Globalstars India call for projects

Timetable

• Pre-announcement of the call for projects: 15-16 October 2019
• International announcement of the call for projects: February 2020
• National announcements of the call for projects: Country dependent
• International opening of the call for projects (differs per country): Mid-February 2020*
• Online information session: 14 October 2020
• Deadline for Eureka and national applications: 30 November 2020
• Consensus meeting of funding agencies: 1 March 2021
• Funding decision and Eureka label: April 2021
  Project start: Before 31 May 2021

* Opening for national applications can differ per country.

Scope

This call invites consortia to apply high quality R&D projects within the scope “key enabling technologies for healthcare, agriculture and water”. These should be collaborative research and innovation projects that apply key enabling technologies (chemical technologies, digital technologies, engineering technologies, advanced materials, biotechnologies, micro- & nanotechnologies) to tackle challenges in healthcare, agriculture or water, resulting in innovative, affordable, accessible and marketable solutions. Projects aiming to provide responses to (post) COVID-19-specific needs are warmly welcome as well. 

For example:

• Biotechnologies and digital technologies for infection prevention, tracking and monitoring; 
• Engineering technologies for affordable medical devices, accessible and easily usable for (community) health professionals;
• Nanotechnology in filtration for water purification, deliver safe drinking water;
• Digital technologies for evidence based, interoperable digital health services, deliver affordable (tele-)healthcare in rural areas;
• Biotechnologies in sustainable agriculture production and productivity, increase crop yields and disease resistant varieties;
• Digital and engineering technologies for smart farming and precision agriculture;
• Chemical- and biotechnologies for reducing non-communicable diseases, towards safer, personalised and more affordable therapeutics to improve quality of life.

Eligibility criteria

In order to apply to the present call, applications must meet all the international and national eligibility criteria. Otherwise they will not be put forward for evaluation and will be excluded.

Globalstars India call - international eligibility criteria:

• The consortium should include at least one Indian organisation and one (for profit) company from any of the Eureka participating countries in this call. The participation of research institutes and universities is welcome according to each country’s funding regulations. Bilateral consortia (one Indian and one Eureka country partner) are eligible, but multilateral consortia (Indian partner with partners from multiple Eureka countries) are warmly welcomed as well.
• Project partners from other Eureka countries can participate, but they will not be funded by the participating funding bodies in this call. Subsequently, these partners have to secure their own funding within the deadlines for this call.
• The project partners must express their will to cooperate, on a win-win/ fair basis in the research and development of a new product, process or service.
• The project must benefit all project partners in a well-balanced consortium.
• The project must have a civilian purpose.
• The project should have an obvious advantage and added value resulting from the technological cooperation between the project partners from the different countries (e.g. increased knowledge base, commercial leads, access to R&D infrastructure etc.).
• In the project activities there must be technological risk involved.
• The product, process or service must be innovative and with the potential to create impact.
• The duration of the project may not exceed 36 months.

Partners are strongly advised, prior to submitting the application, to contact the national/ regional authority (see below) and check the eligibility of their project.

A signed consortium agreement on the execution of the project and the commercialisation of the projects results is mandatory before the actual start of the project. The consortium agreement should include, amongst others, the ownership and use of the know-how and IPR agreements. Project partners should take appropriate measures to protect intellectual property rights arising from the cooperation projects under the framework of this call and in line with national legislations and international agreements in force.

On national level additional eligibility criteria may apply. Applicants are strongly advised to inform national contact point of their intention to submit a proposal and check if additional national eligibility criteria are applicable.

Any partner whose joint industrial R&D project proposal is consistent with the aforesaid international and national criteria can apply to the present call in accordance with the national laws, rules, regulations and procedures in effect in each country, on a non-exchange of funds basis, and subject to budgetary availability.

Partners from other Eureka countries or countries outside of Eureka can also participate, but they will not be funded by the participating funding bodies in this call. Subsequently, these partners have to secure their own funding within the deadlines for this call.

Eligibility check

After the deadline of the call, the project proposal (Eureka Project Form, Annex Globalstars Project Plan, Document with scanned signatures and all related national application documents) is screened to ensure it complies with all formal requirements. The eligibility is checked by involved funding agencies. Only project proposals eligible both on national and international level will be processed for assessment. Main applicants are informed about the eligibility of their application on behalf of the consortium.

Matchmaking and information sessions

Are you looking for new international partners to collaborate with on your R&D project?

We have launched a virtual marketplace with Enterprise Europe Network for you to connect with potential project partners and discuss your project ideas, skills and needs. It is an open 1:1 networking and introduction platform, and a fast and effective way to meet new partners and advance your research project. 

Information session

On behalf of all participating countries, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Netherlands Enterprise Agency hosted a Globalstars India information session on Wednesday, October 14.

In this interactive webinar the organisers shared more information about the call, including details on funding support and how you can find project partners.

You can watch a recording and view the presentation from this session using the links below. 

Recorded plenary session

Plenary presentation

Submission procedures

In order to apply for this Globalstars call the following documents are mandatory:

• Eureka Project Form
• Annex Globalstars India Project Plan
• Document with scanned signatures

The project consortium should fill out the project description in the Eureka Project Form. The form must be completed in English. A specific instruction for filling out the Eureka Project Form for this call is available on this webpage. The project consortium is strongly advised to follow these instructions and describe all necessary elements in the form as requested.

Additionally the project consortium has to fill out the Annex Globalstars Project Plan found in the call text downloadable at the side of the page. This document is also available via the national contact points.

A separate version of Eureka Project Form with the signatures of all project partners should be added as an integral part of the application.

The completed Eureka Project Form, annex and document with all signatures should be sent to globalstars@eurekanetwork.org before November 30, 2020, 17:00 (CET) at the latest, indicating in the subject line “Globalstars India Call 2020”.

Parallel to the submission of the Eureka Project Form and annexes, all project partners are required to submit a related national funding application to their respective national funding bodies. Deadline for submission is November 30, 2020, 17:00 (CET), taking all relevant national procedures and submission rules into account.

India (Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology) 

In addition to the centrally submitted Eureka Project Form, Annex and signatures document, the Indian partners that want to receive funding from DBT need to submit the Indian form for Financial and Administrative considerations, available on the DBT website. The lead applicant from India must submit complete proposal (Eureka Project Form, Annex, the signatures document), which has been submitted on the Eureka portal, and the Indian form for Financial and Administrative considerations, to DBT as single consolidated PDF file, on or before November 30, 2020 to DBT mailbox: ic.dbt2019@gmail.com.

Please note that the proposal will be disqualified, if any discrepancy is found in the proposal submitted at Eureka portal and to DBT.

Additionally, a duly signed (by lead applicant) & forwarded (by utmost authority of the organisation) short covering letter introducing the application shall be submitted along with full proposal (with good quality prints on both side of the page (1 original + 1 photocopy) at the latest by November 30, 2020 to the DBT’s contact point.

Austria (Research Promotion Agency - FFG) 

In addition to the centrally submitted Eureka Project Application Form and Annex, project partners that want to receive funding from FFG need to submit a national application, including a detailed project plan and budget. Prior to the submission of the application forms, relevant project partners are invited to contact FFG for a pre-check of their project ideas.

Belgium - Flanders (Flanders Innovation and Entrepreneurship - VLAIO)

In addition to the centrally submitted Eureka Project Application Form and Annex, partners from Flanders need to submit an application to VLAIO, including a project plan and budget. We invite Flemish partners to contact us for a pre-check of their project ideas. The deadline for submission is November 30, 2020. Find more information here. 

Finland (Business Finland)

In addition to the centrally submitted Eureka Project Application Form and Annex, project partners that want to receive funding from Business Finland need to submit a national application, including a detailed project plan and budget.

It is recommended that the Finnish partners contact BF before applying, in order to get advice on the national application. The funding applied is Funding for research and development, described here. 

In this call, the Finnish applicants will submit Business Finland’s national application upon request, earliest in December 2020.

France (Bpifrance)

In addition to the centrally submitted Eureka Project Application Form and Annex, project partners that want to receive funding from Bpifrance need to submit a national application, including a detailed project plan and budget.

It is recommended that the French partners contact Bpifrance before applying, in order to get advice on the national application. The funding applied is Aide au Développement de l’Innovation, described here. 

The national application shall be submitted through Bpifrance’s normal application portal.

The Netherlands (Netherlands Enterprise Agency)

In addition to the centrally submitted Eureka Project Application Form and Annex, project partners that want to receive funding from RVO.nl need to submit a national application, including a detailed project plan and budget. The national call will open mid-February 2020. The deadline for submission is November 30, 2020 (17:00 CET).

Prior to the submission of the application forms, relevant project partners are invited to contact RVO.nl for a pre-check of their project ideas. Dutch participants that require funding from RVO.nl are recommended to get in touch with RVO.nl contact person before submitting the application. More information can be found on our website.

Sweden (Vinnova)

Vinnova will only support projects under the Health topic of the call with AI as enabling technology. Swedish participants that require funding from Vinnova are recommended to get in touch with the Vinnova contact person before submitting the national application.

Swedish participants of the international project consortium apply on the Vinnova web page to the national call that will open on 17th February 2020: “Dnr: 2020-00337 Europeiska AI-projekt inom hälsa i samarbete med Indien - European Call for Proposals for Joint R&D Projects with India in Health and AI.” Eureka Project Form, project plan, project budget, and document with scanned signatures are submitted as annexes to the national application.

Prior to the project start, all Swedish participants, including the assigned Swedish coordinator, must fill in the form “Participant Approval”. All project participants shall enter into a Consortium Agreement. The Consortium Agreement shall include the Participants’ mutual commitments, conditions concerning rights to foreground and background information and other issues of significance to the cooperation. The participants shall have entered into the Consortium Agreement no later than the date when the first Vinnova status report is due. Applicants will also need to submit an abstract (or agree wording based on the proposal submission) that will be published by Vinnova.

Switzerland (Innosuisse) 

In addition to the centrally submitted Eureka Project Application Form and Annex, project partners that want to receive funding from Innosuisse need to submit a national application, including a detailed project plan and budget.

Prior to the submission of the application forms, relevant project partners are invited to contact Innosuisse for a pre-check of their project ideas.

Funding details

The national funding bodies named below will provide access to public funding for the project proposals recommended for funding with Eureka label. The support will be given to each partner by its respective National Authority in accordance with their national laws, rules, regulations and procedures in effect, on a non-exchange of funds basis, and subject to budgetary availability in each country.

Any IPR arising from cooperative project activities under this Globalstars call shall be regulated in a consortium agreement (CA) in accordance with the relevant laws of India and involved Eureka countries. A signed CA on the execution of the project and the commercialisation of the projects results is mandatory before the actual start of the project. The CA should include the ownership and use of the know-how and IPR agreement.

Each funding body will fund its participants according to its national procedures and funding rules, laws and regulations. Find more information about funding in your country by downloading the full call text document attached to this webpage.

Evaluation

The proposals are assessed by their national funding bodies according to the applicable national evaluation criteria, as described and published on the respective national websites.

Additionally, the national funding bodies involved will form an multilateral consensus panel. This panel assesses the proposals on the following aspects:

• The partnership and its partners
• The project structure: planning, milestones, deliverables, finance
• Technological advance and innovation
• Market and profitability aspects
• Competitive advantage

Based on the national and international evaluation results the multilateral consensus panel agrees which projects to approve and establishes a list of projects recommended for funding during the Consensus Meeting.

Project proposals recommended for funding will receive the Eureka label. The Eureka label is a prerequisite for project approval and funding. Funding of project partners is subjected to budgetary availability and national funding conditions stipulated by each funding body. All project partners are notified of the funding decisions by their respective national funding bodies.

Common Eureka assessment criteria

Impact

• Is the market properly addressed in terms of size, access and risk?
• Is the value creation in terms of growth, employment, environmental and societal benefits properly addressed?
• What are the competitive advantages of the project (strategic importance of the project, enhanced capabilities and visibility)
• Are the commercialisation plans clear and realistic? (return on investment, geographical sectoral impact)

Excellence

• What is the degree of innovation? (commitment on state-of-the-art and the technological maturity and risk)
  How is the new knowledge going to be used?
  Is the project challenging scientifically, technically and for the partners?
  Are the technical achievability & risk conveniently addressed?

Quality & efficiency

• How is the quality of the consortium? (Well-balanced partnership, technological managerial and financial capacity of each partner)
• Is there an added value through the international co-operation?
• Are the project management & planning realistic and clearly defined? (methodology and planning approach, milestones and deliverables)
• Is the cost structure reasonable? (cost and financial commitment of each participant)

Overall perception

• Pros and cons of the application
  Is the project recommend for public investment? (Yes or No)

Downloadables