Strengthening the innovation capacity of European SMEs and their contribution to the development of new technology based products and markets by helping them outsource research, increase their research efforts, extend their networks, better exploit research results and acquire technological know how, bridging the gap between research and innovation through European level collaboration.

Activity: 2.1 Research for SMEs

“Research for SMEs” supports innovative SMEs to solve common or complementary technological problems. Projects must be centred on the innovation needs of the SMEs which outsource research to RTD performers and must demonstrate a clear exploitation potential for the SMEs concerned.

Activity: 2.2 Research for SME Associations (SME-AGs)

“Research for SME Associations” supports SME associations to develop technological solutions to problems common to a large number of SMEs in specific industrial sectors or segments of the value chain through research, for example, to develop or conform to European norms and standards, and to meet regulatory requirements in areas such as health, safety, environmental protection and energy efficiency. Projects must be driven by the SME associations which outsource research to RTD performers for the benefit of their members and must involve a number of individual SMEs.

Activity: 2.1 Research for SMEs

• Research and technological development activities form the core of the project and the RTD performers should perform the bulk of these. SMEs should focus on initial specifications, and on testing and validation of project results and the preparatory stages for further use. Knowledge management and IPR protection should support the SMEs in protecting and using the research results to their best advantage, leading to a clear economic impact.
• Demonstration activities are designed to prove the viability of new technologies that offer a potential economic advantage, but which cannot be commercialised directly (e.g. testing of product-like prototypes). Demonstration activities are an important step of a project on its way towards commercialization and should therefore typically be a distinct element of a project.

Activity: 2.2 Research for SME Associations (SME-AGs)

• Research and technological development activities form the core of the project and the RTD performers should perform the bulk of these. SME-AGs and their SME members should focus on testing and validation of project results and the preparatory stages for further use. Knowledge management and IPR protection should support the SME-AGs in protecting and using the research results to the best advantage of their members, leading to a clear positive economic impact for the SME-AGs members.
• Demonstration activities are designed to prove the viability of new technologies that offer a potential economic advantage, but which cannot be commercialised directly (e.g. testing of product-like prototypes). Demonstration activities are an important step of a project on its way towards commercialization and should therefore typically be a distinct element of a project.
• Other activities 
• Management activities, over and above the technical management of individual work packages, provide an appropriate framework bringing together all project components and maintaining regular communications with the Commission.

The Community provisional funding available for the call for proposals is:

• 189,00 Million EUR (Global Budget)
• 110,00 Million EUR (Partial budget for area 1)
• 79,00 Million EUR (Partial budget for area 2)

• 08 December 2010 - 10 years ago (Deadline for the presentation of proposals)

• Official page of the Call

• Work Programme 2011 - Research for the Benefit of SMEs (Work programme)
• Call - Research for the benefit of SMEs - BSG (Legal base)

Opened to the following bodies or institutes with legal status established in the covered areas:

• Any legal organisation

Bodies or institutes must have their registered legal seat in one of the countries taking part in the Programme which are:

• European Union (EU)
• European Economic Area (EEA)
• Candidate Countries
• European Free Trade Association (EFTA)

Directorate-General for Research

• Call for proposals under the ‘Capacities’ work programme of the seventh EC framework programme for research, technological development and demonstration activities
• Call for proposals under the ‘Capacities’ work programme of the seventh EC framework programme for research, technological development and demonstration activities
• Call for Proposals - Géant
• Call for Proposals - Research potential 2013
• Call for Proposals - Regions of knowledge 2013