Category: Grants

2021 Upcoming deadlines – Start now!

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2020 was not the year most of us had planned and is – finally – coming to an end.

In 1st Mile, we were challenged by a few Covid-19 related extraordinary calls which tested our ability to jump into new, unexpected application formats and fields. We worked hard to secure funding for innovative solutions helping to fight the pandemic or to secure funding for companies in distress.

And what now? Covid-19 affected the normal timeline and schedule leading to the new, upcoming 2021 calls.
Below is an overview of open calls and upcoming deadlines in the next few months:

Open calls right now:

  1. European Green Deal call: the last Horizon 2020-funded European Green Deal Call is a €1 billion call for research and innovation projects that respond to the climate crisis and help protect Europe’s unique ecosystems and biodiversity.
    Deadline: 26th January 2021
    Additional information: Green Deal Call
Start applying now! CALL SØREN HOUMØLLER AT + 45 40446714

2. Genstart.nu: genstartNU.dk is an initiative launched by Industriens Fond to assist SMEs in Denmark during the Covid-19 pandemic, by allocating DKK 150 mio to support companies in distress in different areas. 1st Mile offers 15, 30 or 50-hour free consulting packages on available funding opportunities.
Deadline: open for applicants until May 2021
Additional information: Genstart.nu or contact Project Lead Heidi Ann Vorgaard Andersen, at heidi@1stmile.dk

Upcoming deadlines:

  1. Horizon Europe:  the end of 2020 also marks the end of Horizon 2020, the EU’s biggest research and innovation programme between 2014 and 2020. The Commission is already working on Horizon Europe, an ambitious €100 billion research and innovation programme running from 2021 to 2027 to succeed Horizon 2020.
    Calls for 2021 should have been in January 2021 but have been postponed due to Covid-19.
    Calls and deadlines: official calls are not out yet, but the first ones are likely to be at the beginning of June 2021
    Additional information: Horizon Europe

    – EIC Accelerator – SME Instrument:     one of the many funding opportunities under the Horizon Europe umbrella, the EIC targets SMEs willing to identify, develop and deploy high-risk innovations of all kind. A particular focus is on breakthrough, market-creating and deep-tech innovations. The call offers up to € 2.5 million grant component for technology development and validation (e.g. TRL 5/6 to 8) and € 0.5 to EUR 15 million investment component for scaling up and any other activities
    Calls and deadlines: 9th June 2021 and 6th October 2021
    Additional information: EIC Accelerator – SME Instrument

  2. EUDP: the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program is a funding scheme under the Danish Energy Agency supporting private danish companies and universities to develop and demonstrate new and innovative energy technologies. The program supports a wide spectrum of green energy technologies and solutions.
    Calls and deadlines: official calls are not out yet, but the first ones are likely to be at the beginning of March
    Additional information: EUDP

3. Innovationsfonden: Innovation Fund Denmark invests in the best research and innovation projects with the potential to create knowledge, growth and employment in Denmark.

– Grand Solutions: Do you have a visionary and ambitious research project that makes a difference – even on a global scale Grand Solutions projects are characterised by a high-risk profile and focus on ambitious results with high-value creation whether in the form of new knowledge, improvement of/or new processes, systems, products or solutions to societal challenges.
Deadline: 11th February 2021
Additional information: IFGS

– Innobooster: Are you a company with a development project that can grow? Innobooster is a grant to companies that wish to develop and make a new product or service ready for the market or to improve a process that increases the company’s competitiveness and creates growth. The grant may help reduce the company’s project-related risks.
Application period: the official application period is not open yet, but is likely to open in January 2021
Additional information: Innobooster

4. The European Innovation Fund: are you a small-project working on clean energy and industry projects? The European Innovation fund is a € 100 million funding program targeting clean energy and clean industry projects that contribute to the green recovery of Europe’s economy and have total capital costs between € 2.5 and 7.5 million. Applicants can benefit from simplified one-stage application and selection procedures, and the fund grants.
Application period: the official application period is not open yet, but will be open until 10th March 2021
Additional information: Innovation Fund

5. Eurostars: Eurostars supports innovative development projects, product development and application of existing technology in new areas of SMEs. There must be a minimum of two partners from two different EU member countries in the project. Eurostars supports projects with up to EUR 300,000 for Danish applicants.
Deadline: 4th February 2021
Additional information: Eurostars

QUESTIONS? CALL CEO SØREN HOUMØLLER AT +45 40446714

Copenvirk – EU funding for business development

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Are you looking for 4 -15 million DKK to accelerate your business development and become first-mover with a new technology? CopenVirk – a project by the Greater Copenhagen EU Office (GCPHEU) – is a free public service to help you get started. 1st Mile has been chosen as one of the consultancy firms to help companies identify and apply for relevant EU funding opportunities.

Since CopenVirk started in 2015, the GCPHEU has helped more than 150 companies start a process of applying for EU-support and more than 30% of the application were approved, leading to more than 300 million DKK in EU- support to these companies. The EU can fund approx. 70% of the cost of projects on researching new technologies, developing a prototype or demonstrating of a prototype.

To have a good chance in the tough competition for funds, the product must be new to the world and have a very high commercial potential.

The free CopenVirk service includes:

  • Identification of the EU program fitting your development needs best
  • Guidance on how ambitious the project has to be to get funded
  • Validation of the chances to get EU funding
  • Preparation of a project outline on 2-3 pages
  • Secure a Danish subsidy for the writing process (if possible) CopenVirk is financed by municipalities in Eastern Denmark and lead by GCPHEU. The service is brought to you in cooperation with the regional business hubs and local business promoters.

HOW IT WORKS:
1. Objective guidance in EU funding by GCPHEU – 30 minutes on the phone
2. Validation of EU program match and guidance on the application with a private consultancy – meeting at the company for 1 hour.
3. Follow-up on the project and application by the private consultancy via e- mail
4. After the CopenVirk service has ended, the company will have to write the application for EU funding or pay a consultant to do it.

ABOUT GREATER COPENHAGEN EU OFFICE
GCPHEU represents the Capital Region of Denmark, Zealand Denmark, the 46 municipalities in the regions, University of Copenhagen, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen Business School, and Roskilde University. IT works to engage and assist public and private actors in the Capital Region and Region Zealand in obtaining EU support.

GCPHEU launched its corporate service called CopenVirk on 1 July 2015 with the aim of creating more and better applications from companies in the Capital Region in order to attract more EU funds to companies. Following the merger between Copenhagen EU Office and Zealand Denmark EU Office, which entered into force on 1 January 2019, CopenVirk has also covered companies in Region Zealand. This tender thus builds on an existing service with the focus on doing more for companies that would not otherwise have applied for EU support, while the service supports the largest possible repatriation of EU funds to companies in all 46 municipalities in Eastern Denmark. , which finances the business service.

For more information read here or reach out to our Project Lead, Heidi Ann Vorgaard Andersen, at heidi@1stmile.dk

European Green Deal Call – 26 January 2021

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The EU Green Deal: one billion euro investment plan to make EU the world’s first climate-neutral continent

On January 14, the European Commission unveiled its one billion euro public and private investment plan to finance the European Green Deal. The overall goal of the plan is to create an enabling framework for private investors and the public sector to facilitate sustainable investments and to provide support to public administrations and project promoters in identifying, structuring and executing sustainable projects. The Horizon 2020-funded European Green Deal Call is now open for registration and will spur Europe’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis by turning green challenges into innovation opportunities.

Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth:

“The €1 billion European Green Deal call is the last and biggest call under Horizon 2020. With innovation at its heart, this investment will accelerate a just and sustainable transition to a climate-neutral Europe by 2050. As we do not want anyone left behind in this systemic transformation, we call for specific actions to engage with citizens in novel ways and improve societal relevance and impact.”

The call is composed of six (6) funding programs:

  1. European Research Infrastructures capacities and services to address European Green Deal challengenges

Proposals should address one of the following subtopics:

(a) Support Europe leadership in clean energy storage technologies
Funding available: up to € 7 million
(b) Enhancing European research infrastructures for greenhouse gases observation in and around cities
Funding available: up to €13 million
(c) Enhancing observations for air quality and citizens’ health in urban areas
Funding available: up to € 8 million

2. Closing the industrial carbon cycle to combat climate change – Industrial feasibility of catalytic routes for sustainable alternatives to fossil resources
Funding available: up to €40 million, and projects should last up to 5 years.

3. Develop and demonstrate a 100 MW electrolyser upscaling the link between renewables and commercial/industrial applications
Funding available: up to €25 – 30 million, and projects shall have a duration a duration of 5 years, with at least 2 years of operation. 

4. Innovative land-based and offshore renewable energy technologies and their integration into the energy system
Proposals should address one of the following two subtopics:

(a) Development of land-based renewable energy technologies and their integration into the energy system
Funding available: between € 3 – 6 million 
(b) Demonstration of innovative technologies to enable future large scale deployment of offshore renewable energy.
Funding available: between € 20 – 35 million

5. Demonstration of systemic solutions for the territorial deployment of the circular economy
Funding available: between € 10 – 20 million

6. Testing and demonstrating systemic innovations in support of the Farm-to-Fork Strategy
Proposals should address one of the following subtopics:

(a)  Achieving climate neutral farms by reducing GHG emissions and by increasing farm-based carbon sequestration and storage (IA)
(b) Achieving climate neutral food businesses by mitigating climate change, reducing energy use and increasing energy efficiency in processing, distribution, conservation and preparation of food (IA)
(c) Reducing the dependence on hazardous pesticides; reducing the losses of nutrients from fertilisers, towards zero pollution of water, soil and air and ultimately fertiliser use (IA)
(d) Reducing the dependence on the use of antimicrobials in animal production and in aquaculture (IA)
(e) Reducing food losses and waste at every stage of the food chain including consumption, while also avoiding unsustainable packaging (IA)
(f) Shifting to sustainable healthy diets, sourced from land, inland water and sea, and accessible to all EU citizens, including the most deprived and vulnerable groups (IA)
Funding available: between €25 – 30 million

INTERESTED IN APPLYING? call søren houmøller at +4540446714

What projects will be financed? The projects that will be financed under the new Investment Plan are the ones that will contribute to reaching the goals of the European Green Deal; to the emergence of new, clean energy and circular economy industries; and to the creation of high-quality jobs for a competitive European economy.

What will the selection criteria be? The Commission will first assist those Member States and regions that are likely to be most affected by the transition. The most affected regions are the ones where jobs depend on fossil fuels, including coal, lignite and peat, as well as oil, shale or carbon-intensive industrial processes.

The deadline for submissions is 26 January 2021, with selected projects expected to start in autumn 2021.

For more information follow the link to European Commission’s site.

INTERESTED IN APPLYING? call søren houmøller at +4540446714