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EU Structural Funds
Dorte Olesen, Dale Robertson
TERENA General Assembly
Paris, 25 October 2012
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Structural Funds 2007-2013
Current Status
42% of R&I budget still unspent as of May 2012 = €36bn
EC keen to ensure remaining funding is allocated
Funding can continue until 2015
around half of research expenditure in the EU goes to 30 regions out of
254
majority of ESFRI Roadmap initiatives located in some 10
Member States
EC keen to use Structural Funds money to address these
disparities in levels of development
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ESFRI Projects Analysis
EC analysed 34 ESFRI Roadmap (2006) projects eligible to receive SF funding
Keen to encourage capacity building by use of Structural Funds
Fund ESFRI Project Partners Eligible
Cities/Regions Member States ESFRI Projects
Convergence funds
66 29 16 25/34
Competitiveness and Employment Funds
260 128 17 34/34
Territorial Cooperation Funds
131 59 19 27/34
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Applying for SF Funding
Reminders (1)
Regional or member state managing partners for Structural Funds:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/atlas2007/index_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/esf/main.jsp?catId=45&langId=en
Member states’ and regions’ Operational Plans tailored to local socio-
economic challenges
Managing authorities decide
application procedures
types of funding
Project selection criteria for evaluation of project applications published
on Managing Authorities’ websites
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Applying for SF Funding
Reminders (2)
ERDF – European Regional Development Fund – is most relevant fund
in the 2007-2013 Structural Funds
Who can apply?
Almost all research and innovation actors:
enterprises, universities, technology transfer
bodies, cluster organisations, higher education
institutes, etc
How to apply?
Contact Managing Authority in your country/region
to find out about
– Calls for proposals
– Competitions
– Eligibility and funding criteria
– Award procedures
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Combination of Funds
Illegal to combine FP7 funding and ERDF funding in the same project
National or regional funding part of an ERDF project can be funded by
EIB (loans) or EIF (venture capital funds or guarantee)
Complementary use of funds is possible – i.e. separate projects,
complementary objectives
Of particular interest to RI projects is, for example:
Preparatory phase funded by FP7
Construction funded by ERDF
Research use, including training, funded by FP7 or ERDF
E.g. partner organisation in FP7 project implementation wishes to
individually pursue research ideas arising. If its region is eligible,
organisation can apply for SF funding
ELI Beamlines: http://www.eli-beams.eu/
Separate but related activities or parts of a project can be funded at the
same time by the Structural Funds, FP7 and the CIP
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Cross-border, Trans-national and
Inter-regional Cooperation
Most SF spending is within member states and regions
2.5 % (€9 bn) of SF budget allocated for cross-border, trans-national
and inter-regional cooperation
Mostly within European Territorial Cooperation Objective (formerly
INTERREG), part of ERDF
Example is Baltic Sea Region Programme
More information from
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperate/index_en.cfm
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Instrument for Pre-Accession
Assistance
Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) replaced PHARE,
PHARE CBC, ISPA, SAPARD, CARDS and the financial instrument for
Turkey
Provides assistance to bring beneficiaries closer to EU membership
Components include Regional Development (component III) – relevant
for research networking
Available to EU candidate countries: Croatia, Turkey , FYROM,
Iceland, Montenegro, Serbia
Apply via EU delegation in your country
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/thefunds/ipa/index_en.cfm
Potential candidates (Albania, Bosnia-Hercegovina,
Kosovo) not directly eligible
Budget 2011-2013 €7bn
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Information Links
Structural Funds: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index_en.htm
Research Infrastructures and Structural Funds:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/infrastructures/index_en.cfm?pg=structural
_funds
Practical Guide on EU Funding Opportunities for Research &
Innovation: http://cordis.europa.eu/eu-funding-guide/home_en.html
Summaries of operational programmes and financial allocations:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/atlas2007/index_en.htm
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) - Managing
authorities:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/manage/authority/authority_en.cfm
Information on Structural Funds' actions in the field of research
and innovation:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/activity/research/index_en.cfm
NETWATCH: EC information platform on transnational R&D
programme collaboration: http://netwatch.jrc.ec.europa.eu/nw/
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Structural Funds 2014-2020
Funding more
focussed
Programme
simplified
Science,
technology and
innovation
recognised as
the driving force
behind long-
term economic
growth
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Complementarity between Structural
Funds and Horizon 2020
Same strategic goals: EU 2020 strategy
Same programming period: easier synchronisation and planning
Common political framework:
→ Strengthening knowledge & innovation as drivers of growth & competitiveness
→ Tackling major societal challenges in the EU 2020 framework
→ Bridging the gap between science and the market, through successive stages
Same project supported by different funds
→ possible for different expenditure items
Support outside of the programme area
→ possible up to 10%: useful for enabling combined support from SF & H-2020 to several partners in different countries
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Objectives of cohesion policy
2014-2020
Deliver the Europe 2020 strategy objectives of smart,
sustainable and inclusive growth
Focus on results
Maximise the impact of EU funding through
concentration
Conditionalities (smart specialisation)
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RIS3: Research & Innovation
Strategies for Smart Specialisation
Will lead to an economic transformation based on 4 Cs:
(Tough) Choices
Competitive (Constructed) Advantage
Critical Mass
Collaborative Leadership
Ex-ante conditionality: RIS3s are a pre-condition for approval of a
member state’s of region’s Operational Programme
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The connected
region:
I am not alone
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Monitoring &
up-date of RIS3
Cohesion
Policy
Timing for RIS3 and Operational Programmes Q2-2012 Q3-2012 Q4-2012 Q1-2013 Q2-2013 Q3-2013 Q4-2013
Development of RIS3
by MS and / or regions
Discussion of
COM position paper
CSF & Legal frame
adoption
COM
position
papers
Country
Specific
Rec.
Negotiations
Dra
ft O
Ps
Dra
ft P
art
ner
ship
Ag
reem
ent
Ex
-an
te c
on
d.
Negotiati
on
Mandate
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Incubators
Universities & regional development
Broadband
Soon available:
► Clusters ► Social Innovation
► Green growth ► Entrepreneurial spirit
► Creativity ► Service innovation
► ….
Inspiration for innovation support:
• Oslo Manual (OECD) https://community.oecd.org/community/smartspecialisation
• Community framework for State Aid to Research and
Innovation
• Analysis of regional innovation http://www.rim-
europa.eu
• EURADA • Directory of "No-Nonsense"
Activities to Build S³-minded Regions;
• All money is not the same
http://www.insme.org/files/3019
Thematic guides
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Cohesion
Policy
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Additional Information
Joint 2011 OECD/European Commission book on “Regions and
Innovation Policy”: http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/urban-rural-and-regional-
development/regions-and-innovation-policy_9789264097803-en
2011 EC Communication “Regional Policy for smart growth in Europe
2020”:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/information/pdf/brochures/rfec/2011_s
mart_growth_en.pdf
Proposals for the Structural Funds 2014-2020:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/what/future/proposals_2014_2020_en.cfm
RIS3 Factsheet:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/informat/2014/smart_specialisation_en.pdf
S3 Platform: http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/activities/research-and-
innovation/s3platform.cfm
RIS3 Guide: http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/s3pguide