WEFO’s Horizon 2020 Unit: supporting Welsh organisations Geraint Green Head of Horizon 2020 Unit Welsh European Funding Office
Feb 05, 2016
WEFO’s Horizon 2020 Unit:supporting Welsh organisations
Geraint GreenHead of Horizon 2020 Unit
Welsh European Funding Office
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich Dyfodol Europe and Wales: Investing in your future
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich dyfodol Europe & Wales: Investing in your future
WEFO’s Horizon 2020 Unit
• Established in January 2013• A central contact point (one-stop-shop) for
integrated, consistent and targeted advice and support for Welsh organisations on accessing the most appropriate research and innovation funding from the EU
• Teams in North and South Wales
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich Dyfodol Europe and Wales: Investing in your future
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich dyfodol Europe & Wales: Investing in your future
Rationale for Unit
• Building on existing relationships with Welsh Government Departments, the European Commission, Higher Education and those representing business needs
• Located in WEFO – maximising opportunities for synergy with the Structural Funds
• Extra resources and ambition to ‘raise the game’ in Wales
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich Dyfodol Europe and Wales: Investing in your future
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich dyfodol Europe & Wales: Investing in your future
Role of Unit
• Proactively engaging and targeting existing Welsh, UK and EU resources and expertise for the benefit of Welsh organisations
• Working with stakeholders to identify gaps in advice/support and how best to address them
• Where appropriate enhancing the support available through additional investment, with Structural Funds likely to play a role
Bid writing
Technical advice
Capacity building
Financial support
Specific networks
National Contact Points
Horizon 2020
Unit
Others
ChiefScientific Advisor
ES&TSectorTeams
Welsh Higher
Education
UKRO
Enterprises
European CommissionUK
Depts
Technology Strategy
Board
Welsh Government
Depts.
HEFCW
Welsh Higher Education
Brussels
Welsh Government
Office Brussels
Enterprise Europe Network Wales
(EEN)
Sector forums
Overview of WEFO’s added value approach todelivering Horizon 2020 support
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich Dyfodol Europe and Wales: Investing in your future
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich dyfodol Europe & Wales: Investing in your future
Examples of Unit’s activity
• Targeted awareness raising, e.g. today’s workshops• Working with stakeholders to build new links
between existing support structures• Working with stakeholders to identify and target
‘competitive funding ready’ researchers and businesses
• Focussing investments on building capacity or addressing barriers that will ensure improved access to competitive research funding
The Challenge:
For example, raising the participation of industry and SMEs is important.
Not easy but there is something to build on…
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich Dyfodol Europe and Wales: Investing in your future
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich dyfodol Europe & Wales: Investing in your future
SCoRE Cymru
• Supporting Collaborative Research and innovation in Europe
• Grants to support Welsh-based organisations with the costs of accessing EU programmes such as Horizon 2020
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich Dyfodol Europe and Wales: Investing in your future
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich dyfodol Europe & Wales: Investing in your future
SCoRE Cymru: Currently supports…
• The travel and accommodation costs involved in:
– identifying and building consortia,
– negotiation of contracts
• The cost of subcontracted expertise for:
– writing funding proposals,
– negotiation and conclusion of consortium agreements and/or contracts
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich Dyfodol Europe and Wales: Investing in your future
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich dyfodol Europe & Wales: Investing in your future
SCoRE Cymru: Grant available
Travel – up to £1,000 – Up to 100% of the costs for SMEs– Up to 75% of the costs for HE– Up to 50% of the costs for other organisations
travelling with a Welsh SME/HE partner
Expertise - up to £10,000– Up to 100% of the costs for all organisations
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich Dyfodol Europe and Wales: Investing in your future
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich dyfodol Europe & Wales: Investing in your future
SCoRE Cymru: Features• Quick turnover time• Supports early consortium building• Travel outside the EU and to UK
destinations allowed under certain circumstances
• Assessment criteria focus on quality of proposal and added value
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich Dyfodol Europe and Wales: Investing in your future
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich dyfodol Europe & Wales: Investing in your future
Other WG activity supporting the ‘stairway to excellence’
• A4B: technology transfer collaborations• Innovation Vouchers (£25k/1yr)• SMART Cymru: grants for feasibility to exploitation• IP advice (PATLIB)• Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (KESS)• Business support
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich Dyfodol Europe and Wales: Investing in your future
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich dyfodol Europe & Wales: Investing in your future
Unit’s current activity
• Continuing to engage with stakeholders• Identifying key EU/UK events• Developing targeted Welsh workshops• SCoRE Cymru applications• Considering Structural Fund ideas• Scoping Study on Horizon 2020 support in
Wales underway
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich Dyfodol Europe and Wales: Investing in your future
Ewrop & Chymru: Buddsoddi yn eich dyfodol Europe & Wales: Investing in your future
Thank you