We inform you that the second EIT Manufacturing open call is open to support consortia that aim to accelerate the marketing and dissemination of innovative technical solutions already identified and recognized as mature within the manufacturing sector..
With this initiative, EIT Manufacturing will finance projects and organizations committed to transforming European production, capable of meeting the global needs of present and future generations, by obtaining:
- Flexible manufacturing systems for competitive manufacturing, based on the fact that emerging technologies allow for nearly unlimited product design and manufacturing flexibility, allowing for complete customization;
- Systems with low environmental impact and circular economy for ecological production which, by means of new technologies aimed at minimizing the use of resources, energy and materials in production systems, enable new circular business models;
- Digital and collaborative solutions for innovative production ecosystems to enable collaboration and business on digital platforms and the creation of new, particularly efficient value chains;
- Solutions that allow collaborative operations between man and machinery for a socially sustainable production, based on the belief that the intelligent use of automation and robots allows the creation of new and interesting professional figures to be used in flexible production but in a sustainable working context.
More specifically, in the context of the Call in line with the European Industrial Plan 2023-2025, three lines of action are identified as follows:
- Proposals for innovation activities in the areas:
- Automation for human-centered factories;
- Smart technologies for circular and green production;
- Innovative solutions to address the industrial challenges caused by global crises.
- Proposals for educational activities in the areas:
- Training of specific skills capable of creating innovation and entrepreneurship for manufacturing (skill-driven learning) – a complete digital learning program to support students to develop the skills to transform innovations into products and services in the manufacturing sector;
- Circular production (skill-driven learning) – didactic game to create awareness and develop basic skills in circular economy and sustainability of the work activities of manufacturing workshops;
- Skills training for the topics covered by EIT Manufacturing (skill-driven learning) – improvement of skills and retraining of the workforce currently employed in the manufacturing sector to support newly hired individuals and apprentices in developing the necessary technical skills;
- Creation of a Summer School in continuity with the 2023 annual program of the EIT Manufacturing Doctoral School (cutting-edge learning paths) that offers innovative value-added modules for the programs of the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT).
- Proposals for the creation of companies capable of guiding EIT Manufacturing into a pre-acceleration program for the start-up of manufacturing companies, in coordination with five pre-selected virtual incubation activities, in order to make the incubator being established for the industry 4.0.
Funded activities
The innovation activities (in the areas described in point 1) support projects with TRL (Technology Readiness Level) from 6 to 8. The marketing of the product or service developed is a mandatory KPI (Key Performance Indicator) to be achieved during or within 6 months from completion of the project, with a proven revenue of at least € 10,000. The planned achievement of additional optional KPIs, identified in the call text, will positively contribute to the evaluation of the proposal.
Who can apply and eligibility criteria
All organizations eligible for funding under the Horizon Europe program are eligible to apply. It is not necessary to be already included in the list of EIT Manufacturing partners to apply for funding but, by becoming such, you will have access to a valuable source of experience and potential collaborations with which to work and help build your own consortium if, or at the moment. which, you decide to apply for a loan.
We specify that the call is open to EIT Manufacturing partners, their affiliates and external parties based in a Member State or in a country associated with Horizon Europe, organized in a consortium of at least three participants, coming from at least two different Member States or Associated countries and two different EIT areas.
The partnership must be composed of at least one technology provider and two end users, in order to demonstrate two different applications of the identified solution. In addition, consortia must include at least one “Business Owner”, or an entity with proven experience in marketing products and services, business creation, composition of marketing strategies and knowledge of the target market, which will be in charge of marketing.
The inclusion in the partnership of entities from RIS countries will be positively evaluated. In general, consortia are invited to promote, in their composition or in the expected impact, the “Knowledge Triangle”, or partnerships between educational, research and business entities.
Contributions to the announcement
The total financial endowment for the 2023 open call amounts to 3.5 million euros. Only one project per topic will be funded, with a maximum contribution of € 800,000 each. There is a maximum co-financing rate of 70% of the eligible costs.
The funds will be disbursed in three tranches: the loans following the first will be conditional on the achievement of mid-term and end-of-course milestones.
The limit number of affiliated entities per member eligible for funding ranges from five (for large enterprises, research institutions and universities) to two (medium-sized enterprises).
Deadline and duration of the project
The deadline for submitting complete proposals is November 10, 2022 at 19:00. The selected projects will be communicated on December 19, 2023, and the activities will start during the first quarter of 2023, with an expected duration of one year. In the middle of the project activity period, a check will be made on the progress and costs of the project.
It is possible to participate in submission preparation activities, such as matchmaking and fine-tuning of projects, accessible through the social network and open innovation platform, made available by EIT Manufacturing for the pan-European manufacturing community, AGORA.
How to participate
All information is shown on the page dedicated to the second EIT Manufacturing open call from which it is already possible to start the application proposals to be submitted through a dedicated online platform.
Before sending the proposal, each participant must be registered (or register) both on the Participant Portal to obtain the PIC number, and on the EIT Manufacturing PLAZA portal. In addition to the complete project, it will be necessary to submit a video presentation in the “Innovation Pitch” section.