Finding a way or making one
Finding a way or making one
Labor’s headquarter is in Rome
Labor
Finding a way or making one
Finding a way or making one
Labor’s headquarter is in Rome
Finding a way or making one
Private research company founded in 1998.
Electronics and Automation:
with a mechanical workshop for prototypes manufacturing
Finding a way or making one
Private research company founded in 1998. Chemical and Industrial Processes Lab: which deals with synthesis and characterisation of
nanoparticles and industrial scale-up
Finding a way or making one
Private research company founded in 1998. Innovation Management and Marketing
Finding a way or making one
SME Instruments: how it works
Strategic positioning
R&D driven
projects
Horizon 2020SME instrument
Target: Business innovation motivated SMEs
Eurostars 2Target: R&D
intensive SME
Horizon 2020Collaborative
ResearchTarget: R&D topics
Market opportunity
driven projects
Finding a way or making one
SME Instruments: expected technology readiness level
TRL 1 – basic principles observed and reported TRL 2 – technology concept and/or application formulated TRL 3 – Analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proof of conceptTRL 4 – Technology validated in laboratory environmentTRL 5 – Technology validated in relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)TRL 6 – Technology demonstrated in relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)TRL 7 – System prototype demonstration in operational environmentTRL 8 – System complete and qualified through test and demonstrationTRL 9 – Actual system proven in operational environment
Finding a way or making one
SME Instruments: how it works
0,5 to 2,5 M€
Finding a way or making one
Phase 1: concept and feasibility analysis
Input: Idea/Concept in "Business
Plan I"(~ 10 pages)
Main Activities:
Feasibility of conceptRisk assessment
IP regimePartner searchDesign study
Pilot application
Output: elaborated "Business plan II"
Lump sum: 50.000 €
~ 6 months
Phase 2: Close to market activities
Input:
"Business plan II" + "Description of activities under Phase2" (~ 30
pp.)
Main Activities:
Development Prototyping Testing Piloting
Miniaturisation Scaling-up
Market replication
Output: investor-ready "Business plan III"
Output based payments: 1 to 2.5 M€ EU funding
~ 12 to 24 monthsNo direct funding
Phase 3: Commercialisation
Input: "Business plan III"
+
Opportunities:
'Quality label' for successful Phase 1 & 2
Easier access to private finance
Support via networking, training, coaching, information, addressing i.a. IP management, knowledge
sharing, dissemination
SME window in the EU financial facilities (debt facility and equity
facility)
Finding a way or making one
Evaluation criteria
• Excellence • Impact• Quality and efficiency of the implementation
Finding a way or making one
Who can apply?Only a single for-profit SME or a consortium of for-profit SMEs can apply for funding under the SME instrument. Other partners like research providers or larger companies can be involved as third parties, in general in a subcontracting relationship.
Is it possible for a start-up (without balance sheet) to apply? Start-ups are not excluded but the SME instrument is not meant as a company creation vehicle/instrument but rather supports the growth of the companies with interesting, innovative ideas bearing European or global potential.
To which extent can research and development activities be supported?The core of the work to be supported by this scheme concerns innovation activities and envisaging a TRL 6 and higher (or similar for non-technological innovations). However, some parts of the activities conducted may include some research and development.
Finding a way or making one
How much is the co-financing rate?co-financing rate is 70% + overhead costs: flat rate 25%
How does the lump sum funding relate to the 70% co-financing rule?The lump sum for phase 1 has been established by the Commission on the basis of objective statistical means. The total eligible cost for a phase 1 project has been fixed at EUR 71,249. Applying the co-financing rate of 70%, the amount of the grant is established at EUR 50,000.
Is there an advance payment of grant money? Yes. For Phase 1, there will be an advance payment of 40% of the lump sum of EUR 50,000. The guarantee fund will however retain 5% of the total amount of the grant.
Finding a way or making one
How we work: our business model is based on a Technology Push/Market pull paradigm. Each year we gather among European Research Centres a hundred of potential high impact technologies and business ideas with the aim of building a potential innovation portfolio for new product or services.
Technology Portfolio: 100 innovative technologies each year
Technology scouting
Finding a way or making one
Preliminary selection based on
business analysis Selection of business partners
How we work: Once the portfolio is built, a preliminary evaluation and selection of the technologies/business ideas is performed on the basis of the success probability to obtain a grant.
Finding a way or making one
Enterpreneurs
Project Proposal
Researchers
€0
Project Consortium
THE MOUSE
How we work: Once the business ideas have been selected, we gather all the textual contributions from the companies in order to build a business model on the product concept. In the final stage we take care of the proposal wording. At this stage the services are free for the proponent company.
Finding a way or making one
Project proposal
THE MOUSE
The SMEs Instrument: how it works
Once the proposal is complete, we take care of its submission to the EC on behalf of the proponent company for the access to Phase 1.
Finding a way or making one
Proponent SME
€50K
The SMEs Instrument: how it works
If the proposal is elected for funding, the next stage is the phase 1: the EC finances the consortium with a lump sum o about 50 thousand Euro in order to prepare a feasibility study mainly focused on the cost benefit analysis and the business plan.
Phase1: Cost/Benefit Analysis
Finding a way or making one
Proponent SME
€50K
The SMEs Instrument: how it worksThe Business Plan and the Cost Benefit Analysis is the main task of the phase 1 which lasts about 6 months. In collaboration with companies involved in the project, we develop the final Report of the phase1.
Finding a way or making one
The SMEs Instrument: how it works
Once the Report is ready and supervised by the Consortium, we submit the file to the EC’s evaluators.
Finding a way or making one
Project Consortium (even a single SME)
0,5 - 2,5M€
The SMEs Instrument: how it works
If the Report convinces the EC’s evaluators that the product or the service could be a good innovative business, the Consortium gains the access to the phase 2 with a budget in the range of 0.5 to 2.5 Million Euro.
Finding a way or making one
Phase 2: R&D project
8% Management
10% R&D
72% Demonstration
10% Dissemination
SMEs & Subcontractors
SMEs & Subcontractors
SMEs & Subcontractors
The SMEs Instrument: how it works
Budgetdistribution
Finding a way or making one
Phase 2: R&D project
Reports
SMEsPrototypes
The SMEs Instrument: how it works
Finding a way or making one
Company/s
Engineering&
Marketing
Venture Capital
The SMEs Instrument: how it worksThe last stage is the phase 3 in which the participant companies get in touch with the private equity funds for the commercialisation phase of the product.
Finding a way or making one
For any further question:
Alessandro [email protected]: alessandro.rufo.laborMob. +39 349 75 97 260