Skills for innovative SMEs

**A pályázat célja és várt eredménye** Expected Outcome: Establishment of an SME support scheme through the Enterprise Europe Network, which delivers transnational skills-matching, recruitment support, and innovation management services to innovative SMEs across Europe. This support scheme has the following expected outcomes: Innovative SMEs have reduced labour and skill shortages through a transnational mobility scheme, which allows them to recruit and train highly skilled researchers from abroad; SMEs have improved innovation capacity to support research and innovation (R&I) projects and increased participation of highly skilled staff employed in R&I through recruitment and training; Researchers gain new knowledge and skills in industrial innovation and business management, through employment and training in innovative companies. Scope: To facilitate the innovation to investment journey and boost competitiveness, the EU needs to promote skills and quality jobs and help SMEs strengthen their innovation potential, by addressing labour and skills shortages, as highlighted in the Competitiveness Compass for the EU. Europe faces a growing challenge in meeting the demand for skilled talent in strategic sectors like clean and circular technologies, energy, health, biotech, agriculture, bioeconomy, digital technologies, aerospace and civil security. The progressive loss of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers, also known as the ‘leaky pipeline’, is further increasing these skills shortages. Nearly four in five SMEs say they cannot find the talent they need. The lack of access to skills, including the latest scientific knowledge and capacity to manage innovation processes effectively, have been identified as major barriers for innovation in SMEs, especially among start-ups and scale-ups. In line with the 'Choose Europe for Science' initiative, this action is expected to set up a transnational mobility scheme to provide lump sum grants (via FSTP) to innovative SMEs who have experienced skill shortages and difficulty in recruiting innovation talent. The action builds on the successful results of the ‘European SME innovation associate pilot’, which was launched in three consecutive calls under the Horizon 2020 work programmes 2016 – 2020. An evaluation study [1] of this pilot found that the grant was instrumental for most SMEs to recruit an innovation associate and that most supported SMEs were able to bring the results of their innovation projects to market. The insights from this earlier action should be reflected in any proposal. The action also complements Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions (MSCA), by providing additional work opportunities for researchers/early-career professionals holding a PhD, including but not limited to those who completed the MSCA fellowship, and aim to gain further experience in the private sector. Existing structures, such as the European Universities alliances, may offer SMEs further access to trainings, resources, networks, facilities and infrastructures across Europe. The selected consortium shall organise and manage the SME support scheme. In particular, the consortium is expected to: Ensure the sound design and implementation of the SME support scheme, including launching the call, eligibility checks, evaluations, and business support, where necessary. Promote the scheme to secure quality applications, monitor impact (including on skills development) and disseminate success stories of the innovation-to-investment journey. Provide support to funded SMEs for the transnational recruitment of researchers, including through the EURAXESS network and assistance with visa applications; Organise networking events and training on industrial innovation and business management, and promote cooperation among the community of researchers and funded SMEs; Ensure equal access across EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries and balanced distribution of strategic sectors. Eligible third parties to the FSTP scheme are SMEs that have an innovation idea and can demonstrate that the relevant skills cannot be found on the national labour market (e.g. by providing data on labour and skills shortages on the national context). SMEs should include in their application to an FSTP call a description of their innovation idea, a vacancy notice specifying the knowledge and skills needed for the development of the project, and a recruitment plan, which offers equal opportunities to researchers of all genders. Upon successful evaluation organised by the consortium, selected SMEs are expected to advertise their vacancy on the EURAXESS portal and other relevant platforms, with clear indication that the grant was awarded, in order to recruit the researchers. The scheme encourages transnational mobility of PhD knowledge holders, including MSCA fellows who have completed their fellowships at the date of recruitment. In the case of MSCA fellows, since they have already met the MSCA mobility rule, they do not need to move again if selected by an SME in their current country of residence. Additionally, SMEs may hire researchers with the nationality of the country in which the SME is located, as long as those researchers are currently employed and residing abroad. Moreover, the scheme should be open to recruit researchers both from STEM disciplines and social sciences and humanities (SSH) background, who could bring social innovation practices or an interdisciplinary perspective to the innovation capacity of the SMEs. These essential specificities are expected to be built into the SME support scheme: Competitive salary of the researcher / total employers’ costs including full social security according to national legislation for the researcher for a minimum duration of 12 months and a maximum duration of 24 months (including the salaries actually paid if the researcher leaves before 12 months). Relocation costs of the researcher, which may include removal cost, travel cost of the researcher and their immediate family (if applicable) to the new place of employment, visa cost (if applicable), translation cost of certificates (if applicable), a temporary transition allowance to cover extra costs upon arrival in the place of employment, cost for the relocation in the country of origin after the project (if applicable), a family and childcare allowance (if applicable), as well as other clearly justified expenditure directly related to relocation. Travel to conferences and workshops, as well as access to and use of technological and research infrastructures, or other activities relevant to the SME’s innovation idea. [1] European Commission: Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Ramboll, LE Europe, DIW, CARSA, ECORYS, Botnari, A., Hahn, F., Juskevicius, R., Lübbers, T., Muller, P., Riviere, M., Savickaite, I., Sierra, N.Weström, P., Accompanying study to the European SME Innovation Associate – Pilot action – Final report, Publications Office, 2019, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2826/645018 **Jogosultsági és benyújtási feltételek** "> General conditions 1. Admissibility conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. 2. Eligible countries described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide . 3. Other Eligibility Conditions The following additional eligibility criteria apply: Only entities that are beneficiaries in the Enterprise Europe Network as a result of the call SMP-COSME-2024-EEN are eligible to apply. described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. 5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds The granting authority can fund a maximum of one project. described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. 5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes The following additions to the general award criteria apply: The quality and efficiency of implementation criterion shall take into account the ability and experience of the applying entities to award grants to third parties outside their own jurisdiction. The implementation criterion shall include and emphasise the communication strategy proposed to reach out to both innovative SMEs with skills shortages and PhD-level experts. described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual . 5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. 6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Horizon Europe for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025). The consortium must provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) for the implementation of this action. Since providing FSTP is a core activity of this action, the EUR 60 000 threshold laid down in Article 207 of Financial Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 does not apply. The maximum amount of FSTP provided in form of grants that may be awarded to any single third party is set at EUR 300 000 for the entire duration of the action. This ceiling is justified by the fact that FSTP is a primary activity of this action, by its expected duration of 1-2 years, including costs of relocation and of a European competitive salary for an internationally mobile expert at PhD level, and by the extensive experience gained by the Enterprise Europe Network in providing business support to SMEs. However, if the objectives of the action would otherwise be impossible or overly difficult the maximum amount may be higher if duly justified in the proposal. The Consortium must allocate at least 90% of the total proposed budget to FSTP. described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions described in the specific topic "HORIZON-BRIDGING-2027-05-01: Skills for innovative SMEs" of the Work Programme . Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA): Application form templates Please use the application form that you will find in the Submission System. You can find examples of standard application forms in the Reference Documents page and below. Standard application form (HE CSA) Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations Standard evaluation form (HE CSA) Guidance HE Programme Guide Model Grant Agreements (MGA) HE MGA Lump Sum MGA Call-specific instructions Detailed budget table (HE LS) Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?" Information on financial support to third parties (HE) Good practices for implementing FSTP in EU grants Additional documents: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 14. Horizontal Activities HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes HE Framework Programme and Rules for Participation Regulation 2021/695 HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764 EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement