The document provides information about the 2014 call for manufacturing research projects through the MANUNET program. It outlines the objectives to foster European manufacturing competitiveness through transnational collaborative R&D projects. Eligible projects must involve at least two independent SMEs from two participating regions or countries. The call covers various manufacturing technology topics and funding is available from the programs of multiple European regions.

1. MANUNET
2014 CALL
FOR MANUFACTURING RESEARCH
www.manunet.net

2. MANUNET
2014 CALL
Objectives
and topics
Opening: 7th January 2014
D
eadline for pre-proposal submission: 20th March 2014, 17:00 (CET)
Deadline for full proposals submission: 10th July 2014, 17:00 (CET)
The strategic objective of the MANUNET call for proposals is to foster the competitiveness of
Europe’s Manufacturing Industry by co-funding manufacturing research projects performed by
enterprises (preferably SMEs) and their strategic partners.
The funding objectives of the call are transnational application oriented and high risk RD
projects related to Manufacturing. The project proposals must clearly demonstrate:
T
ransnational, collaborative RD with a significant degree of innovation and scientific and
technical risk
Market orientation
A
pplication and practical use of manufacturing technologies
E
xpertise of the project partners in their respective fields of competence
A
dded value through transnational cooperation
S
cale of impact and market positioning of the applicant
MANUNET call includes all fields in Manufacturing, structured in the following topics:
Knowledge-based engineering, information and communication technologies for
manufacturing (industrial robotics, computer-aided engineering and design, automated
manufacturing, product lifetime management, etc.)
M
anufacturing technologies for environmental and energy applications including resource
efficiency and recycling
A
daptive manufacturing technologies including processes for removing, joining, adding,
forming, consolidating, assembling
N
ew materials for manufacturing (alloys, lubricants, coatings, textile fibres, construction,
composites, insulation, etc.).
N
ew manufacturing methods, components and systems (development of demonstrators,
devices and equipments, logistic systems, etc.)
O
ther technologies/products related to the manufacturing field
However, the respective regional/national thematic programme focus should be taken into
account.

3. Participating
regions/countries
MANUNET launches coordinated calls for proposals to fund transnational research projects in
the field of manufacturing.
Eligible
projects
All MANUNET projects must be designed on the following principle: consortia consisting of
at least 2 independent SMEs belonging to 2 participating countries, or 2 regions in different
countries (see list of regions/countries).
MANUNET 2014 Call is open for entities belonging to these regions/countries:
Asturias (Spain)
Iceland
Romania
Basque Country (Spain)
Israel
Slovakia
Catalonia (Spain)
Lower Austria (Austria)
Switzerland
Finland
Luxembourg
Turkey
Germany
N
ord-Pas de Calais (France)
Wallonia (Belgium)
Large companies, research centres, universities, etc. may also participate according to their
regional/national financing regulations, as long as there are 2 independent SMEs belonging to 2
different participating countries.
Application
p
rocedure and evaluation
The composition of the consortium should be efficient in size in order to accomplish the objectives
proposed. However, small medium projects with no more than 4 or 5 partners are expected.
MANUNET website is provided with a tool for fulfilling Expressions of Interest, devoted to look
for and find partners for common projects within the MANUNET network.
In the first stage of the application procedure (mandatory for all applicants), the coordinator of
the project has to submit on-line a pre-proposal in English on the MANUNET website.
The evaluation of the pre-proposals will be performed by a Transnational Coordination Team
(TCT), which will recommend / not recommend the submission of full proposals.
For the submission of full proposals during the second stage, the coordinator has to submit
on-line the full proposal in English. At the same time, every partner in the project must bear
in mind the specific local application rules/requirements of each regional/national funding
programme.
The official pre-proposal and full proposal template, as well as the “MANUNET Guide for
proposers” and the “Evaluation Guidelines” are available on MANUNET website.

4. Funding programmes
Asturias: IDEPA’s program for ERA-NET schemes will fund industrial research and experimental development
projects involving effective international collaboration. Maximum aid intensities up to 80-40 according to
%
the size of the applicant and type of project. Only companies (regardless of size) are eligible. RT Centers
University are welcome as subcontractors. Minimum budget required for the regional companies: 150 000 €;
average grant 100 000 €. Duration of the project will be 18-24 months. www.idepa.es
Basque Country: The aim of the GAITEK Programme is to make companies more competitive by means
of promoting projects including RDI activities to develop new products. The beneficiaries of the
programme are companies (universities and research centres may participate as subcontractors). The
funds provided by GAITEK are grants: up to 50 of the accepted eligible costs for SMEs and up to 40
%
%
for large companies. Maximum contribution: 250 000 € per partner per year. Eligible costs are: personnel
costs (researchers, technicians and support staff employed only for the research activity), costs for
external assessment and equivalent services (e.g. subcontracting highly specialised parts of the project),
costs for subcontracting Basque Science, Technology and Innovation Network (RVCTI) Agents, operating
costs (costs for materials, supplies, trips, etc. derived from the research) and costs of instruments and
equipment (paid off over the whole project duration). http://www.industria.ejgv.euskadi.net/r44-ed006/
es/contenidos/ayuda_subvencion/gaitek_2014/es_gaitek/es_arch.html
Catalonia: Small, medium and large companies can be funded. Private research centres, universities
and other public research entities registered in Catalonia can participate as subcontractors. Technically
and financially feasible RD projects in the field of manufacturing with an impact increase in the RD
company activities are eligible. Personnel costs, external collaborations for RD activities related to the
project, equipment (where applicable), IPR activities (for SMEs only), other costs such as travelling and
management costs are eligible. Funding is provided as a grant. Eligible expenses for the Catalan part of
the MANUNET project from 150 000 € with a maximum aid of 200 000 € (2 years- long projects). Large
companies: Maximum of 50 of the costs of research activities and 25 of the costs of development
%
%
activities can be funded. Medium companies: Maximum of 60 % of the costs of research activities and 35 %
of the costs of development activities can be funded. Small companies: Maximum of 70 of the costs of
%
research activities and 45 of the costs of development activities can be funded. http://accio.gencat.cat/
%
cat/ajuts-financament/
Finland: Tekes’ RD funding programme is for enterprises who are willing to develop and grow. With Tekes
funding, an enterprise can research and develop products and techniques, services and new business
concepts, operating modes and management, and implement pilot projects and testing environments
needed for development. The aim is to substantially accelerate the growth and internationalization of the
most promising small enterprises. www.tekes.fi
Germany: Focused on topics concerning innovative production equipment, machines, tools and
improved production process chains. Enterprises, SME and research institutes can be funded according
to the rules of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research [BMBF) in the Framework
programme “Research for Tomorrow’s Production - PROmorgen”. http://www.bmbf.de/en/686.php |
http://www.produktionsforschung.de/
Iceland: The Technology Development Fund constitutes a significant part of the formal organisation
of the Science and Technology Policy Council in Iceland. The fund’s role is to support RD perceived
as important for fulfilling government objectives regarding technological development and innovation,
leading to a regeneration and improved competitive situation of Icelandic industry. www.rannis.is
Israel: Only industrial partners are eligible for funding. Proposals must include a single or multi-year
programme that will provide know how, processes or methods for the manufacture of a new product or
the significant improvement of an existing product, or a new process or a significant improvement in an
existing process. The product must have a sizeable potential for sales. The support is in the form of a
conditional grant amounting up to 50% of the total approved RD budget. Israeli participants of projects
approved by MANUNET will be required to submit a proposal to the RD fund and will be funded based
accordingly on the national rules. http://www.moital.gov.il/madan.htm

5. Funding programmes
Lower Austria: Companies, research centres and universities financed. RD projects up to 50 funding.
%
Industrial research up to 25 %. Experimental development for SMEs possibilities for additional 10 %. Grant
or loan, depending on the type of organization. http://www.noel.gv.at | http://www.noe.gv.at
Luxembourg: The FNR (National Research Fund Luxembourg) supports public research projects. Through
its INTER Programme “Promotion of international cooperation” the FNR wants to promote international
scientific cooperation, to create synergies between research centres within and outside Luxembourg, to
achieve a critical mass in certain fields, to take a better approach to the resolution of certain transnational
issues, to increase the visibility and competitiveness of research in Luxembourg. The programme is
supporting international RD projects, where public research institutions in Luxembourg are eligible to
get funding from FNR. Companies based in Luxembourg can participate as partners with own financial
means or apply for financial support at the Ministry of Economy in Luxembourg. http://www.fnr.lu/en/inter
Nord-Pas de Calais: 3 regional programs can be used, depending on the nature of the beneficiary: Cluster
policy program (for universities, RTOs and laboratories), Regional Funds for Innovation (for companies up to
2 000 employees) and Collaborative RD program (for companies over 2 000 employees). Large companies
can only be funded if they are in a partnership with at least one SME from Nord-Pas de Calais and one
research organisation or university located in a MANUNET region/country. www.nordpasdecalais.fr
Romania: The programme finances joint experimental research and technological development projects,
having as results products, technologies and innovative services aimed at solving and implementing solutions
to complex socio-economic problems of national priority. http://uefiscdi.gov.ro/articole/3286/ProgramPARTENERIATE--Proiecte-colaborative-de-cercetare-aplicativa--Competitie-2013.html
Slovakia: VEGA is the scientific agency —internal grant system— of the Ministry of Education, Science,
Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic and the Slovak Academy of Science. Only universities financed.
Companies and research centres only in cooperation with universities. 15 000-20 000 € grant per project
per year. http://www.minedu.sk/index.php?lang=skrootId=416
Switzerland: “CTI”, the national innovation promotion programme, enforces the market oriented
innovation process, the introduction of practice oriented qualifications for researchers in universities and
the improvement of cooperation between academia and industry. CTI projects should strongly support
a market need initiated and oriented knowledge and technology transfer. The CTI programme supports
bottom up generated innovation projects of all sort of disciplines. CTI projects need to have an industry
involvement of at least 50 . Only public, non-win oriented research institutes are funded 100 . Industry
%
%
partners like SMEs are taking part self-financed. www.kti.admin.ch | www.sbfi.admin.ch
Turkey: International Industrial RD Projects Funding Programme; SMEs and large companies settled
in Turkey can submit project proposals. Universities and research institutes are not eligible, but can
benefit from the programme as subcontractors. Grant rate is 60 for large companies and 75 for
%
%
SMEs. Personnel, travel, equipment, software, subcontractor (consultancy and other services), material
costs are eligible. Application to TUBITAK should be made simultaneously with MANUNET II full proposal
submission. There is no project budget/duration limit for application. http://www.teydeb.tubitak.gov.tr/
Wallonia: SMEs and Large companies, academia and research centers can be funded. Maximum funding:
60-80 grant for SMEs, 40 grant for large companies, 100 grant for academia and 75 grant for
%
%
%
%
research centres. Industrial research: minimum 40 of the Walloon project s budget must be dedicated
%
to the Walloon company(ies). Experimental development: minimum 40 of the Walloon project s budget
%
must be dedicated to the Walloon company(ies) AND minimum 50 of the project s budget must be
%
dedicated to the Walloon partners OR at least 2 Walloon companies are partners in the consortium.
Maximum projects length: 36 months. http://recherche-technologie.wallonie.be

6. Further information
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED TO CONTACT YOUR
REGIONAL/NATIONAL CONTACT PERSON:
REGION / COUNTRY
MANUNET MEMBER
CONTACT DETAILS
Asturias
(Spain)
IDEPA
Ana Elena Fernández Monzón
+34985980020/ anae@idepa.es
Marco Antonio Fernández Valledor
+34985980020/ marcoafv@idepa.es
Basque Country
(Spain)
Basque Government
Innobasque
Andere Goirigolzarri Garaizar
+34944209488
agoirigolzarri@innobasque.com
Catalonia
(Spain)
ACC1Ó
Mar Pérez Blasco
+34935674889 / mperezbl@gencat.cat
Finland
TEKES
Matti Evola
+358505577835 / matti.evola@tekes.fi
Germany
KIT-PTKA
Stefan Scherr
+4972160825286 / Stefan.Scherr@kit.edu
Iceland
RANNIS
Sigurdur Bjornsson
+3545155800 / sigurdur@rannis.is
Israel
ISERD
Nili Mandelblit
+97235118120 / nili@iserd.org.il
Lower Austria
(Austria)
Lower Austrian
Government
Kerstin Koren
+4327429005-16165 / kerstin.koren@noel.gv.at
Luxembourg
FNR
Christiane Kaell
+352261925-34 / christiane.kaell@fnr.lu
Nord-Pas de Calais
(France)
Région Nord-Pas de
Calais
Leila Mehnane (academic research partners)
+33328827607
leila.mehnane@nordpasdecalais.fr
Samantha Jacson (companies)
+33328827523
samantha.jacson@nordpasdecalais.fr
Romania
UEFISCDI
Mircea Segarceanu
+40213023883
mircea.segarceanu@uefiscdi.ro
Slovakia
MESR
Jozef Maculák
+421259374351 / jozef.maculak@minedu.sk
STUBA
Stefan Valcuha
+421252497810 / stefan.valcuha@stuba.sk
Switzerland
SERI
Roland Buehler
+41313247141 / roland.buehler@sbfi.admin.ch
Turkey
TUBITAK
Abdullah Faruk Gönüllü
+903124685300-2005
abdullah.gonullu@tubitak.gov.tr
Wallonia
(Belgium)
DGO6
Julie Jasmes
+32(0)81334545
julie.jasmes@spw.wallonie.be