Project description
A closer look at SME innovation support initiatives
In today’s global and competitive economy, SMEs innovate to survive. A similar pressure has now fallen on public sector players who are scrambling to keep pace with SME innovation. The EU-funded 200SMEchallenge project will allow a selected set of innovation agencies to set up, implement and scientifically evaluate the impact and effectiveness of a novel SME innovation support initiative. Based on the results, the project will draft and disseminate a guide to a larger set of innovation agencies. The aim is to encourage these agencies to take up the piloted scheme, and scale it up to other domains. This will be in the format of an Innovation Challenge, based on guidelines developed by the INNOCHALLENGE project.
Objective
Public innovation agencies strive at keeping the pace of SME innovation demand and traditional grant-based models remain the main source to fund research and innovation. However, public innovation agencies seek opportunities to implement supporting schemes pivoted on new approaches. Similarly, European policy makers at all levels experience a lack of robust evidence of the impact of both existing and new supporting models.
200SMEchallenge project will allow a selected set of innovation agencies to set up, implement and scientifically evaluate the impact and the effectiveness of a novel SME innovation support initiative; on the basis of the results, a complete Guide will be delivered and disseminated to make it possible to a larger set ot innovation agencies to take up the piloted scheme, and possible scale it up to other domains.
The piloted support initiative has the format of an Innovation Challenges (a.k.a. innovation prize). In particular, the proposed Challenge aims at impacting on SMEs awareness on the benefits of adopting design thinking and user-centric design validated practices (e.g. the Design Sprint) to the extent of validate market fit and technology requirements during the early stages of a new product development (NPD) process.
In order to meet such goals project partners will first build capacity to execute the Innovation Challenge, building on guidelines to be developed by an INNOSUP-05 H2020 project (INNOCHALLENGE), as well as from the know-how gathered during previous small scale pilots of the initiative. The experimental rollout of the novel scheme will be framed as the intervention action of an overarching RCT (Randomized Control Trial) study, which will overall involve 200 SMEs. By doing so, the project will deliver sound evidence of impact of the experimental initiative, and validate it as a new SME innovation policy tool.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.2.3.2.2. - Enhancing the innovation capacity of SMEs
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
CSA - Coordination and support action
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-INNOSUP-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
38123 Trento
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.