Successfully Applying
for EU Projects
How SMEs can draw R&D and Market Deployment Funds from
EU Sponsored Projects
1
Some Ideas on EU Programme Structures
for the ITC Sectors
R&D
IST FP6
eContent
eTEN / TEN-Telecom
Market
2
Project Application: The Steps Ahead
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•
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Developing a Project Idea
Analysis of EU Support Programmes
Choosing the RIGHT Programme
– In this case: eTEN, eContent, IST FP6
– Websites:
• http://europa.eu.int/information_society/programmes/eten/partici
pate/index_en.htm (eTEN)
• http://www.cordis.lu/econtent/call201202.htm (eContent)
• http://www.cordis.lu/ist/workprogramme/fp6_workprogramme.ht
m (IST)
•
•
•
•
Checking the Website(s) for the next published or
planned Call
Visiting the resp. Information Day in Brussels
Exact Plan to meet the Application Date
Building a European Consortium
3
Working in an EU Consortium – The Roles
•
The Project Coordinator
– There is only one Project Coordinator per Project
– The Project Coordinator is the Head of the Project Team; he handles all
contractual, administrative, legal and payment issues with the Commission
– The Project Coordinator also has the Project Management Role
– His organisation should be financially strong as well as viable
•
The Contractors
– The Contractors usually are the endusers of the products and/or services
developed and/or tested under the umbrella of the project
– They should also be financially strong and viable
•
The Members
– The Members usually are the private and/or public institutions who are doing the
R&D and technical work
– They mostly stem from the private sector and are hoping to sell the products /
services finetuned, shaped and tested to a broader EU or worldwide group of
clients
– This role has been deleted for all new FP6 contracts!
•
The Subcontractors
– Subcontractors carry-out certain work for the a.m. Project partners.
– They are the only ones to get fully refunded.
4
Roles for SMEs in EU Projects
• SMEs can initiate EU projects
• SMEs can work in EU projects as
– Members and Subcontractors
– Contractor in a smaller project
• SMEs should join forces with a bigger pilot client/enduser from the private or public sector who should take
the Contractor and/or Project Coordinator Role
• Never underestimate the pains of administering, project
managing and funds collecting in international EU
projects
• Participants should be financially stable since EU
contracts usually take much longer to be remunerated
than planned
5
Writing the eTEN Proposal
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•
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•
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First step: Read and analyse the Work
Programme and the Call Documents
These data can be acquired via the Internet
Sites of the EU Commission
The proposal has to have substance and it
has to present a real EU scope
Applying for eTEN has become a lot easier
because of a very strictly formalised proposal
entry procedure
How proposals for eTEN should look like is
roughly presented on the next folio
6
eTEN Project Phases & Funding
P
R
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D
E
P
L
O
Y
M
E
N
T
P
H
A
S
E
S
D
E
P
L
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Y
M
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N
T
P
H
A
S
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S
Research and development
Phase 1
(technical studies, design and development, technical validation)
• Business plan
Phase 2
Evaluation of Business
plan
• Market validation
Phase 3
• Initial Market deployment
P
R
O
J
E
C
T
- Co-funding of Business plan
and Market validation
(up to 50 %)
P
FORMS OF COMMUNITY
H FUNDING
A
(up to 10% of total investment
S
E cost)
S
F
U
N
D
E
D
- Direct grants
- Interest rebates
- Contributions to guaranty fees
- Risk capital
Phase 4
Full Market deployment
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eTEN: Focus on Common Interest
Innovation

Market focus
Socio-economic
benefit


Trans-European

Sustainable
mass market
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Example I:
eTEN / TEN-Telecom Project SUPER
SUPER
Single Unified Portal for Enterprise Requests to Public
Administrations
FEASIBILITY/VALIDATION PROJECT
9
Structur of SUPER Consortium
Super
Consortium
Subteam ITA
COBO & RER & ENG & PROBO
& RER & SINTRA
Subteam GER
SAAR & SYSTAG
Subteam UK
NORFOLK & CAPITA
Subteam Belgium
TELEPO & KKNA
SAAR
COBO
NORFOLK
TELEPO
SYSTAG
PROBO
CAPITA
KKNA
ENG
ERVET
SINTRA
10
SUPER Project - Framework
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•
•
•
Duration: 01.10.2001 – 31.07.2002
Volume: ca. 3 Mio. €uro
Type: Market Validation
EU Co-Funding: 50% of total project cost
applied / agreed-to by the Commission
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Exampe II:
eTEN / TEN-Telecom BPS
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Scope Business Plan Support
• To support TEN-Telecom / eTEN project
participants in writing good Business
Plans
• The support should be easy to use,
complete, practical, and EU wide
• Helping to create a EU-wide Business
Plan Culture in R&D projects & ventures
13
3 Phases Model
Draft
Business Plan
Business Idea
Full Business Plan
Phase III
Phase II
Width
Phase I
Time
Month 0
Month 6
Depth
Months 18-24
14
Specialties of
Business Plan for an EU Project
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BPS: Online Databases
• Business Plan Literature and Software
• Business Plan Addresses
• Online HelpDesk
• FAQ
• Discussions
• Downloads
• Newsletter
• Events
 all in an EU-wide scope
16
Data Suppliers
Multinational Partners
Partner 1
Data Users
Multinational Clients
Q
Reg.
TT
Reg.
TeamRoom
Partner 2
Partner 3
Online
Data Entry System
Data
bases
Reg.
Online HelpDesk
Partner n
Reg.
TT
Q = Quality Control
17
Development / Service Databases
• Development in
Metzingen (near
Stuttgart)
Hennef (Cologne)
Saarbruecken
• Internet & Database Servers
in Hennef (Cologne)
18
Content / Project Management
• Organisation
Specifications
PR
Quality Control
Events
• Collecting / Researching
Data for Austria and Germany
19
National / international Partners
- BPS Consortium
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•
•
•
•
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Attorney Heyland (Brüssel and Königswinter/Bonn)
useConsult (Bornheim/ Bonn) QM
Strategem (Manchester)
Arttic France (Paris, Marseille)
Nexture Consulting srl (Ivrea)
Comase (Charleroi)
German-Greek Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (Athens)
• German-Swedish Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (Stockholm)
• Inmark (Madrid)
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Technical Infrastructure
National Partners
BPS Project
21
BPS Project - Framework
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Duration: 01.01.2001 – 31.12.2002
Volume: ca. 850 K€uro
Type: Support Measure
EU Funding: 100% of total project cost
applied / agreed-to by the Commission
For Info: Final payment of 30% not
received, yet
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Contact Data
SystemConsult Theis & Partner GmbH
Olgastrasse 12 - D-72555 Metzingen
Tel. (+49) 7123 9202-48
Fax (+49) 7123 9202-49
Web: http://www.systag.com &
http://www.sct-international.com
E-Mail: systemconsult@systag.com
BPS:http://www.TEN-Telecom-bps.net &
http://www.bps-europe.net
E-Mail: bpsinfo@TEN-Telecom-bps.net &
bpsinfo@bps-europe.net
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