Funding opportunities for the Food GRP
Eevi Laukkanen
University of Warwick, 9 January 2014

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Brief overview

The European Union’s funding instrument for research and innovation
(2014-2020)

Horizon 2020 overarching priority:
Exiting the economic crisis through sustainable growth
• Budget of € 70.2 billion
• Coupling research to innovation – from basic research to bringing ideas to
the market
• Focus on societal challenges EU society is facing (e.g. health, clean
energy, food security, integrated transport)
• Focuses resources on areas of high growth and innovation potential
• Key measures to support industrial leadership, particularly innovative SMEs
• More open, bottom up areas
• Significant investment in excellence
• Promise of simplified access for all
• Leverage private investment in key technologies (PPPs, JTIs)
• Encourages pooling of resources through Public-Public partnerships
Excellent
Science
Industrial
Leadership
Societal
Challenges
Health and Wellbeing
European Research
Council (ERC)
Leadership in Enabling
and Industrial
Technologies (LEIT) ICT, KETs, Space
Future and Emerging
Technologies (FET)
Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Actions (MSCA)
Research Infrastructures
Food security
Transport
Energy
Climate action
Access to Risk Finance
Societies
Security
Innovation in SMEs
Widening Participation; Science with and for Society
European Institute of Innovation
and Technology (EIT)
EURATOM
Joint Research Centre (JRC)
Overall objective: “to strengthen the excellence of European
research”

World class science is the foundation of tomorrow’s
technologies, jobs and wellbeing

Europe needs to develop, attract and retain research talent

Researchers need access to the best infrastructures

Total budget €21.6 billion
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Strategic investments in key technologies (e.g. advanced
manufacturing, nanotechnologies and materials) underpin
innovation across existing and emerging sectors
Europe needs to attract more private investment in research
and innovation
Europe needs more innovative SMEs to create growth and
jobs
Emphasis on combining enabling technologies to find
solutions for societal challenges – particularly energy
efficiency targets, sustainability and climate change objectives
Total budget €15.04 billion

Concerns of citizens and society + EU policy objectives

Breakthrough solutions come from multi-disciplinary
collaborations, including social sciences and humanities

Addressing challenges requires full research & innovation
cycle, from research to market

Focus on policy priorities without predetermining technologies
or types of solutions to be developed

Total budget €26.2 billion
Excellent Science
Industrial Leadership
Societal Challenges
• Bottom-up funding
• Defined topics
• Defined topics
• Basic and applied
research
• Applied research
• Applied research
• Investigator centred
projects (ERC)
• Transnational,
multidisciplinary, multisectoral projects
• Transnational,
multidisciplinary, multisectoral projects
• PhD training (MSCA)
• Innovation Actions
• Fellowships (MSCA)
• Research & Innovation
Actions
• Research & Innovation
Actions
• Networking (MSCA)
• Transnational,
collaborative projects
for novel technology
ideas / concepts (FET)
• “Excellence over
impact?”
• Innovation Actions
• SME actions
• SME actions
• Industrial problem
solving
• Societal problem solving
• “Impact over
excellence?”
• “Impact over
excellence?”

28 EU Member States (Croatia joined in 2013)

Associated Countries (similar list to FP7 expected)

Third countries (funding will depend on GDP)
• BRIC no longer eligible for automatic funding
• List of eligible third countries in Horizon 2020 ‘General
Annexes’:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/20
14_2015/annexes/h2020-wp1415-annex-ga_en.pdf
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Basic model for ‘Research and Innovation actions’ =
collaborative projects
• 100% direct costs +
• 25% indirect costs (overhead)
Basic model for “Innovation actions” projects = collaborative
closer to market projects
• 70% direct costs +
• 25% indirect costs
For Universities involved in innovation projects: 100% direct costs
Some calls different – e.g. inducement prizes
Marie Curie calls different – fixed allowances
2014-2016 Strategic Programme
 Aims at ensuring a coherent, evidence-based
implementation
 Will guide the preparation of the work programmes
 Defines areas of special focus for the first work
programmes
2014-2015 Work Programmes
 Two-year work programmes
 Common topics structure: “Specific challenge”,
“Scope”, “Expected Impact”, “Type of action”
Pillar 1 – Excellent Science

The ERC seeks to fund the best ‘frontier research’ proposals
submitted by excellent researchers, with excellence as the single
peer review criterion.

Will fund projects led by a Principal Investigator, if necessary
supported by a team (no need for pan-European collaboration)

Will operate on a ‘bottom-up’ basis, without pre-determined
research priorities. 25 panels in 3 domains which proposals can be
submitted to:
 Physical Sciences and Engineering
 Life Sciences
 Social Sciences and Humanities
Total ERC budget: €11.6bn (compared with €7.5bn in FP7)
Starting Grants
2-7 years postdoc
Up to €1.5-2m for 5 years
Consolidator Grants
7–12 years postdoc
Up to €2-2.75m for 5
years
Advanced Grants
Leading researchers
Up to €3-3.5m for 5 years
Synergy Grants
2 – 4 PIs
Up to €15m for 6 years
Proof of Concept
ERC grant holders
€150k for up to 18 months
Horizon 2020 general funding rate of 100% direct
+ 25% indirect costs applies
Call identifier
Publication date
Deadline
ERC-2014-StG
11 December 2013
25 March 2014
ERC-2014-CoG
11 December 2013
20 May 2014
ERC-2014-AdG
17 June 2014
21 October 2014
ERC-2014-PoC
11 December 2013
1 April 2014
1 October 2014
ERC-2015-StG
tbc
3 February 2015
ERC-2015-CoG
tbc
12 March 2015
ERC-2015-AdG
tbc
2 June 2015
ERC-2015-PoC
tbc
23 April 2015
1 October 2015
Call budget, €M
(estimated number
of grants)
485
(370)
713
(400)
450
(200)
15
(100)
411
(315)
603
(340)
640
(285)
15
(100)
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Operates in a ‘bottom-up’ basis
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Open to all research and innovation domains – from basic
research to market take-up
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Mobility is a key requirement
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Aim: develop new knowledge / enhance skills of people
behind research and innovation

Dissemination and public engagement through public
outreach activities
Total budget: €6.2bn (compared with €4.7bn in FP7)
Horizon 2020 - MSCA
ITN
IF
RISE
COFUND
Innovative Training Networks
(Early Stage Researchers)
Individual Fellowships
(Experienced Researchers)
Research and Innovation Staff Exchange
(Exchange of Staff)
Cofunding or regional, national and international
programmes
Simplified funding, based on unit costs
Call identifier
Publication date
Deadline
Call budget, €M
MSCA-ITN-2014
11 December 2013
09 April 2014
405.18
MSCA-RISE-2014
11 December 2013
24 April 2014
70
MSCA-IF-2014
12 March 2014
11 September 2014
240.50
MSCA-COFUND2014
10 April 2014
02 October 2014
80
MSCA-ITN-2015
02 September 2014
13 January 2015
370
MSCA-RISE-2015
06 January 2015
28 April 2015
80
MSCA-IF-2015
12 March 2015
10 September 2015
213
MSCA-COFUND2015
14 April 2015
01 October 2015
80
Pillar 2 – Industrial Leadership
Pillar 3 – Societal Challenges
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Horizon 2020 collaborative projects are a little different!
• A strong challenge-based approach – broader topics
• Covers whole research to close-to-market continuum
• Strong involvement of industry, especially SMEs
• Applicants have considerable freedom to come up with
innovative solutions – less prescription
• Strong emphasis on expected impact
• More cross-cutting aspects (e.g. SSH, gender, international
collaboration)
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Research and innovation actions (R&I)
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Innovation actions

Co-ordination and support actions (CSA)

Prizes

Fast-track to innovation
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SME instrument
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ERA-NET Cofund
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Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP)
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Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions (PPI)

Description
• “Action primarily consisting of activities aiming to establish
new knowledge and/or to explore the feasibility of a new or
improved technology, product, process, service or solution”

Funding rate: 100% + 25% indirect costs

Multi-beneficiary
• Minimum: three legal entities each of which established in a different
Member State or associated country

Respond to challenges set in the Societal challenges or
Industrial Leadership pillars

Bottom up in FET open (directed in FET proactive)

Description
• “Action primarily consisting of activities directly aiming at producing
plans and arrangements or designs for new, altered or improved
products, processes or services. For this purpose they may include
prototyping, testing, demonstrating, piloting, large-scale product
validation and market replication”

Funding rate: 70% (100% for non-profit) + 25% indirects

Multi-beneficiary
• Minimum: three legal entities each of which established in a different
Member State or associated country

Respond to challenges set in the Societal challenges or Industrial
Leadership pillars

Description
• “Action consisting primarily of accompanying measures such as
standardisation, dissemination, awareness-raising and
communication, networking, coordination or support services,
policy dialogues and mutual learning exercises and studies,
including design studies for new infrastructure”

Funding: 100% + 25% indirects

Mono or Multi-beneficiary
• Minimum one legal entity established in a Member State or Associated
Country

Respond to direction given in the Societal Challenges or
Industrial Leadership pillars, and in FET
Pillar 2 – Industrial Leadership

Emphasis on combining enabling technologies to find solutions
for societal challenges – particularly energy efficiency targets,
sustainability and climate change objectives

Cross-cutting themes:
• Integration of technologies
• Demonstration of capacity to make and deliver innovative products and
services
• User and customer pilots to prove feasibility and added value
TRL 1
Basic principles observed
TRL 2
Technology concept formulated
TRL 3
Experimental proof of concept
TRL 4
Technology validated in lab
TRL 5
Technology validated in relevant environment (industrial environment in the
case of KETs)
TRL 6
Technology demonstrated in relevant environment (industrial environment in
the case of KETs)
TRL 7
System prototype demonstration in operational environment
TRL 8
System complete and qualified
TRL 9
Actual system proven in operational environment (competitive manufacturing
in the case of KETs; or in space
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Strong focus on industrial involvement and applied
research
Developing industrial capacity in focus areas:
• Key Enabling Technologies (KETs)
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Micro- and nano-electronics,
Photonics
Nanotechnologies
Advanced Materials
Biotechnology
Advanced Manufacturing and Processing
ICT in Leadership in enabling
and industrial technologies
(LEIT)
New generation of
components and
systems
Content
technologies and
information
management
Advanced
Computing
Future Internet
Robotics
Micro- and
nano-electronic
technologies/
Photonics KETs
Cross-cutting and horizontal activities and International
Co-operation
Robotics
PPP
5G PPP
Photonics
PPP
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Overall aim is to bring the benefits of progress in
technologies to European citizens and businesses

ICT can help address Europe's societal challenges
(e.g. sustainable healthcare, healthy ageing, better
security, lower carbon economy, intelligent transport)

Support for development of ICT in ‘Excellent Science’,
ICT in ‘Industrial Leadership’ and ICT in ‘Societal
Challenges’
Pillar 3 – Societal Challenges
Societal Challenges
€ bn
SC1 Health, demographic change and wellbeing
6.6
SC 2 Food security, sustainable agriculture, marine and
maritime research & the Bioeconomy
3.4
SC3 Secure, clean and efficient energy
5.2
SC4 Smart, green and integrated transport
5.6
SC5 Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and
raw materials
2.7
SC6 Inclusive, innovative and reflective societies
1.2
SC7 Secure societies
1.5
Cross-cutting
theme in H2020
LEIT:
Factories of the
Future
Challenge 6:
Cultural heritage
and European
identities
Challenge 6:
Europe in a
changing world
Challenge 3:
Secure, Clean
and Efficient
Energy
LEIT: Advanced
materials
Challenge 2:
Food Security
Challenge 1:
Health,
demographic
change and
wellbeing
Challenge 6:
Europe as a
global actor
Challenge 5:
Climate action
Challenge 4:
Smart, Green and
Integrated
Transport
Food
Challenge
Energy
Challenge
Transport
Challenge
Climate
Challenge
Health
Challenge
Security
Challenge
IIR
Challenge
Sustainable food security
(Societal Challenge 2)
Availability and access to sufficient safe and nutritious food
Competitive and resource-efficient aquatic and terrestrial food production
systems covering:
Eco-intensification of production;
Sustainable management of natural resources (including climate change
mitigation and adaption);
Technologies for a sustainable food chain;
Reduction of food waste and exploitation of food processing
by-products in the food chain;
Safe foods and healthy diets for all;
A global food security chain.
Blue Growth: unlocking the potential
of seas and oceans
(Societal Challenge 2 Food)
(contributions from SC3 Energy, SC4 Transport, SC5 Climate)
Improve the understanding of the complex interactions between
various maritime activities, technologies, including space enabled applications,
and the marine environment to help boost the potential of the marine and
maritime economy through research and innovation
Valorising the diversity of marine life
Sustainable harvesting the deep-sea resources
New offshore challenge
Ocean observation technologies
Socio-economic dimension
Waste: a resource to recycle, reuse and
recover raw materials
(Societal Challenge 5 Climate)
(contributions from SC2 Food, WP5 Nanotech/biotech)
Boost development of innovative, environmentally friendly and cross-sectoral
waste management solutions;
Build a better understanding of environmental impact of human activities;
Raise societal awareness in order to use resources effectively
Mitigate dependency on imported raw materials
Whole production and consumption cycle from waste prevention
and the design of products and processes to waste disposal
or reuse including organisational, management
and behavioural change
Health, demographic change
and wellbeing
Examples of 2014-15 topics for food research:
Focus area: Personalising health and care

Effective health promotion, disease prevention, preparedness and screening
• PHC-07-2014: Improving the control of infectious epidemics and foodborne outbreaks
through rapid identification of pathogens
Implemented as single stage call for ‘Research and Innovation Actions’, deadline on 15
April 2014
Minor, diet-related, food research aspects also in:

Integrated, sustainable, citizen-centred care
• PHC 26 – 2014: Self-management of health and disease: citizen engagement and
mHealth
• PHC 28 – 2015: Self-management of health and disease and decision support systems
based on predictive computer modelling used by the patient him or herself
Food Security, Sustainable
Agriculture, Marine and Maritime
Research and the Bio-economy
Examples of 2014-205 topics for food research:
Focus area: Sustainable Food Security

Sustainable food production systems
• SFS-1-2014/2015: Sustainable terrestrial livestock production
• SFS-2-2014/2015: Sustainable crop production
• SFS-3-2014: Practical solutions for native and alien pests affecting plants
• SFS-4-2014: Soil quality and function
• SFS-5-2015: Strategies for crop productivity, stability and quality
• SFS-7-2014/2015: Genetic resources and agricultural diversity for food
security, productivity and resilience
• SFS-9-2014: Towards a gradual elimination of discards in European
fisheries
• SFS-10-2014/2015: Tackling disease related challenges and threats faced
by European farmed aquatic animals
• SFS-11-2014/2015: Implementation of an Ecosystem-based approach for
European aquaculture
Implemented as two-stage calls for ‘Research & Innovation Actions’
2014 deadline: 12 March 2014

Safe food and healthy diets and sustainable consumption
• SFS-12-2014: Assessing the health risks of combined human exposure to
multiple food-related toxic substances
• SFS-13-2015: Biological contamination of crops and the food chain
• SFS-14-2014/2015: Authentication of food products
• SFS-15-2014: Proteins of the future
• SFS-16-2015: Tackling malnutrition in the elderly
• SFS-17-2014: Innovative solutions for sustainable novel food processing

Global drivers of food security
• SFS18-2015: Small farms but global markets: the role of small and family
farms in food and nutrition security
• SFS19-2014: Sustainable food and nutrition security through evidence
based EU agro-food policies
• SFS20-2015: Sustainable food chains through public policies: the cases of
the EU quality policy and public sector food procurement
Implemented as two-stage calls for ‘Research & Innovation Actions’
and ‘Innovation Actions’ (SFS-17-2014)
2014 deadline: 12 March 2014
Focus are: Blue Growth

Sustainably exploiting the diversity of marine life
• BG-1-2015: Improving the preservation and sustainable exploitation of
Atlantic marine ecosystems
• BG-2-2015: Forecasting and anticipating effects of climate change on
fisheries and aquaculture

Horizontal aspects, socio-economic sciences, innovation,
engagement with society and ocean governance across the blue
growth focus area
• BG10-2014: Consolidating the economic sustainability and
competitiveness of European fisheries and aquaculture sectors to reap
the potential of seafood markets
Implemented as two-stage calls for ‘Research & Innovation Actions’
2014 deadline: 12 March 2014
Innovative, Sustainable and Inclusive Bioeconomy
Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry
• ISIB-1-2014: Provision of public goods by EU agriculture and forestry:
Putting the concept into practice
• ISIB-3-2015: Unlocking the growth potential of rural areas through
enhanced governance and social innovation
 Implemented as two-stage calls for ‘Research & Innovation Actions’ ,
 2014 deadline on 12 March 2014
Cross-cutting actions covering all activities
• ISIB-8-2014: Towards an innovative and responsible bioeconomy
 Implemented as one-stage calls for ‘Coordination & Support
Action’ , deadline on 26 June 2014
Climate action, resource
efficiency and raw materials
Examples of 2014-2015 topics for food research
Focus area: Waste – A resource to recycle, reuse and recover raw
materials
Towards a near zero waste society
• WASTE-2-2014: A systems approach for the reduction, recycling and
reuse of food waste
 Implemented as a two-stage call for ‘Research & Innovation Actions’
 Deadline on 8 April 2014
Focus area: Water Innovation – Boosting its value for Europe
Treasuring our water
• WATER-2-2015 Integrated approaches to food security, low-carbon
energy, sustainable water management and climate change mitigation
 Implemented as a two-stage call for ‘Research & Innovation Actions’

European Commission pages on EU-funded research on the bioeconomy,
plus details of new EU Bioeconomy Strategy:
• http://ec.europa.eu/research/bioeconomy/policy/

European Commission pages on EU ‘Blue Growth’ strategy:
• http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy/blue_growth/index_en.htm

European Innovation Partnership on Agriculture:
• http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eip/

Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate
Change (UK among the participating countries):
• http://www.faccejpi.com/
Practicalities of proposal
preparation

Two selection criteria
• Financial capacity: in line with financial regulation and rules for participation
• Operational capacity: assessed ability to carry out the project effectively

Three award criteria
• Excellence, Impact, Implementation

Each criteria scored out of 5
• Threshold for each is 3
• Overall threshold: 10
• For innovation actions impact score weighted at 1.5

Proposals then ranked by scores
Projects funded according to ranking within budget

Priority order for proposals with same score

• Highest excellence score*; then highest impact score*; then size of budget for
SMEs; then gender balance in project team
*) for ‘Innovation actions’ this order is reversed
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The extent to which work corresponds to topic description
Clarity and pertinence of objectives
Credibility of approach
Soundness of approach including transdisciplinary aspect
Progress beyond state of art
Quality and efficiency of implementation


Coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, including
appropriateness of allocation of tasks and resources
Appropriateness of management structures and procedures,
including risk management

The extent to which project outputs will contribute at European
and/or international level to
• Enhancing innovation capacity and integration of knowledge
• Strengthening the competitiveness and growth of companies by developing
and delivering innovations meeting the needs of European and global
markets

Effectiveness of the proposed project to exploit and disseminate
results (including management of IPR), to communicate the project,
and to manage research data where relevant
Note: for innovation actions impact criterion weighted at 1.5

Check the Horizon 2020 calls - do they cover your research area?
Get active with networking and building links with potential partners
Who are the key players?
Who has been involved in previous projects / stakeholder groups?
How can you meet them?
• Attending national, Commission and other brokerage events
• Joining the EU evaluators database
• Joining relevant stakeholder groups
ERC, Marie Sklodowska-Curie are bottom-up!

Sign up for UKRO Portal, and choose ‘policy’ category

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Participation options
• Coordinator = responsible for leading the project, managing the
project finances and representing the Consortium vis-à-vis the
Commission
• Partner = responsible for delivering its part of the project and
managing its share of the funding

Third parties:
• Sub-contractor = contracted by one of the beneficiaries to carry
out specialised tasks that are not ‘core’ project tasks
• Other third party = making available its resources to a
beneficiary or in very specific cases carrying out parts of the
work on behalf of a beneficiary
Beneficiaries

Co-ordinator
 Prepares and submits proposal
 Links with the Commission and the consortium members
 Monitors compliance on the project
 Financial distribution, record keeping, reports to the
Commission
 Organises scientific and project management meetings
 Maintains the Consortium agreement
Partner
 Works on their work package(s)
 Submits reports to Co-ordinator
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Be focused and know what you want to do
Find out who the key ‘players’ are
Take up all opportunities for contact
Raise your profile
Consider what your ‘unique selling point’ is
Attend EC Information days – good networking
opportunity
Use networks and other EU initiatives to “advertise” your
availability and expertise
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Existing contacts
FP7 Projects: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/projects_en.html
EU conferences (including information events around Horizon 2020
calls): http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/newsroom
Brokerage events
Contacts through project evaluation work – sign up as expert!
European Technology Platforms: http://cordis.europa.eu/technologyplatforms (e.g. Food for Life)
Partner searches
•
NCPs
•
CORDIS
•
Enterprise Europe Network
Horizon 2020 website on ‘Food and Healthy Diet’
• http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/area/food-healthy-diet
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Upcoming events:
Connecting Research and Practice – Opportunities for Innovation in Agriculture
and Rural Areas under Horizon 2020
Brussels, 14 January 2014
ERRIN Horizon 2020 Bioeconomy Brokerage Event
16 January 2014, Brussels
EC Info day: Societal Challenge 2 and LEIT Biotechnology
Horizon 2020: 2014 calls for proposals
17 January 2014, Brussels
European Agri-Food and Seafood sectors Conference
10-11 March 2014, Athens
Sign up to the UKRO portal and you will receive:
 Updates on the likely funding priorities for Horizon 2020 in
each planned area
 Updates on key events
 Updates on call dates and management/financial issues
 Updates on opportunities to feed in to the programme’s
development (i.e. formation of expert advisory groups,
evaluator registration, other calls for expressions of interest)
 ‘UKRO understands’: early information
 New: UKRO Horizon 2020 Factsheets!

Questions?
Contact
University of Warwick’s European Advisor at UKRO:
Email: Blazej.Thomas@bbsrc.ac.uk
Phone: +32 2 286 9057
Email: Eevi.Laukkanen@bbsrc.ac.uk
Phone: +32 2 286 9055