Deadline: 31-Jul-23
Applications are now open for the INGENIOUS Innovation Grants to address small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the Energy Intensive Industries and other SMEs that can be providers of solutions to the EII towards green and digital transition and resilience.
The INGENIOUS (Building resilience and accelerating transition to green and digital economy in Energy Intensive Industries) – Euroclusters project fosters SMEs operated in energy intensive industry to develop innovative projects.
The INGENIOUS Innovation Grants will support projects that are aligned with the major challenges where SMEs need to accelerate the implementation of the digital and green transformation by:
- providing affordable, clean and efficient technology solutions,
- developing new business models,
- innovating their services, technology and production lines,
- open new markets.
Challenges
The challenges for INGENIOUS project focused on Energy Intensive Industries are the following:
- Challenge #1: Efficient and sustainable decarbonisation processes.
- to reduce the impact of operations on the environment.
- to identify and implement cost-effective technologies to reduce carbon emissions.
- Challenge #2: Technology improvement and/or product innovation for digital transition.
- to keep up with the rapid pace of technological advancement.
- to integrate new technologies into existing systems without causing disruption.
- to ensure data privacy and security during the digital transition.
- Challenge #3: Technology improvement and/or product innovation for green transition.
- to identify and prioritize the most effective and sustainable technologies/practices.
- to overcome barriers to entry in the market for green technologies.
- to collaborate with stakeholders and policymakers on creating supportive regulatory environment.
- Challenge #4: Closing loops for efficient and sustainable process innovation.
- to develop innovative solutions for waste reduction and resource efficiency.
- to change the mindset of the organization to prioritize circular economy principles.
- to ensure smooth integration of closed-loop processes into existing operations.
- Challenge #5: Ensuring safer and more efficient energy transition and supply.
- to balance the need for stable energy supply with the adoption of cleaner energy sources.
- to implement safety protocols to minimize risks during the energy transition.
- to navigate complex regulatory landscape surrounding energy.
- Challenge #6: Advanced materials leading to competitive higher sustainability and digitalization.
- to identify and develop materials that can improve sustainability without compromising performance.
- to integrate advanced materials into existing process and product.
- to overcome potential supply challenges related to the sourcing and production of advanced materials.
- Challenge #7: New-to-firm solutions and business strategies to face the challenges to overcome the EU-external dependency.
- to adapt to changing market conditions and regulatory environments.
- to foster culture of innovation and adaptability to respond to external challenges effectively.
Funding Information
- The applicants can apply for a grant of max. €60.000 (including one mandatory training per SME for Resilience preparedness/business continuity training worth €250) covering 100% of the eligible expenses. The total budget reserved in Ingenious for the Innovation Grants is € 1.000.000.
- Maximum funding per SME: 60.000 €
- Maximum funding per project: 180.000 €
Duration
- The project duration 12 months;
- The expected TRLs for funded activities under this open call have to be between TRL 6-9. The projects have to be minimum at TRL 5 at the beginning of the project activities.
Eligible Activities
- Development of a prototype
- Demonstrating technologies in a relevant or operational environment
- Testing technologies in a relevant or operational environment
- Validation of technologies
- Designing a business case
- Designing and engineering a pilot
- Process optimisation
- Product development
- Eligible activities must be addressed to at least one of the following challenges:
- Efficient and sustainable decarbonisation processes
- Technology improvement and/or product innovation for digital transition
- Technology improvement and/or product innovation for green transition
- Closing loops for efficient and sustainable process Innovation
- Ensuring safer and more efficient energy transition and supply
- Advanced materials leading to competitive higher sustainability and digitalization
- New-to-firm solutions and business strategies to face the challenges to overcome the EU-external dependency
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible participants:
- Applicants must declare their SME status in accordance with the SME definition of the EU.
- At least 10% of the supported SMEs will come from EU regions different from the countries of individual Euroclusters’ partners. Specific attention will be paid to EU-13 countries in the calls and those EU regions with which the Euroclusters’ partners had no previous cooperation and shall focus on engaging actors from regions with different levels of economic development. INGENIOUS consortium will keep track of this in the eligibility of proposals-phase following the closure of the Open Call and prior to the assessment.
- Applicants need to be active in some of the following sectors:
- Energy Intensive Industries: metalworking, nano, plasma technology, raw materials, chemistry, construction
- Solution provider: ICT, energy resources, circular economy, advanced manufacturing.
- Applicants must declare their financial stability
- Applicants must be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)) and Ukraine
- non-EU countries
- Hungarian applicants should not be excluded from participating in the Open Calls but you will need to verify that such Hungarian entities receiving FSTP funds are not part of the entities
Evaluation Process
The SMEs should form consortia consisting of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 SMEs. SMEs of EU and Ukraine are eligible to participate. Potential consortium that can be comprised by 2 or 3 SMEs:
- 1 SME as challenge owner and 1 SME as a solution provider.
- 2 SMEs as challenge owners and 1 SME as a solution provider.
- 1 SME as challenge owner and 2 SMEs as solution providers.
For more information, visit European Union.