summary and 3. The proposal final drav Feedback given should always be criKcal and include suggesKons for further improvement. There is no proposal that is perfect 36
- 38. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy L. Learn that Good is the Enemy of Great 1. Build a profound proposal summary that engages 2. Network, network, network. 3. Realise that everything counts but first impression counts more 4. Prepare an impressive introducKon 5. Build the proposal according to the selecKon award criteria 6. Engage an Evaluator as external reviewer 7. Don’t make compromises! 38
- 39. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy L. Learn that Good is the Enemy of Great Great proposals have very few compromises, i.e. • No compromises in the partnership • No compromises in the quality of each proposal secKon • No compromises by avoiding preparing a well structured summary • No compromises in getng feedback by experts, funders, partners, clients • … 39
- 42. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy E. Endorse a Sharpen Axe! © FundingExpert.Academy Thus, never say for example that I am a proposal writer and • I don’t do networking with funders and experts or • I don’t connect with potenKal partners supporters or • I don’t need to write an impressive summary or • I don’t need to delegate • … 42
- 45. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy Follow up AcKvity At the end of each day self-check the status of your B.U.N.D.L.E.R. habits, i.e. Ask yourself the following and if you are not saKsfied with your answers, work harder unKl it becomes a habit! ü Have you been busy with things that are meant to last today? ü Have you upset the status quo today? ü Have you eaten with another person at your work today? ü Have you delegated things today? ü Have you prepared something great today? ü Have you done things outside your daily rouKne that make you more effecKve? ü Have you learned anything today from your mistakes or from mistakes of others?
- 47. © Nikolaos Floratos, Fundingexpert.academy Get Connected • Join me at my linkedin profile www.linkedin.com/in/floratos and/or • at my facebook page www.facebook.com/NikolaosFloratos • If you want to add further value on what you have learned so far and master in depth the Funding Expert Process for SMEs and startups, you can join funding expert academy at www.fundingexpert.academy 47