Impact is the most important aspect of a Horizon 2020 proposal for evaluators. In this presentation we show how the competitiveness of proposals can be enhanced and how research impact can be improved through the project life cycle. We give examples of how we are improving the exploitation and dissemination of existing projects.

1. Climate
Futures:
Horizon
2020
Research
Impact
Services

2. Horizon
2020
has
a
far
greater
emphasis
on
research
impact
than
previous
EU
funding
streams.
It
is
widely
reported
that
evaluators
consider
this
the
most
important
aspect
of
a
proposal.
Climate
Futures
improves
the
competiveness
of
bids
and
research
impact
through:
• Strategy:
ensuring
the
research
concept
and
proposal
meets
the
expected
impacts
of
the
work
programme
and
wider
EU
goals
• Exploitation
and
dissemination:
identifying
research
users
and
ensuring
outputs
meet
their
needs
• Communication:
professional
digital
and
graphic
design,
journalism,
photography
and
video
• Management
and
research:
overseeing
work
packages
and
involvement
as
a
scientific
partner
to
ensure
high
quality
deliverables

3. Impact:
what
funders
demand
“…any
consultancy
company
in
H2020
proposals
should
play
an
integral
part
in
the
project,
so
providing
expertise
on
how
to
link
outputs
to
outcomes
and
impact”.
UKRO
conference,
Birmingham,
Jun’15
(UKRO)
“assessing
impact…is
part
of
the
new
strategic
emphasis”
(ESRC)”
“You
must
be
able
to
provide
evidence
of
research
impact
e.g.
how
it’s
used
by
policymakers,
practitioners…and
led
to
improvements
in
services
or
business”
(ESRC)
UKRO:
UK
Research
Office
ESRC:
Economic
and
Social
Research
Council

4. H2020
evaluation:
Impact
is
33%
of
score
Excellence
Impact
Quality
&
efficiency
of
implementation
Score
1:
Threshold
3/5
Score
2:
Threshold
3/5
Score
3:
Threshold
3/5
• Ground-­‐breaking
objectives
• Novel
concepts
• Innovative
approaches
• State
of
art
science
• Innovation
capacity
• Competitiveness
• Growth
of
EU
markets,
business
• Environmental
&
social
• Dissemination
of
results
• Communication
of
results
• Work
plan
• Complementarily
of
participants
• Risk
&
innovation
management
Score
3:
Threshold
3/5

5. Why
H2020
proposals
fail
“Lack
of
a
coherent
dissemination
strategy”
“Exploitation
&
communication
plan
is
underdeveloped”
“Unrealistic
dissemination
plan”
“The
dissemination
plan
is
convincing,
however,
success
depends
on
the
timely
establishment
of
a
multi-­‐actor
community,
which
is
uncertain”
“The
proposal
does
not
sufficiently
explain
which
mechanisms
will
be
used
to
influence
governance
processes”
“(Financial)
resources
are
insufficiently
or
incorrectly
allocated”
Source:
evaluation
feedback
from
evaluators
to
prolific
H2020
bidder,
2014-­‐15

6. Selected
Climate
Futures
projects
and
partners
TESS:
Toward
European
Societal
Sustainability
Afri-­‐Flame
Climate
Smart
Agriculture
Others

7. Climate
Futures
contributes
to
all
stages
of
the
research
project
life
cycle
Creative
ideas
New
partners,
networks
Impact,
dissemination
&
communication
chapters
1
year
2
year
3
year
1-­‐3
years
PROPOSAL
Business
innovation
‘Toolkit’
&
users
Policy
briefs
Papers
Research
outputs
Communication
strategy
Brand,
graphics,
website
Strengthened
networks
and
reach
News
channels
&
feed
(multi
media)
Info-­‐graphics
Video
and
photography
Conferences
and
workshops
CONCEPT
&
CONSORTIUM
SUBMISSION
SET
UP
ANALYSIS
RESULTS
LEGACY
DATA

8. Climate
Futures
develops
proposal
concepts
&
diagrams
PROPOSAL
Creative
ideas
New
partners,
networks
Impact,
dissemination
&
communication
chapters
Benefits
we
bring:

9. Case
study
1:
TESS
• EU
FP7
project,
led
by
PIK,
eight
partners
in
six
countries
• Success
factors
and
impact
of
community-­‐based
initiatives:
energy,
transport,
food,
waste
domains
• Emphasis
in
proposal
on
community
engagement,
dissemination
and
communication
• We
were
invited
to
the
consortium
as
an
equal
research
partner
and
to
increase
impact
www.tess-­‐transition.eu
www.sustainable-­‐communities.eu

10. Social
media
experience
Design
of
website
Copywriting
of
stories,
blogs,
features
Professional
photography
and
video
Benefits
we
bring:
Thorough
research
approach
Help
organising
midterm
conference
Coordination
of
WP5
Community
engagement
via
networks
Case
study
1:
TESS

11. Case
study
2:
Climate
Smart
Agriculture
• An
action-­‐led
project
to
help
1500
smallholder
farmers
in
Malawi
to
diversify
crops,
incomes
and
diets,
adapt
to
climate
change
and
enhance
their
environment
• Forming
a
network
of
civil
society
organisations
to
improve
community
services
and
policies
• Giving
a
voice
to
farmers
and
encouraging
360º
evaluation
through
participatory
video
www.kusamala.org/projects-­‐partners/climate-­‐smart-­‐agriculture/

12. Photography
(exhibition
quality)
Calendar
designed
for
farmer
wall
(5yr+)
Newsletters
for
general
communication
Benefits
we
bring:
Co-­‐management
of
communication
Innovation
-­‐
participatory
video
Case
study
2:
Climate
Smart
Agriculture

13. Case
study
3:
Afri-­‐flame
• A
research
project
with
10
Universities,
SMEs
and
NGOs
in
four
countries
• Establishment
of
energy
villages
in
three
African
countries
to
test
biogas
and
stove
technologies
• Research
into
economic,
environmental,
health
and
social
impacts,
and
practical
use
•
Our
role
is
to
improve
impact
through
community
engagement,
dissemination
and
communication
www.afri-­‐flame.net
Benefits
we
bring:
First
point
of
contact
in
research
villages
Design
of
website
and
biogas
basics
pack
using
local
illustrators
Hands
on
engagement…
MSc
student

14. About
Climate
Futures
• SME,
with
an
EU
PIC
number
• Team
of
six
with
MScs,
PhD:
environmental
technology,
renewables
engineering,
carbon
management,
forestry
• Qualified
communicators:
graphic
design,
journalism,
film
making,
photography
• Active
consortium
partner:
familiar
with
proposal
writing,
research
methods,
writing
papers,
submitting
EC
deliverables

15. H2020
calls
of
interest,
2016:
‘Secure,
clean
and
efficient
energy’
EE-­‐7-­‐2016/2017:
Engaging
private
consumers
towards
sustainable
energy
EE-­‐8-­‐2016/2017:
Behavioural
change
toward
energy
efficiency
through
ICT
EE
9
–
2016:
Socio-­‐economic
research
on
consumer's
behaviour
related
to
energy
efficiency
EE-­‐10-­‐2016/2017:
Engaging
and
activating
public
authorities
EE-­‐11-­‐2016:
Supporting
accelerated
and
cost-­‐effective
deep
renovation
of
buildings
EE-­‐12-­‐2016/2017:
Overcoming
market
barriers
and
promoting
deep
renovation
of
buildings
LCE
1
–
2016:
Next
generation
innovative
technologies
enabling
smart
grids,
storage
and
energy
system
integration
with
increasing
share
of
renewables….
LCE
2
–
2016/2017:
Demonstration
of
smart
grid,
storage
and
system
integration
technologies
with
increasing
share
of
renewables:
distribution
system
LCE-­‐31-­‐2016/2017:
Social
Sciences
and
Humanities
Support
for
the
Energy
Union

16. H2020
calls
of
interest,
2016:
SC5
'Climate
action,
environment,
resource
efficiency
and
raw
materials’
SC5-­‐03-­‐2016:
Climate
services
market
research
SC5-­‐6-­‐2016/2017:
Pathways
towards
the
decarbonisation
and
resilience
of
the
European
economy
in
the
timeframe
2030-­‐2050
and
beyond
SC-­‐8-­‐2016:
Demonstrating
innovative
nature-­‐based
solutions
for
climate
and
water
resilience
in
cities
SC5-­‐9-­‐2016:
New
governance,
business,
financing
models
&
economic
impact
assessment
tools
for
sustainable
cities
with
nature-­‐based…
SC5-­‐11-­‐2016:
Insurance
value
of
ecosystems
SC5-­‐12-­‐2016:
Multi-­‐stakeholder
dialogue
platform
to
promote
innovation
with
nature
to
address
societal
challenges
SC5-­‐12-­‐2016:
Food
systems
and
water
resources
for
the
development
of
inclusive,
sustainable
and
healthy
Euro-­‐Mediterranean
societies
SC5-­‐24-­‐2017:
Innovative
financing,
business
and
governance
models
for
adaptive
re-­‐use
of
cultural
heritage

17. H2020
calls
of
interest,
2016:
‘Food
security,
sustainable
agriculture
and
forestry,
marine
and
maritime
and
inland
water
research
and
the
bioeconomy’
SFS
31
2016.
Farming
for
tomorrow:
developing
an
enabling
environment
for
resilient
and
sustainable
agricultural
systems
SFS-­‐44-­‐2016:
Achieving
food
and
nutrition
security
and
sustainable
agriculture
in
Africa:
the
role
of
innovation
RUR-­‐06-­‐2016:
Crop
diversification
systems
for
the
delivery
of
food,
feed,
industrial
products
and
ecosystems
services:
from
farm
benefits
to
value-­‐chain
organisation
RUR-­‐07-­‐2016:
Resource-­‐efficient
and
profitable
industrial
crops
on
marginal
lands
RUR-­‐11-­‐2016:
On
farm
demonstrations:
deepening
farmer-­‐to-­‐farmer
learning
mechanisms
RUR
–
15-­‐2016
:
The
benefits
of
working
with
others
–
fostering
social
capital
in
the
farming
sector
BE-­‐1-­‐2016:
Sustainability
schemes
for
the
bio-­‐based
economy
BE-­‐4-­‐2016.
Bio-­‐based
products:
Mobilisation
and
mutual
learning
action
plan
BE-­‐6-­‐2016.
Life-­‐cycle
assessment
of
wood
value
chains
and
applications
for
the
bioeconomy

18. Contact
details
Charles
Henderson
charles@climatefutures.co.uk
Skype:
chrshend
+44
131
225
8081
www.climatefutures.co.uk