Seal of Excellence – A Second Chance for Innovative Business

High quality proposals from innovative Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises that have not been funded within Horizon 2020 SME instrument have additional chances to be funded. The action concerns, for this initial ‘pilot’ phase, only proposals applying for the SME instrument and in particular those evaluated above the quality threshold.

Almost 6 months after the launch of the initiative called the Seal of Excellence, we can see the first results – synergies with ESIF are still uneasy in some Member States but not impossible and schemes financed by regional budgets are usually less complicated. The implementation of the Seal of Excellence was discussed at the Czech Permanent Representation to the EU on 4th April with representatives of EU institutions, businesses, Permanent representations to the EU, research centres and other stakeholders.

Magda de Carli from DG RTD is sure that it is a great opportunity for businesses, but as the process has just started, the SMEs must be patient. She stressed that the applicants have to be aware that there is no guarantee of an ‘automatic’ alternative funding and/or additional funding of H2020. More than 2,300 proposals submitted within SME instrument (between 45% and 84% of all proposals above the threshold) are not funded. These have by now all received the Seal of Excellence. Martina Dlabajová, Member of the European Parliament (ALDE) welcomes the initiatives as it gives a second chance to innovative business by providing them with a possibility to access alternative funding. She stressed that the schemes must be simple, efficient and transparent with a great impact on the ground and with available data. The synergies are not impossible. Targeted calls for ‘seal proposals’ within phase 1 are under preparation in Italy, Spain, Sweden and Norway.

Adéla Hradilová of South Moravian Innovation Centre (JIC) informed that the Brno region is running an SME-I instrument which will from midApril allow to finance excellent projects unfunded by SME instrument (Phase 1) submitted by SMEs located in South Moravia region. The region will provide the same funding (rate of co-financing), pre-financing payments, lump sum and coaching. She stressed that the beneficiaries will be obliged to submit an application to phase 2 of the SME instrument.