The document summarizes information about the SME Instrument under Horizon 2020. It describes the purpose of the instrument to accelerate market introduction of promising innovations from SMEs. Key features include funding of up to 3 million euros over 3 phases, with 70% funding provided. The phases focus on establishing a business idea, developing a business plan and commercialization strategy, and bringing the innovation to market. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. To qualify, applicants must have an innovation-driven idea and ambition to grow internationally.

1. Sean Burke, National Delegate, SMEs and Access to Finance, H2020

2. SMEs in H2020

3. The SME Instrument
Integrated Approach
20 %
budgetary
target in
LEITs & SC
'Innovation
in SMEs'

4. SME Instrument – Why participate?
1. To compete among the best European companies
"Champions league" with only very few winners, quality
label based on a rigorous assessment
2. Visibility at European level
3. Possibility to receive business/management coaching
4. Networking possibility with investors and customer
networks
5. Preferential treatment for subsequent financing (EU
Financial Instruments: loan and equity facilities)

5. Main Features
• Targeted at all types of innovative SMEs showing a
strong ambition to develop, grow and internationalise
• Only SMEs will be allowed to apply for funding and
support
• Single company support possible
• No obligation for applicants to sequentially cover all
three phases; each phase open to all SMEs
• 70% funding (exceptions possible)

6. Funding Gap
(range: 1-3 M€)

7. The SME instrument is not an R&D programme. It is an accelerator for market
introduction of promising technological or non-technological innovations. While the
scheme does not exclude R&D activities, the purpose is not on knowledge
development, but on developing a convincing commercial proposition.

8. Breakdown of Phase Activity

9. Business opportunity
• At the end of Phase 2, participating companies
should have developed a NEW Innovation led
idea (product, process, service) that can be
deployed and launched on the market.
• The business innovation plan III to be developed
by the end of Phase 2 will contain a detailed
marketing and commercialisation strategy and a
financing plan describing how private investment
will be used

10. Example of the SME Instrument in
H2020
High risk ICT innovation
ICT-37-2014-1
90 projects
€4.5m
ICT-37-2014
~26 projects
€40m
ICT-37-2015-1
90 projects
€4.5m
ICT-37-2015
~26 projects
€40m
ICT-37-2014-1
ICT-37-2015-1
Topic: Open Disruptive Innovation Scheme (implemented through the SME instrument)
Specific Challenge: The challenge is to provide support to a large set of early stage high risk
innovative SMEs in the ICT sector. Focus will be on SME proposing innovative ICT concept,
product and service applying new sets of rules, values and models which ultimately disrupt
existing markets.
The objective of the ODI is threefold:
•Nurture promising innovative and disruptive ideas;
•Support their prototyping, validation and demonstration in real world conditions;
•Help for wider deployment or market uptake.
Proposed projects should have a potential for disruptive innovation and fast market up-take
in ICT.
In particular it will be interesting for entrepreneurs and young innovative companies that are
looking for swift support to their innovative ideas.
The ODI objective will support the validation, fast prototyping and demonstration of disruptive
innovation bearing a strong EU dimension.

11. 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/register.h
tml
• 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.html

12. What to do next (cont)
• Review the
on-line
documentation
for the specific
call addressed

13. Topic selection (open at present)

14. Read the Specific Challenge

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

16. Phase 1 and 2 Applications
Submittal period:
Project applications for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 funding can be
submitted anytime during the year. The evaluations of project
applications are conducted at predefined times during the year.

17. Who may apply?
The European Commission Documentation states –
“Applications are welcome from SMEs that have their headquarters in the EU-27
(and in the countries associated to Horizon 2020). Important: Innovation projects
that are not driven by SMEs, but by research centres, universities or large
companies are not fundable under this programme.
The SME instrument caters for two ideal applicant profiles:
• An SME that has been created a few years ago with the aim to commercialise knowledge developed
through R&D in order to meet a societal demand or to fill an identified and already researched market
niche; or
• A dynamic young or mature SME that has identified a new market opportunity and has developed a
concept to exploit it through an innovative product or service.”
IN REALITY, This means ………………..

18. Fast Track to Innovation (2015)
• FTI projects must demonstrate a clear market
perspective. This implies strong requirements for
the expected impact of action. On this basis the
call could include one or more of the following
conditions:
– Presentation of a business plan
– Value creation to be captured within 1 to 3 years (i.e.
time to market introduction)
– High technology readiness level of TRL 6 or above
– Evaluating the 'impact' criterion first and stop the
evaluation if the threshold of 4 or 5 is not reached
– Using mainly market and business analysts as expert
evaluators

19. Thank You for your Attention
Phone: +353 61 777048
Fax: +353 61 777001
Mob: +353 87 9534606
http://www.H2020.ie
Email: sean.burke@enterprise-ireland.com