Driving Innovation

FP7UK

SMEs in FP 7

FP7 Biocity event, Nottingham – 23rd May 2011

Steve Bradley - FP7UK National Contact Point for SME's

Driving Innovation

SMEs in FP7 - Main initiatives

Optimized participation of SMEs

Dedicated scheme with special emphasis

on SMEs

Budget increase for the SME specific

measures

"Cooperation" "People" "Capacities"

Research performing SMEs

Research performing SMEs

SMEs outsourcing research

Thematic areasIndustry-academia

pathwaysBottom-up approach

Complementary pillars of SME support in FP7

Driving Innovation

SMEs in FP7: “Capacities”

Research for the benefit of SMEs:Objectives• Bottom up approach – no thematic focus• Strengthen the innovation capacities of SMEs to develop

new products and markets by outsourcing of research:• increase their research effort.• acquire technological know-how.• extend their networks.• improve the exploitation of research results• bridge the gap between research and innovation

• Clear exploitation potential with economic benefits for the SMEs (or SME members of Associations) involved– http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/capacities/research-sme_en.html

Target Groups• SMEs• SME Associations

Driving Innovation

‘Transaction’ Principle: Outsourcing Scheme

“customer-seller” Relationship

SMEs &SME

Associations

RTD -Performer

s

Investing in Research

Results & IPROther enterprises, End users

Driving Innovation

Research for the benefit of SMEs

Special IPR-principle

The default regime leaves full ownership of all project results and IPR with those who pay, i.e. the SMEs or the SME Associations.

The consortium may however reach a different agreement in their own best interest, as long as the SMEs or SME associations are provided with all the rights needed for their use and dissemination of the results, and they do not pay the full costs of the RTDs.

Driving Innovation

Research for SMEs• At least three independent SME participants, established in

three different Member States (MS) or Associated countries (AC)• At least two Research & Technological Development

performers (RTD).• Other enterprises and end-users optional.

Research for SME associations• At least three independent SME association/groupings,

established in three different MS or AC, or one European SME association/grouping.

• At least two RTD performers.• Other enterprises and end-users with at least two SMEs.

Demonstration Activity (from a FP7 Research for SMEs / Assoc project)

• At least three independent legal entities, established in three different MS or AC; two of whom must have been participants together in a project.

• SMEs which are Other enterprises and end-users in an Association project can participate.

• The project coordinator must be an SME.

Minimum Requirements

Driving Innovation

SME Definitionthe size MICRO < 10 employees < €2 million turnover SMALL < 50 employees < €10 million turnover MEDIUM < 250 employees < €50 million turnover

and ownership AUTONOMOUS: < 25% owned by non-SME PARTNER: 25 to 50% owned by Universities, Venture

Capitalists etc LINKED: Special case for groups and subsidiaries

THE SME DEFINITION DOES NOT TAKE ACCOUNT OF SME TYPES AND ACTIVITIES i.e. HIGH-TECH, LOW-TECHhttp://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/files/sme_definition/sme_user_guide_en.pdf

Driving Innovation

Rules for Participation: Funding Rates

• R&D: maximum of 50 % of the total eligible costsException: SMEs, non-profit public bodies, secondary and higher education establishments and research organisations: maximum of 75 % Associations may meet the criteria for SMEs or non-profit public bodies.

Demonstration activities: maximum of 50 %• Management activities: maximum of 100 % • Other activities: maximum of 100 %

(e.g. training, coordination, networking, dissemination)

Driving Innovation

Funding Scheme: Key Project Indicators

Research for SMEs

Research for SME Associations

Demonstration

Duration 1-2 years 2-3 years 18 – 24 months

Number of partners

5-10 5 -15 3 – 5

Total budget

€ 0.5 – 1.5 Million

€ 1.5 – 3 Million

€ 0.5 – 3 Million

Activities R&D, demonstration, management, other activities

R&D, demonstration, management, other activities

Demonstration, management, other activities

Driving Innovation

Impact: Economic benefit

Research for SMEs:• Clear exploitation potential and economic benefits for

the SMEs involved.• Strengthening the competitiveness of the SMEs.

Research for SME associations:• Clear exploitation potential and economic benefits for

the SMEs members of the associations involved.• Improve industrial competitiveness.• Sector driven usually applying standards/regulations.

Demonstration:• Bridging the gap between research & market• Prove viability of a new solution that offers potential

economic advantage, but which cannot be directly commercialised.

Driving Innovation

Research for the Benefit of SMEs – success rates

Previous SME calls - open to all research fields :2010 = 669 proposals submitted; 660 evaluated; 132 funded; €136.84m2011 = 946 proposals submitted across 3 activities; 907 evaluated; €204m• SMEs – 742 evaluated; 111 ranked; €122.1m• Associations – 144 evaluated; 40 ranked; €79.6m• Demonstration - 21 evaluated; 11 ranked; €9.7m

• 5th SME progress Report – June 2010: • EU's overall target is 15%; co-operation as a whole, currently

14.3%• Launch of more SME dedicated callshttp://ec.europa.eu/research/sme-techweb/newsletter/issue9/index_en.html

Driving InnovationTo be found on NCP.SME web site under the publications tab - http://www.ncp-sme.net/publications/model-proposal

Driving InnovationModel proposals in navigable PDF format..

Driving Innovation

3 versions:• EDIPAC - SMEs• EDIPAFF – Associations • EDI-DEMO – Demonstration (under

development)

Both:• Created as navigable PDF versions• Fictitious – written as a reference document• Based on key assumptions to aid evaluation• Incorporate many features of a ‘real’ project• Include additional advice & guidance notes

Driving Innovation

Single stage application process:

• Produced in scope of guidelines issued with each call by REA - http://www.cordis.europa.eu/fp7/calls

• Part A – basic financial data

• Part B – project; contents page..1 Scientific / Technological Quality2 Implementation3 Impact4 Ethical Issues5 Consideration of gender aspects6 List of References and Related Projects7 Additional Information and support

Driving Innovation

Stated aim of the ‘typical project’ was to develop an edible packaging material for foods with the following properties:

• Edible (no waste)• Protective, thus increasing storage time• Low cost• Accepted by consumers with demonstrable advantages to

the environment

Demonstrating innovation through the new application of an existing technology

Driving Innovation

Evaluation criteria applicable to Research for SMEs S/T QUALITY“Scientific and/or technological excellence” IMPLEMENTATION“Quality and efficiency of the implementation and the management” IMPACT“Potential impact through the development, dissemination and use of project results” Evaluation scores awarded for each of the three criteria - no weightings applied The threshold for the "S&T Quality" and the "Implementation" individual criteria will be 3 while the threshold for the "Impact" criterion will be 4.The overall threshold, applying to the sum of the three individual scores, will be 11.

Driving Innovation

2012 Work programme due to be ratified at the next Programme Committee meeting scheduled 14th June 2011

Opening late July 2011 & closure date of Dec 2011 (Jan 2012)

3 activities involved in single stage calls:• SMEs• Associations• Demonstration

Detailed guidance notes released with the call: • minimum requirements of SMEs for Demonstration projects• anticipated size of consortia• the position regarding ‘economic activity’ related to the validation

process for SMEs etc.• demonstrate the ‘convincing business case’ and the ‘clear benefit’

accrued to participating SMEs

Research for SMEs – next call ..

Driving Innovation

Getting Support• SME TechWeb:

ec.europa.eu/research/sme-techweb

• CORDIS: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/capacities/research-sme_en.html

• FP7UK: https://ktn.innovateuk.org/web/fp7uk

• Partner searching; model proposals

http://www.ncp-sme.net/about-ncp-sme

• National Contact Point: Steve Bradley: Steve.Bradley@tsb.gov.uk01302 322633 Mob:  07501 463314

Driving Innovation

Important Documents

Documents and additional information about the open calls are available on the following CORDIS web pages:

• ‘Research for the benefit of SMEs’ – specific call documentation http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?

fuseaction=UserSite.CapacitiesDetailsCallPage&call_id=216

• ‘Research for SMEs’ and ‘Research for SME associations’ & ‘SMEs in FP7: A Hands-on Guide’

http://ec.europa.eu/research/sme-techweb/index_en.cfm?pg=publications

• Guide to Intellectual Property Rules for FP7 projectshttp://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/find-doc_en.html

Driving Innovation

Useful links:

• FP7UK – TSB website: https://ktn.innovateuk.org/web/fp7uk

• CORDIS: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm

• REA: http://ec.europa.eu/research/rea/

• NCP SME website: http://www.ncp-sme.net/about-ncp-sme

• National Contact Point: Steve Bradley: Steve.Bradley@tsb.gov.uk