EU Funding: €18.7 M available under 2018 “Blue Economy Call” (EMFF) – FOR INFO

The European Commission has launched  a new “Blue Economy Call for Proposals” https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/news/blue-economy-call-187-million-available-funding  under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF),  which could be of your (and your member companies’) interest.

 

The call, which has a total budget of €18.7 Million, has 3 topics (see summary provided below):

  • Blue Labs: innovative solutions for maritime challenges 
  • Blue Careers in Europe
  • Grants for the Blue Economy: investing in innovation.

Applicants can receive up to 80% co-financing for their project (65% for Blue Economy topic).

The call opens for submissions tomorrow 23 October 2018. Companies can apply via the Funding and tender opportunities portal until 31/01/2019.

https://ec.europa.eu/info/fundingtenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topicsearch;freeTextSearchKeyword=Blue20Economy;typeCodes=1;statusCodes=31094501,31094502;programCode=EMFF;programDivisionCode=null;focusAreaCode=null;crossCuttingPriorityCode=null;callCode=Default;sortQuery=openingDate;onlyTenders=false

An Info-Day is taking place in Brussels on 22 November (the event will also be web streamed). Link to register: https://en.xing-events.com/BlueEconomyCall2018.html. https://en.xing-events.com/BlueEconomyCall2018.html The SEA Europe Secretariat will attend the event and inform Members on key outcomes.

SUMMARY INFORMATION ON THE 2018 EMFF/BLUE ECONOMY CALL TOPICS

  1. Topic 2: Blue Careers (EMFF-02-2018) This topic promotes innovative approaches to strengthen the cooperation between industry and education in order to bridge the gap between skills’ offer and demand.The applicant’s choice of sector and action has to be based on an analysis of the needs of the labour market and of the industry, including at cross-border level. In order to ensure that supported activities take due account of clearly identified needs, projects should bring together stakeholders from both the industry, education and training providers (both at higher and vocational level)  https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/emff-02-2018;freeTextSearchKeyword=;typeCodes=1;statusCodes=31094501,31094502;programCode=EMFF;programDivisionCode=null;focusAreaCode=null;crossCuttingPriorityCode=null;callCode=31099251;sortQuery=openingDate;onlyTenders=false

The finance support provided under the call is designed to:

  1. Help innovative technologies and/or maritime services improve their market readiness and advance towards market entry, allowing economic players, in particular SMEs, to apply new ideas and research results in marketable goods and services;
  2. Facilitate scaling up business models and service concepts;
  3. De-risk the deployment of these demonstration projects and provide the necessary credibility for these projects to enable them to access other financing for the development of their activities.

Going beyond research/applied research, applicants must explain how their proposals will help innovative technologies and/or maritime services improve their market-readiness and advance towards the commercial phase demonstrating the benefit of a new product, service, process, and system to potential clients in a real environment.

In this respect, the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the proposed actions must be between 6 (“technology demonstrated in relevant environment”) and 9 (“actual system proven in operational environment”)[4], as defined in Commission Decision C(2014)4995[5].

You can find the thorough information on this call in       http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/other_eu_prog/emff/wp-call/call-fiche-emff-blueeconomy-2018_en.pdf    

See also the https://ec.europa.eu/easme/sites/easme-site/files/2018-10-emff-blue-economy-web.jpg