The overall aim of the COSMOS4HE project is to support the professionalisation of the services rendered by the National Contact Points in Cluster 4 thematic area of Space (Space NCPs) and provide additional services at EU level and beyond. Advancing the competences and knowledge of the Space NCPs will improve NCP services, which will consequently contribute to raising the quality of proposals and lowering the entry barriers for newcomer applicants. Special focus will be put on broadening participation.
COSMOS4HE will implement these principal objectives through facilitating trans-national cooperation amongst Space NCPs, and collaborating with the other two Cluster 4 NCP networks (in thematic areas Digital and Industry) as well as the NCP networks from other parts of Horizon Europe and other relevant networks such as the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). Connections and collaboration with Space stakeholders will be also sought. For this purpose, the objectives, priorities and crosscutting issues of Horizon Europe are considered.
COSMOS4HE as a successor of previous NCP networks, it builds and capitalises on the experience and outcomes of the forerunner projects “COSMOS”, “COSMOSplus”, “COSMOS2020” and “COSMOS2020plus”. Fifteen Space NCP organisations are joining forces as beneficiaries with most of them having already participated in the forerunner projects.
In conclusion, COSMOS4HE has the following specific objectives:
- To increase the quality and support harmonisation of Space NCPs services
- To lower the entry barriers for newcomer applicants, to attract new types of players and applicants from widening countries, as well as to raise the quality of submitted proposals
- To increase the visibility of the thematic area of Space to new types of players by organizing matchmaking activities and ensuring bilateral communication about the crosscutting issues throughout Horizon Europe for the benefit of the European R&I community.
In short, COSMOS4HE will help to improve the NCPs’ skills and in this way it will support a more consistent level of NCP services across Europe and beyond. This main goal will be further ensured through additional services on EU level. New players will be attracted to link them with established participants of the Space calls. Broadening participation will further include a widening focus, while pre-proposal checks, brokerage sessions, pitching, and other partner search support will be provided. The cooperation with Cluster 4 and other NCP networks as well as EEN and Space stakeholders will in particular comprise joint events and promoting each other’s activities and services.
