in Business Opportunities, Events

Czech Republic Trade Mission, 23 – 25 April 2013

Enterprise Europe Network and UKTI are organising a trade mission to the Central European Exhibition Centre, Brno, Czech Republic to enable UK companies to participate in an international business-to-business matchmaking event, Contact – Contract.

The Czech Republic is one of the UK’s largest European export markets, with sales of goods reaching £1.75 billion last year.

The Central European country holds a strong strategic position at the heart of Europe with one of the most prosperous and stable Emerging European market economies, and a highly developed infrastructure open to UK business.

Who should attend?

The event is targeted at small and medium sized companies looking to meet prospective partners and customers in the following sectors:

  • Practically all areas of the building industry
  • Wood and timber construction
  • Furniture and interior design
  • Garden and DIY
  • Municipal technology
  • Transport, finances, facility management
  • Water and waste management

Why you should participate

This is your chance to participate in one of Europe’s largest international trade fairs, you will benefit from:

  • Up to 20 pre-arranged business-to-business meetings
  • Finding new business partners, clients and suppliers
  • UKTI Czech Republic in-market briefing
  • Market overview and market “niches”
  • Free access to translators and entrance to the international trade fair
  • In-market support from EEN and UKTI
  • Our support before, during and after the event
  • Pre-event publicity
  • Services of an experienced trade mission manager

Each year Contact – Contract attracts hundreds of delegates from across Europe to participate in two days of pre – arranged business-to-business meetings.

You will have the opportunity to meet with potential clients from the private and public sector at one of the continents largest trade fairs – organised by the Hannover Messe syndicate.

Places are limited and high demand is expected for this popular event; secure your place as soon as possible to avoid disappointment and take advantage of this low-cost opportunity to meet and network with new European clients.

Is help available towards costs?

Yes – Market Visit Support financial assistance of £250 may be available for eligible companies. The deadline for  confirmation of bookings is 19th April 2013, by which date payment of the committment fee is required.

Cost: A fee of £49 +VAT is payable to secure your place on the mission.

For more information and to reserve your place please contact Mark Hofman EEN East on 01707 398069 m.hofman@eeneast.org.uk

in Funding

LIFE+ 2013 call for proposals

The seventh LIFE+ call for proposals is now open!

The deadline for applicants to submit proposals to Member State authorities via eProposal is 25 June 2013.

Application packages

Applicants must use the LIFE+ 2013 application package for the preparation of their proposals. The application packages can be downloaded below:

LIFE+ Nature & Biodiversity

The Nature & Biodiversity component continues and extends the former LIFE-Nature programme. It will co-finance best practice or demonstration projects that contribute to the implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives. In addition it will co-finance innovative or demonstration projects that contribute to the implementation of the objectives of Commission Communication (COM (2011) 244 final) ”Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020″. At least 50% of the LIFE+ budget for project co-financing must be dedicated to LIFE+ Nature and Biodiversity projects.

LIFE+ Environment Policy & Governance

The  Environment Policy & Governance component continues and extends the former LIFE-Environment strand. It will co-finance projects that contribute to the implementation of EU environmental policy, the development of innovative policy approaches, technologies, methods and instruments, the knowledge base as regards environment policy and legislation, and the monitoring of environmental pressures (including the long-term monitoring of forests and environmental interactions).

LIFE+ Information & Communication

This component will co-finance projects that implement communication and awareness raising campaigns on environmental, nature protection or biodiversity conservation issues, as well as projects related to forest fire prevention (awareness raising, special training).

in Business Opportunities, Competition, Funding

EU Funding Opportunities

Calls for funding within the EU Framework Programme 7 offer opportunities in the following sectors:
1) Water
2) R&D and Innovation
3) Energy

1. Water

Deadline: 4 April 2013

Objectives and conditions: This call is focused on developing and strengthening the coordination of national and regional research programmes. Projects will only be selected for funding on the condition that the estimate EU contribution going to SMEs is 30 % or more of the total estimated EU contribution for the project as a whole.

Eligibility: All EU27, EU accession countries, EFTA countries, international cooperation partner countries (ICPC). Open to all legal entities that are based in eligible countries. Industrial leadership is mandatory in all projects with a predominant demonstration component, in order to accelerate the market roll-out of low-carbon technologies, and encouraged in significant number of additional topics.

Overall budget: EUR 40 million

Respond to the call

2. R&D and Innovation

-  EUREKA Eurostars Programme

Deadline: 4 April 2013 (deadline for submitting joint pre-proposals)

Objectives and conditions: The Eurostars Programme will specifically enable R&D-performing SMEs to improve performance through its support of ‘in-house’ research; it will also enable companies to develop closer working relationships with the European research community. The objective of the Eurostars Programme is to bring increased value to the economy, higher growth and more job opportunities by supporting the R&D-performing SME.

Projects need to be transnational and involve at least one company, university or research institute from a EUREKA member country and another in a member or associated country (Canada, South Korea). Projects have to develop high-tech consumer products: future electronic tablets and smartphone technologies are the kind of products companies taking part in EUREKA aim at.

Eligibility:

  • Twelve national funding agencies based in Austria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, The Netherlands, Romania, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey
  • Any type of organisation (small and medium-sized enterprise, large company, university, research centre) can participate in the Eurostars project consortium.
  • Programme criteria for main participants (10% of full-time equivalent or 10% of turnover dedicated to R&D activities)

Overall budget: EUR 400 million

Respond to the call

The Eurostar programme Guidelines

- ECO-INNOVERA

Deadline: 8 April 2013 (deadline for submitting joint pre-proposals)

Objectives and conditions:

  • The second call of the ECO-INNOVERA Network aims to boost Green Growth and industrial driven R&D by addressing market-oriented projects in the fields of:
  • Topic 1 – System innovation: Proving the transformational potential of eco-innovation requires a systemic approach and differs from conventional approaches to innovation. As “System Innovation” it may lead to quite different models of production and consumption.
  • Topic 2 – Sustainable processes and products: In this topic we are looking for proposals which will mobilise the value chain (both industry partners and the knowledge base) to deliver projects which are high impact both in terms of the market opportunity they address, and the environmental/societal benefits they will enable.
  • Topic 3 – Recycling; re-use of waste and water: This topic seeks new products, processes and services which will enable significant reductions in the impact of waste and recycling processes and new products which make better use of waste and secondary materials.

Not all funding organisations participate in each theme area and funding eligibility criteria may differ for some countries/regions. Therefore, applicants are obliged to check with their national/regional contact point for this call.

A two-stage submission procedure for joint applications: pre-proposals and full proposals. Joint pre-proposals (in English) must be submitted in an electronic version no later than 8th April 2013

Eligibility:

  • Twelve national funding agencies based in Austria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, The Netherlands, Romania, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey
  • Any type of organisation (small and medium-sized enterprise, large company, university, research centre) can participate in the Eurostars project consortium.
  • Programme criteria for main participants (10% of full-time equivalent or 10% of turnover dedicated to R&D activities)

Overall budget: up to EUR 10 million

Respond to the call

Guidelines for applicants

3. Energy

Deadline: 8 May 2013

Objectives and conditions:

The objective of the Intelligent Energy – Europe II Programme (“IEE II”) is to contribute to secure, sustainable and competitively priced energy for Europe, by providing for action:
1. to foster energy efficiency and the rational use of energy resources;
2. to promote new and renewable energy sources and to support energy diversification;
3. to promote energy efficiency and the use of new and renewable energy sources in transport.

Supported activities:
- Energy efficiency
- New and renewable sources of energy
- Energy in transport
- Integrated initiatives

Applications must be submitted by a team of at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different eligible country.

Eligibility:

  • All applicants must be legal entities, whether public or private, established in the territory of the EU Member States, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Croatia

Overall budget: up to EUR 65 million

Respond to the call and guidelines to applicants

in Business Opportunities, Funding

Technology Strategy Board: Funding Opportunities

Power electronics – enabling a resilient energy system

Deadlines:
Registration for feasibility studies and collaborative R&D projects: noon on Wednesday 13th March
Full applications for feasibility studies and for expressions of interest for collaborative R&D projects: noon on Wednesday 20th March
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships: Wednesday 19th June

The Technology Strategy Board, in partnership with the Welsh Government and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, will have grant funding available for technical feasibility studies, collaborative R&D projects and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, aimed at stimulating innovation and linking the power electronics community across the supply chain to energy suppliers and original equipment manufacturers to encourage collaboration and innovation in response to current challenges.

Further information

Resource efficiency: New designs for a circular economy

Deadline for registration: Wednesday 20th March
Deadline for applications: Wednesday 27th March

The Technology Strategy will have grant funding available for single-company or collaborative feasibility studies into the re-design of products, components and systems to retain material within the economy over several cycles of use – ‘closing the loop’. The new designs should lead to products with a lower environmental impact and/or that are less dependent on the use of strategic materials.

Further information

Technology-inspired innovation – feasibility studies

Deadline for registration: noon on Wednesday 27th March
Deadline for full applications: noon on Wednesday 3rd April

The Technology Strategy Board offers grant funding for technical feasibility studies that stimulate innovation across four key enabling technology areas, including many cleantech topics such as advanced materials sustainability and security; materials for energy; and power electronics. This is not an exhaustive list.

Further information

ECO-INNOVERA

Pre-proposal deadline: Monday 8th April
Full proposal deadline: Monday 15th July

The European ECO-INNOVERA network is looking for transnational, multidisciplinary collaborative R&D projects in the areas of: System Innovation; Sustainable Processes and Products; and Recycling/re-use of waste and water. Proposals that focus on transport applications; energy generation (from conventional or renewable sources); or energy efficiency are not in scope of this competition. In addition, there are specific exclusions to the scope under the individual research topics – please check the competition brief for details.

Further information

Scaling up retrofit of the nation’s homes

Deadline for registration: Wednesday 10th April
Deadline for submission:  Wednesday 12th June

The Technology Strategy Board will soon invite applications for funding for collaborative, business-led projects to stimulate significant cuts in carbon dioxide emissions from existing homes. The aim is to allow consortia to radically improve their retrofit products in order to bring about greater take-up in the market.

Further information

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships for developing the offshore renewable energy supply chain

Deadline for applications: Wednesday 24th April

The Technology Strategy Board and Natural Environment Research Council have funding available for new Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) to stimulate and support innovation in the offshore renewable energy supply chain. Projects can be linked to the separate calls for offshore wind feasibility studies and development & demonstration projects, but this is not a requirement. KTPs enable businesses to work with the academic research base (higher/further education sector or research and technology organisations) with the help of a recently qualified KTP Associate.

Further information

Smart

Continuously open for applications, with cut-off dates for assessment of new applications normally every two months

The Technology Strategy Board’s Smart scheme can provide grant funding for “bottom up” projects that fall into one of the following categories:

-          Proof of Market
-          Proof of Concept
-          Development of Prototype

Further information

 

in Business Support, Events, Free Business Support

Exemplar Low Carbon Building: Free seminars & business support

The Exemplar Low Carbon Building project was awarded £6.2m from the European Regional Development Fund in October 2011. As a condition of this funding, the Centre for the Built Environment will provide free business support delivered through a series of CPD accredited seminars, webinars and workshops showcasing the design, build and post-occupancy of the project.

SMEs in the East of England are eligible for up to 12 hours support free of charge. Non SMEs will be charged £30 plus VAT per half day session. The seminars are CPD accredited and suitable for architects, contractors, planners, M & E consultants and other built environment professionals. The seminars will be delivered by a combination of professionals working on the Exemplar Low Carbon Building, other built environment specialists and CBE consultants and will have a maximum capacity of 15 people per session.

Upcoming events:

6 March: Ecobuild BE:Passive Reception

13 March: Biodiversity and Green Roofs in Passivhaus and Low Carbon Buildings

2-20 March: Designing and delivering Passivhaus and low carbon buildings

1-20 March: Embodied carbon, Passivhaus and low carbon buildings