New Action: “Bilateral Scientific and Technological Cooperation between Greece and Germany”
The new Action of the Program “Competitiveness 2021 – 2027” “Bilateral Scientific and Technological Cooperation between Greece and Germany” has been published. The Action aims to strengthen the extroversion and competitiveness of the research and innovation system through developing partnerships between research organizations and businesses of other countries. In particular, the Action aims to promote and support the cooperation between research organizations and companies from Greece and Germany, which employ highly qualified scientific personnel. The competent body on the German side is the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Start Date of Electronic Submission: Thursday 27.06.2024 at 13:00
End Date of Electronic Submission: Wednesday 24.07.2024 at 15:00
Maximum subsidized budget of submitted project proposals: 500,000 euros. For project proposals of the intervention area “horizontal actions”, the maximum total budget will not exceed the limit of 175,000 euros.
Action Budget
The budget of the Action amounts to 4,000,000 euros and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union and by National Participation.
- 880,000 euros for the Regions in Transition: Attica and South Aegean.
- 3,120,000 euros for the Less Developed Regions: Northern Aegean, Eastern Macedonia – Thrace, Central Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, Western Greece, Crete, Western Macedonia, Ionian Islands, Central Greece, Peloponnese.
Amplification intensity: from 25% to 80%
The projects proposed for funding will be eligible if they relate to research and development projects and the supported project falls into one or both of the following categories:
a) industrial research (industrial research)
b) experimental development (experimental development)
The intensity of support for a beneficiary’s research and development project is determined by:
- the characterization of the research and development category of each work unit of the project (industrial research, experimental development) and
- the size of the business (very small/Small, Medium, Large).
Beneficiaries
Beneficiaries of the Action are: companies and research organizations.
Business: The Action is addressed to existing businesses regardless of the date of establishment, which intend to implement a research and development project, the subject of which falls within the selected areas of activity of the Call within the National Strategy for Smart Specialization 2021-2027 (ESEE).
Businesses must be legally incorporated and operate in a facility in Greece as legal entities, regardless of their type. Large businesses can participate in the Action, as long as they cooperate with at least one small and medium-sized enterprise (SME). It is noted that the enterprise – potential beneficiary must, at the time of payment of the aid, have an establishment or branch, which operates legally in the Greek region where the aid is located according to the Funding Application.
Research Organization: Body (such as universities or research centers-institutes, technology transfer organizations, innovation intermediaries, research collaborating bodies with a physical and/or virtual presence) regardless of its legal status (public or private law) or its financing method, the primary purpose of which is the independent conduct of basic research, industrial research or experimental development or the wide dissemination of the results of such activities by teaching, publication or knowledge transfer. In the event that this body also carries out economic activities, the financing, expenses and income from these economic activities must be declared separately. Businesses that can decisively influence such an institution, such as in the capacity of shareholder or member, do not have privileged access to the research results it produces.
Number of Beneficiaries per project
Transnational R&T Partnerships are aimed at the private and public sector of the two cooperating countries. Therefore, partnerships have the right to submit a proposal:
- Private Bodies (businesses of all sizes)
- Public Bodies (Research & Technological bodies, Universities, Research Centers, Institutes and Laboratories thereof) and Other Bodies as defined above, from both states
.
Proposals will include at least two cooperating bodies (with the Coordinator included) from the Greek side, i.e. one (1) research organization and one (1) Small and Medium Enterprise.
The cooperating agencies are required to submit a Cooperation Agreement, the purpose of which is to organize the work between the cooperating Agencies, to organize the management of the Project, to define the rights and obligations of the participating Agencies, as well as to manage issues related to Access and Intellectual Property Rights.
Maximum number of funding applications submitted
Each independent business or body that is treated as a business (at VAT level) may participate as a potential beneficiary in up to two (2) Funding Applications cumulatively, throughout the duration of the Action. Checked when submitting the Funding Application.
Note that there is no limit to the number of proposals in which a research organization or body treated as a research organization participates.
The aid must meet the incentive character and therefore work on the project must not have started before the submission of the funding application. Otherwise the entire project becomes ineligible for funding.
Eligible expenses
The eligible costs in the Action are the costs of article 25 paragraph 3 of Reg. (EU) 651/2014 for research and development projects, they concern a specific category of research and development and are as follows:
Staff Expenses: This category includes staff fees (researchers and technicians) to the extent that they are employed in the project. These are expenses related to:
a) to the regular staff of the beneficiary who are employed in the research facility during the year of the start of the project and are connected to the beneficiary with a dependent employment relationship (full-time or part-time employment contract of indefinite duration, fixed-term employment contract
b) to the regular staff of the public sector, employed in the Act by decision of the Beneficiary’s competent body
c) to temporary staff who are actually employed in new positions created as a direct consequence of the project either with a fixed-term full-time or part-time employment contract, or with a remunerative scholarship in accordance with the conditions of paragraph 4 of article 15 of the YAEKED, or with a project lease agreement, as long as the conditions of paragraph 3 of article 15 of no. 114947/01.12.2022 of Decision (Β΄ 6132) (YAEKED)
Unit Factor for Calculation of Eligible Project Costs: To cover the remaining costs of the project a uniform coefficient of 40% is used on eligible personnel costs.
The eligible expenses covered by the use of the single rate of 40% are the following:
a) depreciation costs of instruments and equipment to the extent and for as long as they are used for the project
b) depreciation costs for buildings and grounds to the extent and as long as they are used for the project
c) costs for contract research, know-how and patents purchased or licensed from outside sources on an arm’s length basis.
d) additional overheads and other operational costs that are a direct result of the project (indirect costs)
Beneficiaries with their application undertake that they will use 40% for necessary costs of a supported research and development project, which falls under the eligible research and development categories of the Action of article 25 of Regulation (EU) 651/2014 and in accordance with the eligibility rules of the SDE and this Call.
The start date of expenditure eligibility is defined as the date of submission of the funding application. The maximum duration of completion of the physical and financial object of the research project cannot exceed thirty-six (36) months, from the date of notification of the Decision approving evaluation results, with possibility of extension by 6 (six) months, upon submission of documentation by the beneficiaries and its approval by the Greek Tax Agency.
Application process
The funding application is submitted electronically exclusively through the Integrated Information System for the Management of State Aids (OPSKE) using the standard OPSKE Funding Application Form.
Contact – Information
Public Information Office: Dragatsaniou 8, Klathmonos square, Athens.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Telephone information: on 801 11 36 300 from a landline with a local charge from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
Email: infoepan@mou.gr
Websites: www.antagonistikotita.gr www.espa.gr
General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GSIC) at the email address: Germany@gsrt.gr