Businesses can now get EU funding and support for innovation projects that will help them develop and expand into other countries – in Europe and beyond. The funding is available through the SME Instrument, part of the EU's Horizon 2020 programme. The SME Instrument offers small and medium-sized businesses: - funding for innovation projects in two phases concept and feasibility assessment phase (phase 1); - innovation project (phase 2); - support services to help you make money from your innovation, including help accessing private financing–commercialisation (phase 3); - coaching – to enhance the firm's innovation capacity and help align the project to strategic business needs. To qualify for funding or other support, a project must fit one of the current bottom-up SME Instrument topics.

1. Research and
Inno vation
The SME instrument has been designed to help
fill a financing gap for business innovators with
international ambitions.
Commercialization
Resources Invested
Development
Funding Gap
(range: 1-3 m€)
Research
Public
Funds
Private
Funds
Industry
Venture Capital
Angel Investors
IT OFFERS…
✓✓ Funding to find out whether your innovative idea can
translate into market success
✓✓ Financial support for the development of your
innovative ideas at an early, high-risk stage
✓✓ Concrete and easy business support and coaching
from design to market, on the basis of a business
(innovation) plan
✓✓ Guidance on how to identify and attract private
investors
The SME Instrument is the tool to give your
business a boost!
Find out more at http://ec.europa.eu/research/sme_funding
You are determined to grab the wheel of
successful innovation…
• You represent one single SME or a consortium of
SMEs
• You have a radically innovative idea that can
create value at the EU level
• You want to make your business grow in Europe
and beyond
….but you are still looking for support to
help you go from idea to market, such
as …
…… financing to develop your idea into a groundbreaking
product, service or business model that works?
…… a strategy or more skills and competences to
export your innovation successfully?
…… EU-wide promotion of your innovative business
activities, which can help you to tap into new market
and financing opportunities?
Go for the SME Instrument, € 3 billion
over the period 2014-2020 to support
Europe’s best innovative SMEs!
• Visit the Horizon 2020 Participant Portal, and check
out the area in which your SME could get support…
• Prepare a brief business plan…
• After an independent review, the best ideas will
receive EU funding and support
The SME Instrument is a new initiative under
Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme
for Research and Innovation.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020/index_
en.cfm
©alphaspiri, #44495816, 2013. Source: fotolia.com
© European Union, 2013
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
KI-01-13-595-EN-C
SME
Your highway to
innovation
The
Instrument
doi:10.2777/43984

2. PHASE I
Grant of € 50,000 (lump sum) + coaching support
PHASE II
Grant of € 0.5 Million to € 2.5 Million (70% of
funding)* + coaching support
*as a general rule
PHASE III
Risk Finance (Private/Public)
Concept &
Feasibility
Assessment
Idea to Concept
Demonstration
Market Replication
R&D
Concept to Market-Maturity
Commercialisation
Market-Maturity to Market
Launch
6 months 12-24 months
The SME Instrument
SEAMLESS BUSINESS INNOVATION SUPPORT FROM IDEA TO MARKET…
…YOUR HIGHWAY TO DELIVER INNOVATION ON THE MARKET!
ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED
PROOF OF CONCEPT
✓✓ Prove Technical and Commercial Viability
✓✓ Explore IP Regime
✓✓ Design Study
✓✓ Develop Pilot Application
✓✓ Risk Assessment
DEMONSTRATION OF COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL via
✓✓ Prototyping
✓✓ Testing
✓✓ Piloting
✓✓ Miniaturization
✓✓ Scaling-up
✓✓ Application Development
GO-TO-MARKET
✓✓ EU Quality Label (Promotion & Networking with
Financiers/Clients)
✓✓ Investment Readiness Training
✓✓ SME window in the EU Financial Facilities (debt &
equity backed by EIB/EIF)
✓✓ Link to Public Procurement Networks
Elaborated Business
Plan
Idea > Business Plan
Apply at any time!
Commercialisable
Output
Market Success