1. SMEs in Horizon 2020
Catriona Ward

2. SMEs in Horizon 2020

3. Collaborative projects and SMEs
•Continuation of the Cooperation Programme under FP7. Intended to facilitate
collaborative research across Europe through transnational consortiums of industry, that
consist of minimum of three different partners (legal entities) from three different EU
member-states or countries associated to Horizon 2020.
•Same reimbursement rate for all*: Up to 100% of eligible cost (limited to maximum of
70% for innovation actions), 25% flat-rate for indirect costs
•Simplifying participation for SMEs:
•A unit cost system in the rules for SME owners and physical persons without a salary
•Simplification regarding personnel costs like simplified provisions on productive hours and
clear minimum rules on time-recording

4. Horizon 2020 is different
•A strong challenge-based approach, allowing applicants to have considerable freedom
to come up with innovative solutions
•Emphasis on innovation, with continuing support for R&D
•Less prescriptive topics, strong emphasis on expected impact
•A strategic approach, with two-year work programmes (with disclaimer for 2015)
•Focus areas bring together different technologies, along entire innovation chain
•Cross-cutting issues mainstreamed (e.g. social sciences, gender, international
cooperation)

5. Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies (LEIT)
(i) ICT including micro- and nano-electronics and photonics
(ii) Nanotechnologies
(iii) Advanced Materials
(iv) Biotechnology
(v) Advanced Manufacturing & Processing
(vi) Space
Access to risk finance
Leveraging private finance and venture capital for R&I
Innovation in SMEs
Fostering all forms of innovation in all types of SMEs

6. KET Funded projects will be outcome oriented.
LEIT projects to develop key technology building blocks and bring them closer to
applications and market to pave way for industrial and commercial implementation.
Proposal should describe
•Exploitation and/or business plans
•Engagement of partners along industrial value chain
•Standardisation
•IPR
•Dissemination of know-how
•Support for education and training
•Expected impact

7. The issues regarding KETs
•Europe has strong position in science and in patenting activity
•EU actors are at top of patent ranking in each KET
•But there is a gap between the technology base and the manufacturing base
•We need to add demonstrators, competitive manufacturing and product
development to the technologies
From Lab to Industry to Market

9. The FAST TRACK To INNOVATION pilot (open in 2015) supports
projects undertaking innovation from the demonstration stage
through to market uptake
1. It covers
• piloting,
• test-beds,
• validation in real world/working conditions,
• pre-normative research and standard-setting
2. It targets
• relatively mature new technologies, concepts, processes and
business models that need a last development step to reach
the market and wider deployment

10. A maximum of 5 legal entities can participate in an FTTI project. At least one of the following
minimum conditions shall be met:
either
o at least 60% of the overall budget of the proposal must be allocated to consortium partner(s)
from industry
Or
the minimum number of industry participants must be 2 in a consortium of 3 or 4 partners, and 3
in a consortium of 5 partners.
The maximum EU contribution per project is EUR 3 million.
Proposals shall relate to the specific objective 'Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies'
and/or to any of the specific objectives under the priority 'Societal challenges'.
A proposal must include a business plan.
For this pilot phase of the FTI, only applications involving entities all of whom must be established
in the EU Member States or countries associated to Horizon 2020 are eligible.

11. EUREKA
EUROSTARS-II

12. EUREKA supports THREE types of projects
Cluster Projects
Long-term, strategically-significant initiatives
Large number of participants, many from Europe’s major companies
Develop generic technologies of key importance to European competitiveness
Individual Projects
Small, shorter-term projects
Involve participants from at least two member countries
Result in a product, process or service with a significant advance in their sector
Eurostars-II Projects
Small, short-term projects, involving participants from at least two member States
Consortium leader is an R&D-performing SME
Programmed jointly with the European Commission

13. How does EUROSTARS-II work
Two cut-off dates for applications per year
Thursday 13 March 2014; 20:00 CET
September 2014
On-line Application
http://www.eurostars-eureka.eu
Register with Eurostars to access
What is required?
Completed application form
Certified Annual financial report or Business Plan
Draft consortium agreement
Ranking list produced from Evaluation at European level
National agencies fund according to the ranking list
(to the limit of the national budgets)

14. Allowable Costs, grant rates, etc. are determined by National rules – may differ in
different countries.
All applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their Eurostars National Project
Co-ordinator before applying.
In Ireland:
For established companies costs and funding are in line with EI R&D fund,
Up to 50% grant rate for SMEs,
€450,000 maximum grant for SMEs,
30% overhead on personnel costs
Early stage & start-up companies may be funded through equity funding.
Participants from Third level Institutes only funded if there is an Irish company as part of the consortium.
100% grant, up to max of €250,000 for Universities/Research Institutes
Companies must have the resources to fund their 50% of project costs. National
Authorities are required to submit an opinion on the capability of a participant to
fund its portion of the project costs.

15. Strengths of EUROSTARS-II
• SME led – projects must be led by an R&D performing SME
• Close to Market R&D – must result in a product with 2 years from project
end.
• Simple consortia – minimum 2 entities from 2 different Eurostars member
countries
• Bottom-up – no themed calls, projects can be in any area

16. Marie
Skłodowska-Curie Actions

18. RISE Action

19. Support Services
– National Contact Points in Member States, Associated Countries and Third
Countries:
– Guidance, practical information and assistance on H2020
– Europe Enterprise Network :
– Support and advice to businesses across Europa. Focus on SMEs
– Research Enquiry Service :
– online helpdesk
– Ethics Helpdesk
– European IPR Helpdesk
– European Committee for standardisation CEN-CENELEC
https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/page/support

20. What to do next?
Register the company with the European
Commission
(if not already done)
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/
portal/desktop/en/organisations/regist
er.html
Perform an on-line financial viability self-
check (needed only if you are leading a
consortium)
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/
portal/desktop/en/organisations/lfv.ht
ml

21. Review the on-line
documentation for
the specific call
addressed

22. IT-1-2014 Documentation
• Topic Conditions and Documentation

23. Document your Interest
• Research or Innovation
• Technical Objectives
• Commercial objectives
• What do you want in your hand at the end?
• Fit with company direction / strategy

24. Meet the Experts / Support in NI
• Ciaran Prunty – Engineering & Transport - c.prunty@qub.ac.uk
• Manuel Morillas Diaz – Health - m.morillas-diaz@qub.ac.uk
• Dominic McLarnon – Energy - D.Mclarnon@ulster.ac.uk
• Shirley Davey – Connected Health - s.davey@ulster.ac.uk
• Immaculada Higueras - SSH - i.higueras@qub.ac.uk
• Dajana Dzanovic – ICT - d.dzanovic@qub.ac.uk
• David McCleery – FAFB – david.mccleery@afbini.gov.uk
• Joanne Coyle, Robert Bunn and Paul Matthews – SMEs –
joanne.coyle@investni.com, robert.bunn@investni.com and
paul.matthews@investni.com
• Stefano Pozzi Mucelli ICT s.mucelli@qub.ac.uk
• Simon Grattan is the NI H2020 Manager

25. Contact: Sean Burke, EI Shannon
t: 00353 61-777 048
e: Sean.Burke@enterprise-ireland.com
www.horizon2020.ie