Research for SMEs 

 

Objectives

• Supports small groups of innovative SMEs in solving technological problems and acquiring technical know-how
• Projects must fit into the overall business and innovations needs of the SMEs, which can subcontract research to RTD performers in order to acquire the technical know-how
• Projects must have clear exploitation potential and economic benefits for the SMS involved

 

Activities

A project will typically require a mix of different activities to achieve its objectives

• Research and technological development activities - these form the core of the project with a major contribution from the RTD performers.  SMEs focus on specifications, testing and validation of project results
• Demonstration activities - these are designed to prove the viability of new technologies that offer a potential economic advantage but which cannot be commercialised directly
• Other activities - training and dissemination to facilitate the take-up of results
• Management activities - project management

Actions will be encouraged across the entire field of science and technology, using a bottom-up approach.  

• Research for SMEs to support small groups of SMEs in solving common or complementary technological problems
• Research for SME associations to support SME associations and SME groupings in developing solutions to problems common to large numbers of SMEs in specific sectors
• Coordination and support activity support to disseminate and exploit research results and exchange of good practices by clustering of projects on common topics to improve interaation and joint dissemination and exploitation of activities and developing and implementing strategies aiming at reinforced exploitation of results

 

Minimum requirements

• SME participants - at lease three, established in three different members states or associated countries
• RTD performers - at least two, which are independent from any other participant and can come from any country

 

Recommendations

• Size - The size of the consortium should typically be between 5 and 10 participants
• Overall budget - typically between 0.5m to 1.5m euros.
• Duration between 1 and 2 years 

 

Calls

Research for SMEs Call 1- call closed

Date of publication: 22 December 2006

Deadline: 4 September 2007

Indicative budget: 100m euros

Single stage

Topics: the call is open to all research fields

Research for SME Associations Call 1- call closed

Date of publication: 22 December 2006

Deadline: 1 June 2007 (first stage)

Indicative budget: 58m euros

Two stage: second stage submission indicative Nov 2007

Topics: the call is open to all research fields

Coordination and Support Activities Call 1- call closed

Date of publication: 22 December 2006

Deadline: 10 May 2007

Indicative budget: 2m euros

Topics: the call is open to all fields

Research for SMEs Call 2 - call open

Date of publication: 30 November 2007

Deadline: 11 April 2008

Indicative budget: 92.72m euros

Topics: the call is open to all fields

Research for SME Associations Call 2- call closed

Date of publication: 2June 2008

Deadline: 26 September 2008 (first stage)

Indicative budget: figures not available yet

Topics: call is open to all research fields

Support to national schemes providing financial means (exploratory awards) to SMEs - call closed

Date of publication: second quarter 2008

Deadline: third quarter 2008

Indicative budget: figures not available yet

Topics: the call is open to all fields

Future Calls

One call per year is expected for one or more of the following activities :

• Research for SMES
• Research for SME Associations
• Coordination and Support Activities