EU Funding by KSi Malta

EU Funding Assistance We advise and support our clients, be they private companies, public organisations, or NGOs, in exploring, applying for and managing EU funding for the implementation of their innovative initiatives and related activities. Hands-on Assistance Hands-on assistance is provided all along the project life cycle stages:  Situation analysis - identifying appropriate funding programmes for clients’ envisaged initiatives and assessing the feasibility of receiving such funding support;  Development & application - developing ideas into structured projects, searching for European partners as necessary, representing the client in European fora and networks, drafting and submitting funding proposals;  Implementation - negotiating the grant agreement with the European Commission funding body, managing the project and the consortium, promoting the project, grant administration, technical and financial reporting;  Follow-up - devising a plan for the exploitation of the results, organising outreach activities, coordinating and conducting workshops, seminars, trainings;

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Checks & Reviews - preparing the audit trail necessary for any post-implementation checks and evaluations from the European Commission.

Accessing other sources of finance We also support our clients to avail themselves of other sources of finance, according to their stage of organisational development, as well as the nature and size of their projects, like for example:  national funding programmes, like the R&I Fund run by Malta Council for Science and Technology, the Digital Games Funds, etc.  national incentives, like the Investment, R&I and Training Aid programmes offered by Malta Enterprise,  seed capital and other equity - be it from business angels, venture capital funds or crowd-funding,  bank loans and mezzanine financing - like for example under the Bank of Valletta Startup Plus and JEREMIE schemes, European Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Council of Europe Bank, etc.

 other international donors like the United Nations, United States Aid for International Development, Canadian International Development Agency, as applicable, particularly for innovative or development focused projects to be undertaken or applied in emerging and developing countries.

© 2014 KSi Malta, a member firm of the KS International an association of independent member firms. All rights reserved. No one should act or rely on information prior to seeking appropriate professional advice on his/her specific situation.

Brand new EU funding programme for innovative SMEs Over 3 billion euros will be allocated during the period 20142020 through a new funding instrument specifically tailored to the SMEs’ characteristics. Simplified and streamlined conditions and procedures, shorter time-to-grant period, use of lump sums and derogation from the typical pan-European project partnership requirement, are all applied in this new support programme. Over 250 million euro are budgeted for 2014, with funding proposals being received any time as from 1st March and the first cut-off date being 18th June 2014. The programme is addressed exclusively to internationally oriented SMEs (that can apply on their own or in consortia with others) that would like to develop innovative new products, services, solutions, technological and business processes, or new market applications of existing technologies, addressing specific challenges across a vast range of topics, like:  Accelerating the uptake of nanotechnologies, advanced materials or advanced manufacturing and processing technologies  ICT open disruptive innovation schemes  Boosting biotechnology-based industrial processes  Clinical research for the validation of biomarkers and/or diagnostic medical devices  Sustainable blue growth - marine, maritime and inland water bio-economy  Resource-efficient eco-innovative food production and processing  Space

feasibility of any innovative idea and developing it into a groundbreaking concept (e.g. product, service, process, design) that works. Risk assessments, market and user involvement studies, intellectual property assessment and management, innovation strategy development, partner search, feasibility of concept and the like are all activities that could be undertaken in this phase. The estimated time for undertaking such activities is 6 months. In Phase II, a grant of 0.5 to 2.5 million euro (typically at a 70% co-funding rate) will be provided for bringing a commercially viable innovative concept, to industrial maturity and ready for the market. Eligible activities in this sense can cover demonstration, testing, prototyping, piloting, scaling-up, miniaturisation, design, market replication and the like, but may also include some research. The envisaged project duration under this phase II is between 12 and 24 months. Proposals for this phase are to be based on an elaborated business plan, developed either through phase 1 or otherwise (with SMEs being also able to apply directly for phase 2). For technological innovation, the technology per se should have been already demonstrated in a relevant environment, and the development of innovative applications should be now undertaken in operational environments. In Phase III, no grants are available but SMEs can benefit from indirect support measures and services, like for example: investment readiness training, development of a growth plan, promotion, connection to and networking with potential financiers and clients in Europe and beyond, access to the risk finance facilities supported by the European Investment Fund and European Investment Bank. The SME instrument is implemented through an open call as from 1st March 2014. Proposals are being evaluated individually when they arrive but ranked and approved for funding within the available budget after a number of cut-off dates within the year. It is thus important that proposals are submitted as soon as possible.

 Low carbon and efficient energy system  Smart, green and integrated transport  Eco-innovation and a sustainable supply of raw materials  Mobile e-government applications

SME instrument -

Phase 1

Phase 2

18/06/2014

09/10/2014

24/09/2014

Open call cut-off

17/12/2014

dates

18/03/2015 17/06/2015

 SME business model innovation  Security - protection of urban soft targets and urban critical infrastructures

17/09/2015 16/12/2015 Envisaged

time- 3 months

6 months

to-grant

This SMEs instrument is structured so as to provide seamless support along three phases. In Phase I, a lump sum funding of 50,000 euro would be provided for assessing the technological and economical

Other interesting EU Funding Opportunities

How does it apply to you?

A number of other EU funding programmes have been launched with improved conditions for the period 2014-2020.

Our services apply to you if:

The Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation is now providing more streamlined conditions for participation, incentivising the involvement of companies and SMEs. Collaborative projects requiring partners from minimum three Member States are now being co-financed at:  up to 100% in the case of research and innovation actions, as well as for coordination and support actions,  at 70% in case of innovation actions (except for non-profit legal entities that are co-financed at 100%). Under the Erasmus+ programme, companies can also apply for mobility projects for the training, including on the job, of their staff abroad. Moreover they can participate in Sector Skills Alliances and Stategic Partnership projects with various vocational and academic training organisations and industry partners for the development of new training programmes closer aligned with the actual work requirements. The new Media Programme under Creative Europe for example can be now availed of not just by film producers and distributors but also by Video Games developers and producers. Under the Neighbourhood Investment Facility assistance for the countries just south and east of the Mediterranean Sea (Libya also soon to be covered) is being provided with a view to create a business-friendly environment and to kick-start key infrastructure improvements in sectors like:

 You are planning to improve your offering by researching and developing new products, services, solutions.  You are applying new technological and/or business processes, or even new business models  You need assistance in assessing the feasibility of such innovative ideas, i.e. developing further by creating prototypes, testing, validating and demonstrating them through pilot initiatives.  You intend to take the idea to the market and commercialise it.  You like to train your staff in an international context, to expose them to innovative technologies and processes, new work practices and new markets.  You want to make the best out of the EU funding opportunities available for research, development and innovation, or for education and training related projects.  You want to make the most of the international donor funding available for initiatives in the Middle East and North Africa, or South and East European regions that present interesting emerging-market opportunities.  You need guidance and hands-on assistance to get access to finance and partners for such initiatives.

 Energy: power generation, transmission and distribution, renewable energies  Transport and telecoms: airports, air transport, roads and motorways, bridges, railways, telecoms  Environment: water and sanitation, solid waste disposal and treatment, pollution abatement, irrigation  Human and social capital: construction and refurbishment of hospitals, schools, social housing.

www.ksimalta.com

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