In the years 2020-2021 we have worked on the activities described in the proposal. Key account Management services for the beneficiaries of the SME Instrument, FET Open and FTI and EIC Accelerator and Enhancing Innovation Management Capacity for innovating SMEs. The progress report after 2020 showed 1 case in WP1 and 6 completed cases in WP2. Our mission for 2021 was to increase both numbers to reach the objectives set in the proposal. This result has been achieved with 1 case in WP1 and 22 completed cases in WP2. For the work concerning the EIMC activities, we have been more successful. We have communicated with spokes in the network, such as Export Club Noord-nederland, Ynbusiness, Founded in Friesland, Founded in Groningen, NOM, International Trade Support, NHL-Stenden, Hanzehogeschool, etc. We have found a variety of companies, willing to participate in the Innovation Health Check activity. Hanze has assisted 8 companies with Innovation Health Check. BDF has found 14 cases. Several cases have been discussed with the network partners. This has resulted in some coaching activities from network partners to the innovative companies. All companies have been offered matching services from EEN (COSME). Several companies (7) have answered positively and are in the client journey list for the period 2022-2025. 1 company has been assisted to get a partnership in an Erasmus Plus funded project (approved). 12 of the 22 companies in the EIMC services have been signposted to regional innovation funding. Companies have found a total 500 K euro innovation support financing at several regional funding sources. The best funding sources were MIT (EFRO-based innovation funds, operated by SNN) and VIA (EFRO-based innovation source operated by SNN). Companies received between 35.000 and 70.000 Euro. Two companies were signposted to Leeuwarden Innovation Funds, resulting in an investment of 25.000 euro. Several EIMC cases are described in the Part B report. “The Hanze International Business Office and Enterprise Europe Network helped us out to refine our innovation strategy. This created a new view on our internationalization road map.” “Before we started with the IHC, we scored mediocre on financial benchmarks implementing new projects. Projects were realised too late and with more costs then budgeted. Because of better understanding now our staff plans much more accurate, and all criteria are on target". These are two quotes of companies have received assistance. As outlined in the application for H2020 work in the years 2020 and 2021, the consortium has connected to partners within the network. The following partners in the network have been asked to think of clients for the EIMC assistance. Ynbusiness (first line assistance for SMEs in Friesland), Inqubator Leeuwarden (incubation program for start-ups), Start-up visum project of Founded in Friesland and Founded in Groningen, FLINC (investor readiness program) and Bestart (accelerator program. Several one-on-one sessions have been organized. Initially, some events were planned to explain the business support structure about our EIMC services. Due to COVID-19 we were forced to go to digital or physical one-on-one meetings. 3 NON-EU founder start-up companies have been signposted to EEN for EIMC services to evaluate their innovation model. Besides COVID-19 which has an impact on meetings with SMEs as described above, it also had implications on networking. The lack of network moments prevented the wide spread of WP4 mentoring work to the regional networks. However, due to the existing structures, it was possible to call upon partners from the network (described in section 1) and meet with them or exchange views. All activities took more time efforts but were realised as planned. The deviation from the planned target in the northern Netherlands EEN consortium was in KAM provided assistance. We already anticipated on that in the proposal. Not many candidates from our region were selected for the SME Instrument Phase 1 and Phase 2. Nor did we find a lot of candidates in FTI or FET activities. Therefore, we needed to spend our time efforts on EIMC candidates. This has been highly successful in the region. And we also were able to attract candidates of IHC into the COSME activities. Since we did not find severe issues and deviations, we did not identify serious actions to improve on our results. We want to highlight here that the evaluation by the Hanze Hogeschool lecturers learned that the SMEs in the region seem to have a tendency of over graduating their achievements on innovation and are able to improve significantly on innovation as related to strategy. Communication about this research with organizations in the region like Ynbusiness and Innovatie Pact Fryslan demonstrate a likewise feeling of other business support organizations. We have undertaken action on innovation together with the province of Friesland and have started to organize workshops for SMEs to benefit more of Europe. Together with Europe Ready Fryslan and VNO/MKB (Employer organization) we have set up a meeting for SMEs to draw their attention to innovation and to create a structural approach for it in the strategy building process.
