CoSME Call for Proposal Strand A Clusters Go International – All Sectors

CALL NAME                                       : Strand A Clusters Go International – All Sectors

DEADLINE                                           : 2 December 2020 17:00 Brussels Time

BUDGET                                              : 7.500.000 EUR

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the action is to intensify cluster and business network cooperation across European countries and also across sectorial boundaries and to support the establishment of European Strategic Cluster Partnerships to lead international cluster cooperation in fields of strategic interest towards third countries beyond Europe.

By reinforcing cluster and business network cooperation and supporting the shaping of ‘European Strategic Cluster Partnerships – Going International’ (ESCP-4i) (i.e. European meta-clusters) in a more strategic manner at European level, this action will help European SMEs access or maintain their positions at global value chains, strengthen their resilience at global markets and take a leading position globally.

This action focuses on the promotion of cluster internationalisation where interested consortia have the opportunity to develop and implement a joint internationalisation strategy and support SME internationalisation towards third countries beyond Europe.

The action will be implemented by consortia of organisations that are interested in establishing and running a 'European Strategic Cluster Partnership – Going International' (ESCP-4i). The Partnerships are expected to develop a joint ‘European’ strategic vision with a global perspective and common goals towards specific third markets.

All applicants will have to identify minimum two target countries for their activities. They are encouraged to have not more than five target countries in order to be able to meet the objectives outlined in this call.

THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Proposals may be submitted by the following applicants:

All applicants must be registered or having submitted a registration on the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) by the submission deadline of this Call for proposals and completed the relevant Annex 1 or 2 of the “Description of the Action” as following:

• For cluster organisation and business networks already registered at the at the European Cluster Collaboration Platform: a link to the completed cluster profile of the applicant registered on the Platform and information concerning their industrial focus (to be provided through annex 1 of the “Description of the Action”); or
• For cluster organisation and business networks not yet registered at the European Cluster Collaboration Platform: A declaration on their honour that they represent a cluster organisation or a business network organisation offering or channelling innovative support services to businesses (in compliance with the definition of 'innovation clusters' provided above), and that a cluster profile has been submitted to the ECCP for registration with the respective information included in the descriptive form (to be provided through annex 2 of the “Description of the Action”).

Applicants must be entities with a legal personality. This may include both profit-making or non-for-profit legal entities as well as fully or partly public or private bodies. In the case of private bodies, they must be properly constituted and registered under national law.

Natural persons are not eligible to apply.

Linked third parties, i.e. legal entities having a legal or capital link with applicants, which is neither limited to the action nor established for the sole purpose of its implementation (also referred to as ‘affiliated entities’), may take part in the action as applicants in order to declare eligible costs.

For Strand A, only applications from legal entities established in the following countries are eligible:

• EU Member States;

• countries participating in the COSME programme pursuant to Article 6 of the COSME Regulation.

For Strand B, which includes support for the security and defence sector, only applications from legal entities established in the EU Member States are eligible. Our country can take part only in the projects prepared under Strand A.

Applications must be submitted in writing, using the electronic system specified in section 16.

Applications must be drafted in one of the EU official languages.

Implementation period

The project's duration for Strand A should be between 30 months and 36 months, taking into account the following specifications:

• applications for projects scheduled to run for less than 30 months will not be accepted;
• applications for projects scheduled to run for more than 36 months may be considered if duly justified by the applicant.

Strand A Budget Information:

• Total budget: 6.600.000 EUR
• The maximum grant per Project will be EUR 550.000 for Strand A
• The grant is limited to a maximum reimbursement rate of 90% of eligible cost
• It is envisaged to support 12 projects in total.

TIMETABLE

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