The latest ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP) Call 2010 was launched on 21st of January 2010. The programme will facilitate the development of lead markets for innovative ICT-based solutions notably in areas of public interest and will open a wide range of new business opportunities in particular for innovative SMEs. Deadline of the 2010 call is 1st of June 2010.
The ICT PSP aims to stimulate innovation and competitiveness and accelerate the development of a sustainable, competitive, innovative and inclusive information society. It supports activities to accelerate innovation and implementation of ICT based services and systems through the wider uptake and better use of ICT and the exploitation of digital content by citizens, governments and businesses.
The programme is open to all legal entities established in the EU Member States and associated countries to the ICT Policy Support programme. Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Croatia, Turkey, and starting from 2010 Serbia, are associated countries to the ICT PSP. Organizations from those countries can be financed by the programme. Israel has also expressed an interest in joining the ICT PSP.
The uptake of ICT in businesses is in general addressed by the private sector and public policies need to focus on creating the best conditions for business developments and on raising awareness of the benefits of the technology innovations notably to SMEs.
The ICT PSP addresses technological and non-technological innovation that has moved beyond the final research demonstration phase. The ICT PSP does not support research activities; it may cover, when needed, technical adaptation and integration work in order to achieve the objectives.
The ICT PSP offers opportunities both for innovative SMEs in the ICT sector and for SMEs that can make better use of ICT to improve their products, services and business processes. The ICT PSP will:
- accelerate the deployment of EU-wide services of public interest that are of direct benefit for all businesses and in particular for SMEs, improving and expanding their working environments;
- help avoid fragmentation of the EU market for innovative ICT based services and products notably in areas of public interest. This will open new opportunities and support the growth and development of innovative SMEs that can then benefit from wider markets for the diffusion of their innovations;
- fund the participation of SMEs supplying innovative ICT -based solutions in pilots and networking activities together with the main users of these solutions;
The following 6 themes will be supported by a limited number of high impact pilot or best practice projects, as well as thematic networks.
- ICT for a low carbon economy and smart mobility
- Digital Libraries
- ICT for health and inclusion
- Open innovation for future Internet-enabled services in smart cities
- ICT for improved public services for citizens and businesses
- Multilingual Web
The themes and objectives, their budget and the funding instruments are provided in the below table:
Source: ICT PSP 2010 Work Programme
The different nature and specificities of these objectives require distinctive implementation measures. Four types of funding instruments have been identified:
- Pilot (Type A) – building on initiatives in Member States (MSs) or associated countries; will help ensure the EU-wide interoperability of ICT-based solutions that are being launched or are already in operation in the Member States. They will help ensure cross border access to these services and avoid market fragmentation of innovative services and products.
- Pilot (Type B) – stimulating the uptake of innovative ICT based services and products;
- Thematic Network (TN) – providing a forum for stakeholders for experience sharing and consensus building;
- Best Practice Network (BPN) – exclusively for the theme on “digital libraries” to support sharing of good practices in this field.
The indicative calendar for the implementation of the call 2010 is as indicated in the table below.
| 2010 Application Calendar | |
| Event | Date |
| Publication of call for proposals | 21 January 2010 |
| Call closure | 1 June 2010 |
| Evaluation | June 2010 |
| Start of negotiations | September 2010 |
| Completion of negotiations, signature of grant agreements | December 2010 / Early 2011 |
Also ICT PSP Digital Libraries Information Day will organized on 4 February 2010 in Luxembourg.
You can find detailed information about the program at the National Contact Point for the ICT PSP Programme in Turkey, State Planning Organization Information Society Department web page (www.bilgitoplumu.gov.tr) and the European Commission’s Programme web page (http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/ict_psp/index_en.htm) and follow the project ideas seeking partners and profiles of the companies who want to participate in joint projects.
