Call for Projects: European Green Deal

You wish to contribute to European efforts to promote a sustainable economy? The European Commission is launching a call for projects to contribute to the objectives of the European Green Deal.  Interested? Find out more about the eligibility conditions and get support from our experts!

At the end of 2019, the European Commission presented its new European Green Deal: an action plan aimed at:

• achieving climate neutrality for the European Union by 2050
• promoting a clean and circular economy, in particular by restoring biodiversity and reducing pollution

Some of the funding will come from Horizon 2020, the eighth European framework programme set up to support research and innovation in Europe.

The programme is therefore launching this particular call in order to stimulate and finance the implementation of large, multi-stakeholder and multidisciplinary, collaborative projects in research and innovation, in order to meet the objectives of the European Green Deal. 

A demanding call for projects on diverse topics

Divided into 20 topics, the call will invite consortia to submit their research or innovation project solutions in order to achieve one or more of the outcomes outlined under its sub-topics. 

The topics are varied and relate in particular to biodiversity, mobility, energy and health, as well as citizen engagement.

Although ambitious, this call presents many opportunities: it will allow you to promote and develop your expertise and innovations in collaboration with stakeholders from different countries! Investing time and resources to participate in this call can therefore form part of your company’s development strategy and in particular, in terms of internationalisation.

Who is this call for projects aimed at?

This call is primarily addressed to experienced stakeholders with specific expertise related to the 20 topics it describes. The European Commission encourages the participation of all types of stakeholders, in particular specialists, as well as organisations promoting citizen participation, in order to increase the impact of the results of these research projects on society.

Please note that this call is funding international collaborative projects, so you will not be able to fund your own local project. Instead, think about how your expertise could help a consortium of actors to achieve the expected project impacts listed in the call.

Where the challenge lies in finding partners in other countries, there will also be the possibility to form consortia with other stakeholders in Brussels or Belgium, for example with universities which have more experience in these projects and who could benefit from local, specialist expertise.

What are the conditions of participation?

• In order to participate in this call, the entrant will need to be registered as a legal entity (company, association, public authority, etc.)  and be able to demonstrate its financial and operational capacity.
• This call for projects requires the creation of partnerships in at least two other European countries in the case of most topics. The Horizon 2020 programme is also open worldwide and also encourages countries outside the European Union to participate in these consortia.
• A good command of English is therefore essential.

Financial aid and free support

The Horizon 2020 programme offers substantial funding at the following rates:

• 100% for non-profit organisations
• 70% to 100% for other organisations

NB:

• Participation is open to organisations from EU member states, associated countries and third countries, all of which are eligible for funding with the exception of certain third countries (e.g. the USA, Canada, China, Brazil, India, Russia).
• British organisations are still eligible for funding from this call for projects.

Prepare, prepare, prepare!

This new call for projects is open with a deadline for project submission of 26 January 2021. Such international projects require a lot of work and it is therefore recommended that entrants start their preparations as soon as possible to find partners.

• Take part in the virtual information event on this call, organised as part of the European Commission’s R&I Days on the afternoon of 23 et 24 September (in English) with a session of networking (separate registration)
• Participate in the networking event organized by the Enterprise Europe Network on 13-14 October with a good profile

The call is published on the European Commission’s Portal for funding & tender opportunities. The portal is the gateway to many European calls for projects. Application is made online by the consortium coordinator on behalf of the group. Please note that each partner must also register on this portal and obtain a PIC number. This can also be completed in advance.

Help responding to the call for projects

NCPBrussels, contact point for the Horizon 2020 programme in the Brussels Region, are on hand to support all potential participants in setting up their project and beyond.

Our experts can help you to find partners using their large network, including the Enterprise Europe Network and NCPs CaRE. Their support is tailored to your individual needs. Contact us!