VInnovate
How to Apply
VINNOVATE CALL 2024
VInnovate potential beneficiaries must be located in a VInnovate member region, and every VInnovate applicant will have to comply with requirements of the regional/national instrument to which the beneficiary is applying, as well as VInnovate criteria described below.
The project consortium can be eventually complemented with additional partners (“associated partners”) not funded through instruments activated in VInnovate (i.e. instruments connected under VInnovate mechanism)
Each project consortium will be composed of VInnovate beneficiaries (excl. “associated partners”) complying with the following criteria:
- at least 2 organisations located in at least 2 VInnovate member regions/countries and at least 2 different Member States;
- at least one SME (following the European Commission's definition).
Step one - Opening of the call
Potential applicants (especially SMEs) can receive support towards elaborating possible proposals in the form of activities organised by VI Pilots. All potential applicants are invited to contact one of the VI pilot leads listed on the relevant pilot webpages in order to be informed about possible activities established by the pilots:
- Bio-Economy
- Efficient and Sustainable Manufacturing (ESM)
- High Performance Production through 3D Printing (3DP)
- Advanced Manufacturing for Energy Related Applications in Harsh Environments (ADMA)
- New Nano-Enabled Products (NANO)
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Smart Health / Personalised Medicine
- Hydrogen (H2)
Step 2 – Submission of VInnovate Project Fit Form, by no later than 16.09.204
VInnovate applicants are requested to send a filled out project fit form (1 form per consortium/project) by the 30th of September 2024 (23:59 Brussels time) at the latest to the following address: [email protected] . Results of the assessment will be provided in less than 10 working days.
Such results are indications about the alignment between the project characteristics and the VInnovate project eligibility criteria. The assessment does not evaluate the quality of the project idea. The results of the assessment should therefore by no mean be considered as a confirmation or indication of funding.
The ‘Project Fit Form’ needs to be filled out and signed by the consortium partners, and sent to the VInnovate secretariat, by the interregional project coordinator.
Such step can be facilitated upon request by the VI Participating regions listed on this page, and by the VI pilot leads.
Step 3 – Assessment Project Fit Form, in no more than 10 working days
An assessment of the project fit form is made by the VInnovate secretariat in no more than 10 working days. This assessment focuses only the VInnovate eligibility criteria and on ensuring that there is no major inadequacy identified between the partners, their activities and the targeted regional funding instruments. The assessment will not evaluate the quality and provided justifications. Only those projects for which the project fit form was assessed positively can then submit the regional proposals.
Any project fit form (dully completed and signed) will have to be submitted before 16.09.2024 (23:59 CET).
Step 4 - Submission of ‘regional proposals’, at regional level
Applicants can elaborate the ‘regional proposals’ at any moment in time. However, in order to be eligible, only projects having received a positive assessment of the project fit form, can proceed with the submission of associated “regional proposals” in regional/national agencies, following the requests and procedures at regional/national level.
Regional proposals will have to be submitted by 30.10.2024 (23:59 CET). Each applicant must attach to the regional proposal, a draft consortium agreement (unsigned).
Such consortium agreement will have to be signed by all consortium partners when they receive the positive funding decision (see steps 6 and 7).
Step 5 – From evaluation to a consensus meeting
- Regional/national assessment of the regional/national eligibility and selection criteria, following the regional/national procedures.
- Upon regular requests from the VInnovate Secretariat, regions will inform the VInnovate secretariat about the progress made in terms of evaluation.
- When all evaluation results of a given interregional project are available, the VInnovate secretariat informs the involved region and can facilitate, upon requests of the regions, an “information sharing” meeting focused on the project. Such meetings, gathering regional representatives or evaluators, can enable discussions regarding the outcomes of the evaluation at regional level. Eventually, based on the discussions, a region can decide to adapt its ‘evaluation’ outcomes based on possible insights shared by another region. Such optional meetings would be particularly relevant for proposals when discrepancy in evaluation outcomes is identified (e.g.. one region with a project negatively evaluated, two regions with positive evaluations).
- By 13th December 2024, all regions are then required to submit, to the VInnovate
secretariat, their ranked list of projects positively evaluated (i.e. project reaching the possible thresholds fixed at regional level), and of projects selected for funding. The set of projects selected for funding can be eventually smaller than the set of projects positively evaluated, for example in case of budget limitations at regional level. - On 16th December 2024, a “consensus” (from a projects’ selection point of view) meeting will take place. Taking into account the compilation of the lists shared by regions, the aim of the meeting is to select the projects to be funded.
A project will be funded if all regions involved have selected the project for funding. If discrepancies in evaluation decisions occur, this will automatically impact the list of ‘projects selected at regional level’, and de-facto the list of projects selected for funding at VInnovate level.
Step 6 - Decision and communication
Based on the outcomes of the consensus meeting, each regional/national agency formalises its funding confirmation, on 16th December 2024. Applicants are informed by the regional/national agencies of the results on 18th December 2024. The VInnovate Secretariat then also contacts all beneficiaries, through a communication to the entire consortium. Such dual communication enables the VInnovate secretariat to address the ‘interregional’ aspects (in particular the draft consortium agreement) and the regional agencies to request for specific information.
Step 7 - Agreements and contracts
The consortium agreement is to be signed after the funding decision has been communicated and before applicants sign their contracts with the respective funding agencies. Matters related to funding will be handled according to the respective national/regional agencies ‘rules. The complete set of signatures on the consortium agreement is a prerequisite for funding. Projects will be monitored according to the rules of the respective country/region. Hence, technical as well as financial reporting will be required according to national/regional rules as well. Arrangements will be made during the funding negotiation process.
