Competitiveness and Innnovation Programme Eco-Innovation which aims to fill the gap between research and market launched on 13 April 2010 and the closing date for submission of applications is 9 September 2010 (before 17:00, Brussels local time). Around €35 million will be available to fund new projects this year.
Eco-innovation means all forms of innovation activities resulting in or aimed at significantly improving environmental protection. Eco-innovation includes new production processes, new products or services, and new management and business methods, the use or implementation of which is likely to prevent or substantially reduce the risks to the environment, pollution and any other negative impact of the use of resources throughout the lifecycle of related activities.
The world market of environmental products and services is growing. According to a OECD study, in the EU-25 alone, goods and services provided by eco-industries is estimated to represent around 2.2% of the EU-25 GDP. Clearly, eco-innovation represents a key opportunity to establish Europe’s leading role to overcoming the world’s sustainability challenges, and a sizeable business opportunity that can make Europe’s economy even stronger and more competitive in the future.
European Union aims to support innovative products which provide better usage of naturel resources and reduce Europe’s ecological footprint, services and technologies by Eco-Innovation funds. Competitiveness and Innnovation Programme Eco-Innovation which aims to fill the gap between research and market contributes application of Environmental Technologies Action Plan-ETAP.
The three main aspects of CIP Eco-innovation are:
1. Environmental benefits
2. Economic benefits (including wide replication)
3. Contribution of projects to innovation
CIP Eco-Innovation will support projects:
- Concerned with the first application or market replication of eco-innovative
- techniques, products, processes or practices, which
- have already been technically demonstrated, but
- due to remaining risks need incentives to penetrate significantly the market.
The indicative total amount available for this Call is EUR 35.020.000. The maximum duration of an action is 36 months.
| Closing date for submission of applications: | 09 September 2010
(before 17h00:00, Brussels local time) |
| Estimated date of completion of the evaluation | January 2011 |
| Estimated date for the notification of applicants | from February 2011 onwards |
| Estimated period for negotiations | February/March 2011 |
| Estimated date for signature of contracts | from March 2011 onwards |
Which sectors are covered by the initiative?
The Eco-innovation initiative is a cross-cutting programme that supports eco-innovative projects in different sectors which aim at the prevention or the reduction of environmental impacts or which contribute to the optimal use of resources. Hence, all sectors and activities are potentially eligible for funding under the Eco-innovation initiative. However, more specific priorities have been set out based on their important environmental impacts and the European Commission’s policy priorities. Current priority areas for the Eco-innovation 2009 Call include the field of material recycling, the building sector, the food & drink industry and the area of green business & smart purchasing.
Does the Eco-innovation initiative fund research and technological development (RTD) projects?
The Eco-innovation initiative does not fund RTD projects. It aims to bridge the gap between RTD and commercialisation. It supports market uptake and encourages the spreading of innovative techniques, processes, products or services on a broader scale. Therefore, actions that focus on prototype development and technological demonstration, or the set up for testing and further analysis, are not matching the objectives of CIP Eco-innovation.
How many partners should be involved in an Eco-innovation project?
The Eco-innovation initiative does not restrict the number of partners or countries involved. Even one partner from one country can submit a project proposal. However, the notion of “European added value” implies that the benefits of the project on a European scale must be demonstrated (see award criterion 5 of the Call for Proposals). For example, it must be clear why this project should receive European funding as opposed to being funded by local, national or regional resources. Also, the level of European cooperation will be assessed. Furthermore, award criterion 3 implies an assessment of the impact on target audience, on replication and on the impact on the market. It is important to bear this in mind while setting up a consortium. Of course, the contribution of each partner should be thought through. The bigger a consortium gets, the more difficult it is to manage.
Which countries are eligible? Are partners outside of Europe eligible?
All participants must be legal persons from the following countries:
- The 27 member states of the EU
- Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein
- Albania
- Croatia
- Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- Montenegro
- Israel
- Serbia
- Turkey
- Other non-EU countries provided they have the appropriate agreement in force.
The Eco-Innovation European Info Day took place on 13 April 2010 in Brussels
Approximately 200 million € funds is available for Eco-Innovation projects between 2008 and 2013 years. Opening of Eco-Innovation Call 2010 was made with ‘Eco-Innovation European Information Day’ which was organized inBrussels on 13 April 2010 by European Commision. You can access the European Info Day presentations from http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eco-innovation/events_en.htm. The deadline of the call is 9 September 2010.
