WEFO’s Horizon 2020 Unit: supporting Welsh organisations Geraint Green Head of Horizon 2020 Unit

WEFO’s Horizon 2020 Unit:supporting Welsh organisations

Geraint GreenHead of Horizon 2020 Unit

Welsh European Funding Office

Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich Dyfodol Europe and Wales: Investing in your future

Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich dyfodol Europe & Wales: Investing in your future

WEFO’s Horizon 2020 Unit

• Established in January 2013• A central contact point (one-stop-shop) for

integrated, consistent and targeted advice and support for Welsh organisations on accessing the most appropriate research and innovation funding from the EU

• Teams in North and South Wales



Rationale for Unit

• Building on existing relationships with Welsh Government Departments, the European Commission, Higher Education and those representing business needs

• Located in WEFO – maximising opportunities for synergy with the Structural Funds

• Extra resources and ambition to ‘raise the game’ in Wales



Role of Unit

• Proactively engaging and targeting existing Welsh, UK and EU resources and expertise for the benefit of Welsh organisations

• Working with stakeholders to identify gaps in advice/support and how best to address them

• Where appropriate enhancing the support available through additional investment, with Structural Funds likely to play a role

Bid writing

Technical advice

Capacity building

Financial support

Specific networks

National Contact Points

Horizon 2020

Unit

Others

ChiefScientific Advisor

ES&TSectorTeams

Welsh Higher

Education

UKRO

Enterprises

European CommissionUK

Depts

Technology Strategy

Board

Welsh Government

Depts.

HEFCW

Welsh Higher Education

Brussels

Welsh Government

Office Brussels

Enterprise Europe Network Wales

(EEN)

Sector forums

Overview of WEFO’s added value approach todelivering Horizon 2020 support



Examples of Unit’s activity

• Targeted awareness raising, e.g. today’s workshops• Working with stakeholders to build new links

between existing support structures• Working with stakeholders to identify and target

‘competitive funding ready’ researchers and businesses

• Focussing investments on building capacity or addressing barriers that will ensure improved access to competitive research funding

The Challenge:

For example, raising the participation of industry and SMEs is important.

Not easy but there is something to build on…



SCoRE Cymru

• Supporting Collaborative Research and innovation in Europe

• Grants to support Welsh-based organisations with the costs of accessing EU programmes such as Horizon 2020



SCoRE Cymru: Currently supports…

• The travel and accommodation costs involved in:

– identifying and building consortia,

– negotiation of contracts

• The cost of subcontracted expertise for:

– writing funding proposals,

– negotiation and conclusion of consortium agreements and/or contracts



SCoRE Cymru: Grant available

Travel – up to £1,000 – Up to 100% of the costs for SMEs– Up to 75% of the costs for HE– Up to 50% of the costs for other organisations

travelling with a Welsh SME/HE partner

Expertise - up to £10,000– Up to 100% of the costs for all organisations



SCoRE Cymru: Features• Quick turnover time• Supports early consortium building• Travel outside the EU and to UK

destinations allowed under certain circumstances

• Assessment criteria focus on quality of proposal and added value



Other WG activity supporting the ‘stairway to excellence’

• A4B: technology transfer collaborations• Innovation Vouchers (£25k/1yr)• SMART Cymru: grants for feasibility to exploitation• IP advice (PATLIB)• Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (KESS)• Business support



Unit’s current activity

• Continuing to engage with stakeholders• Identifying key EU/UK events• Developing targeted Welsh workshops• SCoRE Cymru applications• Considering Structural Fund ideas• Scoping Study on Horizon 2020 support in

Wales underway



Thank you

Documents

WEFO’s Horizon 2020 Unit: supporting Welsh organisations Geraint Green Head of Horizon 2020 Unit