Scientific Potential in Support of Innovation Development

Deadline: 20-Aug-21

European Commission is calling for proposals for Scientific Potential in Support of Innovation Development to strengthen the scientific community and facilitate a better approach for the creation of an innovation-based environment at the national level.

Objectives

The global objective of this call for proposal is to contribute to strengthening research excellence and innovation system of Montenegro and the capacity of human resources in science and innovation.
The specific objective of this call for proposals is to improve the link between science and industry on the basis of the Smart Specialization Strategy (2019-2024) through increased mobility of young researchers. Focus on provision of technical and commercial experience for young researchers will create more possibilities to link with the industry, while at the same time the applicant(s) will boost their research and development capacity and gain access to fresh research talent and ideas.

Priorities

The priorities of this call for proposals are:

Engagement of young researchers, particularly young women, in academy and industry sector through innovative project proposals based on the priorities of the Smart Specialization Strategy. Engagement of female researcher(s) will bring an additional value-added element to the project proposal;
Providing opportunities for young researchers to gain experience in research and development and innovation, exchange of knowledge and increase of their applied research competences;
Increase in the number of projects that will raise the levels of research and development and innovation activities in organisations/ institutions and enable them to reach competitive edge in applied research and product/service/process development.

Funding Information

The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is 1,176,470.60 EUR.
Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
- minimum amount: 80,000.00 EUR
- maximum amount: 125,000.00 EUR
Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum percentages of total eligible costs of the action:
- Minimum percentage: 50% of the total eligible costs of the action.
- Maximum percentage: 90% of the total eligible costs of the action

Eligibility Criteria

Lead applicant

In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
- be a legal person;
- be a specific type of organisation such as:
  - scientific research institution licensed by the Ministry of of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Montenegro. Please note that the license must be effective at the time of submission of the application;
  - public or private university or faculty unit, as defined by the Law on High Education of Montenegro. Faculties have to apply under the legal entity of their university, unless they have legal personality independent from their university;
  - micro, small or medium size enterprise as defined by the Law on Accounting of Montenegro (Official Gazette of Montenegro No 52/16) registered under the Company Law for at least 5 years before deadline for submission of the concept note
  - Business support organisation (such as business centres, entrepreneurial centres, business incubators, innovation centres, innovation entrepreneurial centres, etc.)
  - Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO)
- be established in a Member State of the European Union or in any other country as specified within Annex I of the IPA II Regulation
- be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary.

Co-applicant(s)

Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.
Co-applicants must sign the mandate in Part B Section 4 of the grant application form.
If awarded the grant contract, the co-applicant(s) (if any) will become beneficiary(ies) in the action (together with the coordinator).

Affiliated Entity(ies)

The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies).
Only the following entities may be considered as affiliated entities to the lead applicant and/or to co-applicant(s):
Only entities having a structural link with the applicants (i.e. the lead applicant or a co-applicant), in particular a legal or capital link.
This structural link encompasses mainly two notions:
- Control, as defined in Directive 2013/34/EU on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings:
  - Entities affiliated to an applicant may hence be:
    - Entities directly or indirectly controlled by the applicant (daughter companies or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant (granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of control;
    - Entities directly or indirectly controlling the applicant (parent companies). Likewise, they may be entities controlling an entity controlling the applicant;
    - Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (sister companies).
- Membership, i.e. the applicant’ is legally defined as a e.g. network, federation, association in which the proposed affiliated entities also participate or the applicant participates in the same entity (e.g. network, federation, association,…) as the proposed affiliated entities.