EC Funding for startups

Dr. Iraklis Agiovlasitis

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Horizon 2020The SME Instrument

Erasmus+Life+

Creative Europe

PCP/PPIFI-WARE

MCSAReflective Societies

RIA/IA/CSA

IMI Access to risk financeParticipant portal

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http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/about-startup-europe

Who can participate?

In general all legal entities:• Companies of any size• Companies founded at any time• In any EU-28 or associated countries

But also• Universities • Individual researchers• Research organisations• Public bodies (local, regional, national) • Federations, foundations, network

organisations• International organsiations

1. The SME Instrument2. FI-WARE3. FET-Open4. COSME5. Access to risk finance6. Enterprise Europe Network

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SME Instrument• 50K – 5 M€• Disruptive innovation• 13 topics

FI-WARE• 5K – 200K€• Future Internet & Open APIs• 16 accelerators – 8 topics

FET-OPEN• 2 – 4 M€• High risk research projects• Breakthrough ideas• Collaborative (3 partners

minimum)

COSME• Erasmus for young entrepreneurs

Access to risk finance• Debt• Equity

Enterprise Europe Network• Networking• Innovation management• Information about funding• Free Support Services

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1. The SME Instrument2. FI-WARE3. FET-Open4. COSME5. Access to risk finance6. Enterprise Europe Network

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Desired SME profile• For innovative SMEs with an ambition to develop,

grow and have an international impact

• Focused on established SMEs with high growth potential

• Single company support (consortia of several SMEs possible)

• Activities at TRL 6 or above

• No obligation for applicants to sequentially cover all three phases; still a "linear" process is strongly encouraged

• 70% funding (exceptions possible)

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TRL 0: Idea. Unproven concept, no testing has been performed.

TRL 1: Basic research. Principles postulated and observed but no experimental proof available.

TRL 2: Technology formulation. Concept and application have been formulated.

TRL 3: Applied research. First laboratory tests completed; proof of concept.

Technology Readiness Levels

TRL 4: Small scale prototype built in a laboratory environment ("ugly" prototype).

TRL 5: Large scale prototype tested in intended environment.

TRL 6: Prototype system tested in intended environment close to expected performance.

TRL 7: Demonstration system operating in operational environment at pre-commercial scale.

TRL 8: First of a kind commercial system. Manufacturing issues solved.

TRL 9: Full commercial application, technology available for consumers.

Why participate?

• Rank among the best European SMEs

• Visibility at a European and global level

• Business/management coaching

• Networking opportunities

• Support for follow-up financing

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The 3 Project Phases

Phase 1 - Concept & FeasibilityAssessment

o €50 000 in EU funding

o Feasibility study

o Initial 10 page business proposal to be drafted

o 6 months in duration

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The 3 Project Phases

Phase 2 – Innovation Project

o Between €0.5 million and €2.5 million in EU funding.

o Develop project through innovation strategy

o Draft a more developed, 30 page business plan

o 1-2 years in duration

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The 3 Project Phases

Phase 3 – Market launch

o No stand-alone phase!o No direct funding

o Extensive support and coaching

o Facilitate access to risk finance

o Additional support and networking opportunities (EEN)

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Call Organisation

• Open call: Submissions can be submitted any time, and will be immediately evaluated

• 4 cut-off dates per year (March, June, September, December) for ranking and finance decisions

• Budget: For 2014 5% of the combined budget of SC and LEIT, overall minimum 7% of these combined budget. Total is roughly € 3 billion.

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Themes for 2014-2015

In 2014 and 2015 the SME Instrument will sponsor SMEs operating within 13 themes:

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• ICT: open disruptive innovation

• Nanotech, or other advanced tech for manufacturing and materials

• Space research and development

• Diagnostics devices and biomarkers

• Sustainable food production and processing

• Blue growth

• Low carbon energy systems

• Greener and more integrated transport

• Eco-innovation and sustainable raw

material supply

• Urban critical infrastructure

• Biotechnology-based industrial processes

• Mobile e-government applications (2015 only)

• SME business model innovation (2015 only)

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Themes Call id 2014 Call id 2015

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 1 Phase 2

High risk ICT innovation ICT-37-2014-190 projects €4.5m

ICT-37-2014~26 projects €40m

ICT-37-2015-190 projects €4.5m

ICT-37-2015~26 projects €40m

Nanotech, or other advanced tech for manufacturing and materials

NMP-25-2014-143 projects €2.2m NMP-25-2014

~13 projects €19mNMP-25-2015-1.47 projects €2.4m

NMP-25-201514 projects €21m

Space research and development

Space-SME-2014-117 projects €0.8m

Space-SME-2014-2~5 projects €7.5m

Space-SME-2015-118 projects €0.9m

Space-SME-2015-2~13 projects €7.7m

Diagnostics devices and biomarkers

PHC-12-2014-1132 projects €6.6m

PHC-12-2014~38 projects €53m

PHC-12-2015-190 projects €4.5m

PHC-12-2015~26 projects €40m

Sustainable food production and processing

SFS-08-2014-118 projects €0.9m

SFS-08-2014~5 projects €8m

SFS-08-2015-118 projects €1.7m

SFS-08-2015~10 projects €15m

Seas and oceans (Blue growth)

BG-12-2014-16 projects €0.3m BG-12-2014

1-2 projects €2.6mBG-12-2015-110 projects €0.5m

BG-12-20152-3 projects €4m

Low carbon energy systems

SIE-01-2014-167 projects €3.4m

SIE-01-2014~20 projects €29m

SIE-01-2015-174 projects €3.7m

SIE-01-2015~22 projects €31m

Greener and more integrated transport

IT-1-2014-172 projects €3.6m

IT-1-2014~21 projects €32m

IT-1-2015-178 projects €3.9m

IT-1-201523 projects €34m

Eco-innovation and sustainable raw material supply

SC5-20-2014-1~34 projects €1.7m

SC5-20-2014~10 projects €15m

SC5-20-2015-138 projects €1.9m

SC5-20-2015~11 projects €17m

Urban critical infrastructure

DRS-17-2014-114 projects €0.7m

DRS-17-20144 projects €6m

DRS-17-2015-114 projects €0.7m

DRS-17-2015~4 projects €6.5m

Biotechnology-based industrial processes

BIOTEC-5a-2014-18 projects €0.4m

BIOTEC-5a-2014~2 projects €3.3m

BIOTEC-5b-2015-15 projects €0.2m

BIOTEC-5b-20151 project €2m

Mobile e-government applications - - INSO-9-2015-1

8 projects €0.4mINSO-9-2015~2 projects €3.5m

SME business model innovation - - INSO-10-2015-1

22 projects €1.1mINSO-10-2015~6 projects €9m

Evaluation process

• Remote evaluation

• No consensus meetings

• Short standardised feedback

• No negotiations

• Only one application per company allowed for all phases

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Evaluation criteria

• Possible economic impact

• Excellence in innovation

• Commercialisation potential

• SME potential achieving the envisaged results

• Evaluation can be stopped if proposals fail to achieve a threshold for 'impact' criterion

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Lessons learnt

Most of the non-selected proposals were:• Too much focused on the project and not enough on the

business opportunity;• Not convincing when describing the company (you have to

explain why your company will succeed and not your competitor);

• Not providing enough information on competing solutions;• Having a too low level of innovation, planning to develop a

product that already exists on the market;• Proposing just an idea without any concept for its

commercialisation;• Just trying their luck (the SME Instrument is not a lottery!).

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2 things to remember

• Disruptive innovation• Size and age matter!

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http://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/horizons-2020-sme-instrument

More Info

1. The SME Instrument2. FI-WARE3. FET-Open4. COSME5. Access to risk finance6. Enterprise Europe Network

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http://www.fi-ware.org

More Info

1. The SME Instrument2. FI-WARE3. FET-Open4. COSME5. Access to risk finance6. Enterprise Europe Network

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FET

Interdisciplinary

Novelty

S&T targeted

Foundational

High-Risk

Long-term vision

UncorrelatedResearch projects

FET-Open

Early Ideas

Exploringnovel ideas

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• Collaborative project• 3 partners from 3 European countries• 'Open is open': all technologies, no topical scope.• High risk-high gain research

• An end-to-end light and fast scheme:o Deadline free, open 24/7

o 15 pages proposal

o 1 step submission, 1 stage evaluation

o FET specific evaluation criteria

• Instrumento Research and Innovation Action (RIA)

Cut-off dates: 30/09 & 31/03

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http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/fet-open

More Info

1. The SME Instrument2. FI-WARE3. FET-Open4. COSME5. Access to risk finance6. Enterprise Europe Network

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Coming early 2015Calls will be launched locally

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http://www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu/

More Info

1. The SME Instrument2. FI-WARE3. FET-Open4. COSME5. Access to risk finance6. Enterprise Europe Network

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http://www.access2finance.eu

More Info

1. The SME Instrument2. FI-WARE3. FET-Open4. COSME5. Access to risk finance6. Enterprise Europe Network

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One-stop shop for European SMEs

Practical help from local organisations

Listening to SMEs

Almost 600 partner organisations in

54 countries

Enterprise Europe Network

One-stop shop for European SMEs

Since its launch, the Network has:

• Helped 7 000 companies to sign business, technology orresearch partnerships

• Brought 90,000 companies to international brokerageevents and company missions

• Answered 375,000 questions on EU issues

• Attracted more than 1 million people to events

I need a business partner in another country…

How do I get European funding?

What does this EU law mean for my business?

How do I find a new market abroad?

How can I sell my innovative ideas and technology?

Events

• Gamesmatch@gamescomo Κολωνία, 13-15 Αυγούστου 2014

• ICT Proposers dayo Φλωρεντία, 9-10 Οκτωβρίου 2014

• Horizon 2020 Brokerageo Ντύσσελντορφ, 30-31 Οκτωβρίου 2014

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Innovation management

Διαδικτυακή αυτοαξιολόγηση

Benchmarking Report

Συμβουλευτική προσέγγιση

Συνεχής βελτίωση

http://www.enterprise-hellas.gr

Enterprise Europe Network - Hellas

EKT: National Documentation Centre

Access to contenthttp://www.epset.gr

PhD Theseshttp://www.didaktorika.gr

Metrics (www.ekt.gr/metrics): -R+D Indicators

National Contact Point-Horizon 2020-COSME

agiovlasitis@ekt.gr @hercagio