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Content archived on 2022-11-17

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Assessment of the RTD potential of small and medium-sized European enterprises

The European Commission, DG XXIII, has issued an open invitation to tender for the coordination of a network throughout the Member States of approximately 50 consultants whose task will be: - To conduct audits in order to assess and evaluate the resources available for enteri...

The European Commission, DG XXIII, has issued an open invitation to tender for the coordination of a network throughout the Member States of approximately 50 consultants whose task will be: - To conduct audits in order to assess and evaluate the resources available for entering into transnational technological cooperation agreements of a sample of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), either industrial or industrial service, which create or use new technologies; - In the light of the results of these assessments, to advise the SMEs in the sample on the most appropriate national and/or Community forms of aid to innovation and research; - To identify and support the SMEs whose RTD projects are likely to lead to suitable proposals for a submission in response to invitations to tender issued under the Community RTD programmes in question or, where appropriate, under EUREKA or national programmes. The project will concentrate on four areas covered by the proposal for a Fourth Community RTD Framework Programme (1994-1998): - Industrial technologies, including the CRAFT programme; - Information technologies; - Life sciences and technologies; - Dissemination and exploitation of RTD results. The coordinator will be responsible for work detailed in the tender, including: - Carrying out a rapid documentary study on the population of European SMEs eligible to take part in the Community programmes in question (size, distribution, sector); - Drawing up the overall schedule of the pilot project; - Drafting and producing an information document on the Euromanagement R&TD II project; - Liaison with the Commission, the officials in charge of the Community RTD programmes, the national relays: - Updating of the auditing methodology developed under Euromanagement R&TD I; - Drafting and production of an information package on the Community programmes in question (to be updated each month by circular letter to all the consultants); - Planning, organizing and conducting a 2-day training seminar for Euromanagement consultants (150 participants); - Supervision of the work of the consultants by setting up a help desk and quality control system; - Monitoring of research proposals submitted to the Commission by the SMEs; - Organization of a final meeting of the consultants who have participated in the project, in order to present the main results and discuss a follow up. A monthly progress report will be submitted to the Commission plus a final summary report. The coordinator will be required to form a team of at least five (including two senior) consultants. Applications to participate, in the format described in the tender, must be submitted to: European Commission DG XXIII "Enterprise Policy, Distributive Trades, Tourism and Cooperatives", Unit B-3 Attn. Mr. T. De Koster (ARLN 4/42) 200 rue de la Loi B-1049 Brussels