Community Research and Development Information Service - CORDIS

 

Practical Guide to EU funding opportunities
for Research and Innovation

Checklist for EU innovation and research funding

Companies (micro, small, medium, large – profit/non-profit making, public-private partnership, service provider, project coordinator, etc.) other than research organisations
  • FP7: Yes. Companies can participate in almost all FP7 activities and are encouraged to do so. In addition, under the FP7-PEOPLE Programme there is a specific Marie Curie Action for commercial enterprises and the FP7- Capacities Programme has specific schemes for research relating to SMEs.
  • CIP: Yes. Companies may benefit from the CIP Financial Instruments if they are SMEs and subject to being accepted by financial intermediaries approved under these instruments. SMEs in search of finance should contact a financial intermediary located in their country or region. The list of financial intermediaries, and information on eligibility criteria and application procedures, can be found at www.access2finance.eu

    Pilot and market replication projects in the area of ICT or eco-innovation are also addressed to companies, independent of their size, although CIP Eco-innovation actions mainly targets SMEs (more than 70 % of participants are SMEs).

    Intelligent Energy Europe programme also funds projects where SMEs can be beneficiaries.

    Grants for networking projects are in most cases addressed to public bodies or business organisations only or through public-private partnerships.

  • SF: Yes. The Structural Funds offer many funding possibilities for companies (in particular SMEs). The ESF supports activities that make people more employable, for instance that make initial and vocational training more relevant to employers’ needs and that update the skills of the educators and trainers to take account of the need for innovation and the knowledge based economy. In particular, these reforms widen the relevance and availability of routes to lifelong learning for workers. Conditions and topics vary across programmes, so it is necessary to consult the operational programmes in each Member State or region for details1.
  • EAFRD: Yes. The EU rural development fund offers a variety of funding possibilities for companies, including SMEs. The specific eligibility rules and areas in which support could be provided may vary across programmes, so like in the case of the Structural Funds, it is necessary to consult the Rural development Programme in each Member State or region2.

    See also:

    • Small Business portal for information on EU policies and initiatives which provide direct or indirect support to SMEs.
    • Enterprise Europe Network. A network of over 550 regional actors covering more than 40 countries and delivering business and innovation support services such as information on EU matters, business and technology cooperation, exploitation and transfer of research results or participation in EU funded RTDI and other schemes. Services from the Network are particularly designed for SMEs, but are also available to all businesses, research centres and Universities across Europe.
    • SME-TECHWEB provides easy to understand information on participation in FP7 for SMEs.
    • MARIE CURIE ACTIONS: Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways (IAPP) provides funding for research performing commercial enterprises to collaborate on a research project with public research institutions. In addition, commercial enterprises can receive funding as members of an Initial Training Network (ITN).
    • ICT PSP: pilot projects on ICT
    • Eco-innovation projects: support SMEs wishing to market their eco-innovative solutions
    • Intelligent Energy Europe Programme
  • EFF: Yes, a natural or legal person who is the ultimate recipient of public aid.
Please note: Besides receiving grants to carry out research and innovation activities, companies (including consultancies) can be funded as project coordinators. They can also participate in calls for tender to deliver analytical or organisational services related to the implementation of the programmes or for providing expertise. See under Step 2.
Go on top of the pagetop
Research organisation/university, including private sector research organisations
  • FP7: Yes for all strands of FP7
  • CIP: Sometimes. Research organisations and universities can participate in certain projects and networking activities, depending on the conditions described in the respective call for proposals. Opportunities exist in particular in the programmes addressing ICT (ICT –PSP), intelligent energy (IEE) and environmental technologies. They can also apply for procurement contracts for analytical or organisational services. Research organisations and universities may, in the context of technology transfer, benefit from the Community Financial Instruments. These research organisations should contact a financial intermediary located in their country or region for information on eligibility criteria and application procedures. (See Annex 2, Point 6.1 “How to apply”)
  • SF: Yes. The ERDF (European Regional Development Fund – see Annex 3) can support a range of activities of public and private research organisations and universities. The ESF (European Social Fund – see Annex 3) can support, among others, networking activities between higher education institutions, research and technological centres and enterprises. Conditions and topics depend on the relevant national/regional programme, so it is necessary to consult the operational programmes in each Member State or region for details.
  • EAFRD: In specific cases the EAFRD can support funding for activities of research organisations or universities. This also covers co-operational projects developed in the field of agriculture, forestry or food processing for the creation or development of new products, technologies or processes. The possibilities are programme-specific and depend on the objectives of the national and regional authorities, thus consultation with them and the Rural Development Programmes is necessary.
  • EFF: Yes, provided the project corresponds to the program requirements, i.e. the concrete setting up and testing of prototypes.
Go on top of the pagetop
Individual researcher/PhD student / expert
  • FP7: Yes for FP7-People3: Researchers can apply either to a call for proposals for individual fellowships or directly to Marie Curie funded projects. Funding is available for researchers at all stages of their career and projects are in all areas of research (except Euratom) in both the public and commercial sectors. Vacancies can be accessed from the Marie Curie Actions website. Yes for FP7-Ideas3: Individual researchers may apply for funding as Principal Investigators (PI) to calls for proposals from the European Research Council. Detailed information on calls, application and evaluation criteria are available at http://erc.europa.eu. Experts may also be hired under a service contract as evaluators of FP7 proposals or reviewers of FP7 projects. The JRC funds and hosts doctorate and post-doctorate students, as well as visiting scientists, detached national experts and trainees to support its scientific work programme. Call for these posts are published on the JRC Internet site at http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/index.cfm. JRC is also able to host researchers funded under the FP7-People programme.
  • CIP: No, except in the framework of calls for tender to deliver analytical services or as an external evaluator in the framework of certain calls for proposals.
  • SF: Yes. Under the ESF (European Social Fund – see Annex 3), the development of human potential in research and innovation can be supported, notably through post graduate studies and the training of researchers. For details and conditions, please contact you regional/national ESF managing authority. For the ERDF, certain support measures for individual researchers may be possible, provided they are included in the relevant operational programme.
  • EAFRD: Maybe
  • EFF: Yes, provided the program requirements are respected.

    Also ask in your university about the Erasmus scholarships to study abroad under the EU life-long learning programme

Go on top of the pagetop
NGO/business or research association/chamber of commerce
  • FP7: Yes, if engaged in activities that are relevant for a given call for proposals.
  • CIP: Yes, if set out in the relevant call for proposals, to carry out pilot and market replication projects or networking activities.
  • SF: Yes. Conditions and topics depend on the national/regional programme, so please consult the operational programmes in each Member State or region for details.
  • EAFRD: Yes. For more details, please consult the respective Rural Development Programme.
  • EFF: Yes, provided the program requirements are respected.

For the definition of public bodies see: Annex III of Directive 2004/18/EC of 31 March 2004

Go on top of the pagetop
Public authority - local, regional, national government, regional/local development and/or innovation agency, intermediate body (which acts under the responsibility of a managing or certifying authority, or carries out duties on behalf of such an authority), or any other body governed by public law
  • FP7: Yes. Public bodies that carry out research can be part of FP7-Cooperation and FP7-PEOPLE projects, in particular in the public-private partnerships that are set up in certain key sectors as large scale multinational research activities in areas of major interest to European industrial competitiveness and issues of high societal relevance. These partnerships are set up through Joint Undertakings and Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs).
    Public bodies are also key participants in ERA-NETs. For details see: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/coordination/home_en.html.

    National research ministries and agencies are in particular invited to participate in the 'Research Infrastructures', 'Regions of Knowledge' and 'Support for the coherent development of research policies' actions under FP7-Capacities. Regional authorities are also key participants in the research-driven clusters under ‘Regions of Knowledge’.

    Finally, national and regional authorities have an important role to play in the follow up of projects supporting research entities that are funded in the Convergence Regions through the 'Research Potential' action under FP7-Capacities.

  • CIP: Yes. Public bodies can apply for most of the CIP calls for proposals related to networking, innovation policy development, intelligent energy and ICT.
  • SF: Yes. Public bodies can directly benefit from funding. The ERDF (European Regional Development Fund – see Annex 3) can support the activities of public bodies to reinforce economic and social cohesion by redressing the main regional imbalances, including infrastructure measures and technical assistance. Under the ESF (European Social Fund – see Annex 3) the modernisation and strengthening of institutional capacity and the efficiency of public services at national, regional and local level can be financed, such as employment offices and services and also encouraging the participation of NGOs in employment initiatives and their programming and projects, in particular those in the fields of social inclusion, gender equality and equal opportunities. Also, in the case of economically less well-developed regions (under the ‘Convergence’ objective – see Step 6 below), there is a special emphasis on capacity building, which includes training as well as networking measures, in particular as regards adaptability of workers and enterprises. Please consult the operational programmes in each Member State or region for details.
  • EAFRD: Yes. Public bodies can directly benefit from EAFRD funding. This could cover a huge range of innovative activities linked to the infrastructural development in rural areas and in general (if in a relation to agriculture and forestry), setting-up of basic services, strengthening the institutional and administrative capacity, etc. The EAFRD stimulates also the support for public-private partnerships and their investment projects as well as the involvement of local public bodies in the delivery system of the policy via the LEADER approach. Networking measures could also be supported. For existing possibilities, please consult the rural development programme in each Member State or region.
  • EFF: Yes, public bodies can apply to the program, alone or through a public-private partnership.
Go on top of the pagetop
1

Links to operational programme summaries and to lists of managing authorities can be found in the Structural Funds section of Annex 4.

2

http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/country/en/country-information_en.cfm

3

Legally speaking, a physical person can participate in any project supported by the FP7 taking the form of a grant, except if the work programme or the specific programme forbids it. However, FP7-People and FP7-Ideas are the only programmes mainly designed for individual researchers.

Last updated on: 2012-07-27