Horizon 2020 SME Instrument - Societal Challenge 5

Manuel MENDIGUTÍALeyla MERTOLUnit A.2 "Horizon 2020 Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises" Executive Agency for SMEs (EASME)

Horizon 2020 SME Instrument – SC5

• SME with innovative ideas – single company ok

• Ambition to grow and have a global/EU impact

• Established SMEs with high growth potential

• Clear European dimension

• For profit SMEs of the EU and associated countries

SME Instrument target

Technology readiness level 6 or above

SME Instrument target

Why?

• Rank among the best European SMEs

• Get visibility at European and global level

• Receive high-quality business coaching

• Benefit from networking opportunities

• Get support for follow-up financing

SME Instrument phases

The 3 Project Phases

Phase 1 - Concept & Feasibility Assessment

• Feasibility study• Proposal (10 pages): Idea, initial

business plan, activities• Duration project: ~6 months• EU funding: €50 000 • Up to 3 coaching days

=> Outcome: feasibility assessment with a more elaborated business plan

Phase 2 – Innovation Project• Proposal (30 pages): idea with

feasibility assessment+ full business plan

• EU funding: €0.5 -€2.5M• Up to 12 days coaching• Duration:1-2 years• Develop project through

innovation strategy

Þ Outcome: Þ new idea (product, service, process) to

launch on the market Þ a business innovation plan with a

commercialization strategy & plan to attract investors

Phase 3 – Commercialisation • No stand-alone phase!• No direct funding• Facilitate access to risk finance • Support services• Networking opportunities• EEN helping business

commercialisation

Topics for 2014 & 2015• High risk ICT innovation• Nanotech, or other

advanced tech for manufacturing and materials

• Space research and development

• Diagnostics devices and biomarkers

• Sustainable food production and processing

• Blue growth

• Low carbon energy systems• Greener and more integrated

transport• Eco-innovation and sustainable

supply of raw material• Urban critical infrastructure• Biotechnology-based industrial

processes• Mobile e-government

applications (2015 only)• SME business model innovation

(2015 only)

BUDGET

€3.000 million from 2014-2020

2014 2015 2016 2017

253,02 259,87 353,40 385,91

Eligibility

• Profit-SMEs

• <250 employees

• <€50 million turnover/ balance sheet <€43 million

• SME based in EU MS or H2020 Associated Countries

Evaluation of proposals• By independent experts• Award criteria:

• IMPACT• EXCELLENCE• QUALITY

• Threshold• Phase 1 : per individual criteria is 4. Overall is 13• Phase 2 : per individual criteria is 3 (except for "Impact"

which is 4). Overall is 12

Evaluation: IMPACTConvince evaluators that your project will make money and create jobs

• Market (will to pay) - targeted users• Market conditions – competition – Market share• Commercialisation plan• EU/global dimension• Knowledge protection• Jobs created in Europe

Evaluation: EXCELLENCEConvince evaluators that your innovation is excellent

• Innovative product/process/service• Viable & Disruptive technology• Added value• Better than existing solutions• Commercial potential• Understanding of risks and opportunities

Evaluation: IMPLEMENTATIONConvince evaluators that you will make it

• Credibility of the work plan• Right resources internally• Right partners and stakeholders• Team organisation • Realistic time frame

Unsuccessful proposals were:

• too strongly technology-oriented• Missing company profile • Not describing innovative technology• Not including convincing commercial potential –

''freedom to operate'' assurance; • Not mentioning the least required TRL6 (Ph1–Ph2)• Not correct topic chosen!

First lessons learnt

Before taking a strategic decision to apply

• Look carefully at the programme target• Assess if your project is mature • Take advise on other funding programmes from

NCP, EEN or others, notably incubators • Try a 3 minute pitch • If you work with a consultant choose a

success fee rather than a fixed price

Hints and tips

When applying: • Make sure your proposal is balanced and

covers all aspects of each evaluation criteria• Write to convince evaluators to invest • Put concrete realistic figures• Invest in a caching title and a good abstract• Use the full 10 pages (phase 1) – delete the

hints in the template• Form matters, test your proposal, review the

language

Hints and tips

PHASE 1 & 2: 2014-2015

Funded projects per cut-off

SC5 topic:budget 2014-2015

Cut-off date: all topics

18/06/2014 24/09/2014 9/10/2014 17/12/2014 17/12/2014 18/03/2015 18/03/2015 17/06/2015 17/06/2015 TOTAL TOTAL

Phase 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2

N° of proposals received 2.662 1.947 580 2.363 629 1.569 614 2.029 962 10.570 2.785

N° of proposals evaluated 2.603 1.920 571 2.328 611 1.539 597 2.017 946 10.407 2.725

Above threshold 317 237 132 320 180 251 230 342 357 1.467 899

Rate of positively evaluated 12% 12% 23% 14% 29% 16% 39% 17% 38% 14% 33%

Funded 155 178 60 259 74 149 37 128 44 869 215

Success rate 6% 9% 10% 11% 12% 9% 6% 6% 5% 8% 8%

Cut-off date: SC5 topic

18/06/2014 24/09/2014 9/10/2014 17/12/2014 17/12/2014 18/03/2015 18/03/2015 17/06/2015 17/06/2015 TOTAL TOTAL

Phase 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2

N° of proposals received 250 201 30 248 69 170 52 219 91 1.088 242

N° of proposals evaluated 248 196 30 245 68 166 51 218 89 1.073 238

Above threshold 32 29 4 48 15 38 21 48 42 195 82

Rate of positively evaluated 13% 15% 13% 20% 22% 23% 41% 22% 47% 18% 34%

Funded 12 15 4 33 9 10 3 9 3 79 19

Success rate 5% 7% 13% 13% 13% 6% 6% 4% 3% 7% 8%

RESULTS:2014-2015

PHASE 1:2014-2015

Funded projects per topic

PHASE 2:2014-2015

Funded projects per topic

PHASE 1 & 2: 2014-2015

Funded projects per country

SC5 PHASE 1 & 2: 2014-2015

Funded projects per country

SC5 PHASE 1 & 2: 2014-2015

Funded projects classifications

SC5 PHASE 1 & 2: 2014-2015

Funded projects relatedto recycling

SME Instrument

SC5 showcase

SME instrument grant2014 - Phase 1

CREST project: Revolutionizing weather forecast models for the tropical region, which are used for implementing Climate Resilient Agriculture in West Africa. 82% accuracy compared to 39% for existing conventional models. Farmers can boost their yield.

UPCYCLING THE OCEANS project: High quality clothes made from marine plastic litter. Objective: produce and sell fabrics and clothes made from marine plastic litter, by recycling and industrial methods to convert these plastics into high properties textiles.

SME instrument grant2014 - Phase 1

SME instrument grant2014 - Phase 12015 - Phase 2

An autonomous and mobile water treatment plant powered by solar energy. Goal: providing a solution for fast, simple and efficient wastewater treatment and energy supply for remote regions.

SME instrument grant2014 - Phase 1

Slight Granulation project: innovative production process reducing water and the energy consumption in ceramic tiles industry. The new process will address a specific phase of production chain (i.e. granulation), reducing by 40% the use of water and completely cutting off energy consumption.

EASME Websitehttp://ec.europa.eu/easme/node/37

Interactive Map of beneficiaries(Phase 1 & Phase 2)

• National Contact Point for SMEs http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/support/national_contact_points.html#c,contact=country/sbg//1/1/0&function_details..function_abbr/sbg/SMEs/1/1/0&+person.last_name/desc

• Enterprise Europe Network http://een.ec.europa.eu/about/branches

• Twitter SME Instrument https://twitter.com/h2020sme • EASME website

• http://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/horizons-2020-sme-instrument• https://ec.europa.eu/easme/node/750• https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/question-sme-instrument

• IPR Helpdesk https://www.iprhelpdesk.eu/ • Any questions: EASME-SME-HELPDESK@ec.europa.eu

Practical info points:

http://ec.europa.eu/easme/sme/

EASME-SME-HELPDESK@ec.europa.eu

Thank You!QUESTIONS?

@H2020SME