COST - CALL 2016

1.       What is COST and what does COST do?

COST is European cooperation in science and technology.
·         COST encourages trans-, multi- and interdisciplinary approaches by integrating researchers, engineers and scholars from different fields and horizons.
·         COST plays a very important role in building a European Research Area (ERA).
·         The aim of COST is widening participation
COST does not fund research itself, but supports networking  activities. Networking activities contain the European networks of researchers across all science fields to coordinate nationally funded research.

2.       What can be financed by COST? 

·         COST finances different meetings, short term scientific missions, training schools and dissemination activities through COST Actions. With this link you can find the examples of currently running COST Actions.
·         Structure of COST action: Every COST Action has an objective, defined goals and clear deliverables.

3.       Who and How to participate in COST action?

·         Participation is open to researchers:
in universities, research centres, large and small, public and private organisations from all 36 COST Member Countries and its Cooperating State, from any science and technology field,at any career stage, having any original, innovative idea.
COST funding is accepted if at least five participating COST Member Countries are jointly applying for the COST action.
·        How to participate:
Submitting a proposal for a new COST Action; joining an existing COST Action; becoming a COST External.Expert.

4. Follow up of COST ations?

·         COST Action can pave the way to or establish synergies with  EU-funded research projects.
·         Collaboration within research projects inside one COST action can lead to new COST Actions enhancing the networking potential of such consortia.
·         All COST Acion events are available select from http://www.cost.eu/events

5. Timing to apply for COST action:

·         A link to a continuous open call. Call has a one-stage submission process and has two collection dates per year.
·         25.04.2016 is a new closing date to submit COST networking proposal with European partners in Research.
Do you have an idea and need a help? à Vlakwa team is ready to help , contact Violeta Kuzmickaite.

Fast Track to Innovation Pilot - a strong opportunity for industry

1. What is FTI?

The FTI Pilot is H2020 call - FTIPilot-01-2016. FTI pilot is cutting across two of the Horizon 2020 priorities - 'Societal Challenges' and 'Industrial Leadership'.
FTI aims to accelerate the commercialisation process, to reduce the time from idea to market and to increase the participation of industry, SMEs and first-time industry applicants.

2. What can be financed?

FTI is open to the bottom-up ideas from innovative industrial-research entities across Europe. It is a challenge-based, industry-focus in any mature new technology field, and it is an innovator-driven, having at least TRL6 or more (technology readiness level-TRL). It is the only fully bottom-up H2020 call promoting close-to-the-market innovation activities open to all types of participants.

3. What (the project contents) and Who?

What?
·         The project should have a demonstration stage that goes to market uptake, including
piloting, test-beds, systems validation in real world/working conditions, validation of business models, pre-normative research, and standard-setting.
·         Project target must be mature new technologies, concepts, processes & business models that need the last development step to reach the market & achieve wider deployment.
·         Project must include a business plan and describe market potential, business opportunities for participants, credible commercialisation strategy and identify next steps specifying other actors to be involved.
·         Must address IP protection and ownership and to the possibility of commercial exploitation ('freedom to operate').
·         Project can be interdisciplinary. 

Who?
Minimum conditions:
·         Open to any legal entity – consortia no more than 5 participants
·         ≥ 60% of the overall budget MUST - to industrial partner(s) or
·         Minimum number of industrial partners: 2 out of 3 or 4 partners, or 3 out of 5 partners.

4. Timeline and how much?

·         It is a permanently open call, with cut-off dates: 01.06.2016, 25.10.2016
·         Innovative action 70% EU funding support (for non-profit org. -100%). Total budget for 2016 - €100 million.
·         Funding rate: EU grant up to €3 million per project.
·         How long? - to go from mature idea to market within 3 years' time after starting to support an action.

For more information about the call FTIPilot-01-2016 (Innovative Action –IA):
·         Work Programme – see the link here. 
·         Call FTIPilot-01-2016 text – here.

Do you have new ideas and need help? – Contact us Violeta Kuzmickaite and Charlotte Boeckaert.