Open Calls and Business Opportunities
The German programme Entrepreneurship Explorer Ruhr 2022 is now open for applications until April 11. The programme is free of charge, with a duration of one week in May and is aimed at international students, early career researchers (PhD students, postdocs), solo founders or teams, early-stage start-ups working in different high tech areas (esp. cyber security, material, robotics, AI, chemistry). Entrepreneurship Explorer Ruhr 2022 will enable participants to test and implement innovative business ideas in the Ruhr area, Germany, explore the local ecosystem – one of the most vibrant startup communities in high-tech industries in Europe, and receive mentoring support for successful development of team, product and business model, as well as look for clients and investors from the region. Details about the programme can be found here.
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PULSATE, the new PAN-European Network under the Horizon 2020 designed to boost the adoption of Laser-based Advanced and Additive Manufacturing, is looking for small and medium-sized enterprises that are interested in introducing laser-based advanced technologies and additive manufacturing technologies. Businesses have the opportunity to receive funding of up to 25,000 euros and 3 months of mentoring for performance evaluation. The application deadline is March 31. The call is aimed at companies that are looking for radical changes towards flexible production and highly digitalized production environments from areas such as aerospace, automotive, medical devices, industrial machinery, customised electronics, textiles & clothing. More information can be found here.
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The second call of the SHOP4CF consortium is now open and looking for use cases that solve real challenges in the production environment and improve the safety and well-being of people at work. SHOP4CF (Smart Human Oriented Platform for Connected Factories) is funded by the EU under the Horizon 2020 Programme and aims to create an infrastructure for the deployment of human-centric industrial applications. Under the project, 20 partner organizations are developing a comprehensive software platform containing a wide range of components that cover a wide range of industry requirements in the context of modern, flexible and data-rich manufacturing. With its second open call, the project is looking for new contributors (integrators, manufacturing companies, developers) who solve problems related to the automation of monotonous, labor-intensive work and / or increase human productivity and safety with a focus on workplace well-being. The proposed use-cases should have a clear positive impact on several components listed here.
The call also aims to expand the ecosystem of industrial corporations relevant to the consortium’s objectives. The budget of the call is 1.2 million euros, the project has an estimated duration of 8 months. Applications can be submitted by individuals or teams (at least one must be an SME). Proposals must show a high degree of feasibility within the 8-month period of the programme. Apply until April 30.
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The European Innovation Council (EIC) has published 3 open calls for funding opportunities worth over € 1.7 billion for the following eligible applicants:
- Multi-disciplinary research teams to undertake visionary research with the potential to lead to technology breakthroughs in any field (grants up to €3 million under EIC Pathfinder)
- To turn research results into innovation opportunities, focusing on results generated by EIC Pathfinder projects and European Research Council Proof of Concept projects, to mature the technologies and build a business case for specific applications (grants up to €2.5 million under EIC Transition). €60.5 million is allocated to tackle three Transition Challenges: Green digital devices for the future, process and system integration of clean energy technologies and RNA-based therapies and diagnostics for complex or rare genetic diseases.
- SMEs and start-ups can apply anytime for EIC Accelerator grants and equity investments.
Links to each open call are available here.
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The Sustainable Cities Fund, which implements the largest financial instrument of the Fund of Funds – the Urban Development Fund under OP “Regions in Growth” 2014-2020, plans funding of nearly BGN 100 million for the implementation of project proposals for urban development, economic activities and green transformation in Sofia and the eligible cities in Southern Bulgaria. Municipalities, public and private companies can apply for funding in 2022 with project ideas for urban development in the following areas:
- improving the quality of the urban environment – parks, zoos, playgrounds, markets, town squares, bike lanes, alleys and sidewalks, etc .;
- development of cultural infrastructure – cultural centers, theaters, community centers, libraries, operas, galleries, exhibition halls, etc .;
- sports infrastructure – sports halls, swimming pools, football fields, stadiums, etc .;
- investments in areas with potential for economic growth – former industrial areas, construction and renovation of business and industrial parks, logistics and retail parks, technical infrastructure, etc.
- development of eco-friendly and sustainable urban mobility – traffic management, parking lots, ev-charging stations, etc .;
- increasing energy efficiency in student dormitories.
You can find more about the Sustainable Cities Fund and application guidelines here.
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Start-up companies and SMEs at different stages of their development, as well as private and public organisations and city administrations with urban development projects, can explore other opportunities provided by the Fund of Funds in support of Bulgarian entrepreneurs. The Fund allocates targeted public funds from European Union programmes and national co-financing through various financial instruments and fund managers, through which the financial resources reach the final beneficiaries. The Fund also manages a resource under the Recovery Programme, designed to help Bulgarian companies to overcome the COVID-19 crisis. In the podcast episodes of the Fund of Funds and Bloomberg TV Bulgaria you can hear more about what companies and projects can apply for debt or equity funding and how.
