A Smarter Way to Help You Develop New Products for Global Markets

If you are an innovative SME within the East of England region, are you accessing the substantial sums of money available from the European Commission under the recently launched 7th Framework Programme to help with your research and development? If not then the EEDA Framework 7 support package may be able to help you.

What is it?

The Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) for Research and Technology is the European Union's main instrument for funding research in Europe and runs from 2007 to 2013. FP7 is designed to respond to Europe's employment needs and competitiveness, supporting research in selected priority areas - the aim being to make, or keep, the EU as a world leader in those sectors. The available budget for FP7 amounts to approximately Euro 50 billion.

The Framework Programme 7 Support Package aims to deliver multi-level assistance to dramatically increase the amount of EC money helping businesses in the region to undertake R&D Projects and subsequently enhance the economic potential of the whole region.

Three levels of support are available:

1. Assistance helping you to lead and coordinate a proposal submission
Providing grants of up to 50% to help six companies per year meet the costs associated with consortium building and formation of a high quality proposal for European Commission Funding. Full support and assistance is given throughout the proposal process.

2. Helping you to become a consortium partner
Assisting twenty businesses a year to use their individual skills, capabilities or expertise to capitalise on the business potential associated with participating in FP7 projects already being managed by other organisations. This will be achieved by profile mapping your qualities against the requirements of organisations seeking EC funding through their own proposals, and subsequently resulting in you becoming a consortium member of the project.

3. Supporting Existing FP7 Submission Winners
If you have already won an FP7 proposal, financial support is available to three companies per year to 50% fund the costs associated with obtaining the training and coaching you need to facilitate the successful delivery and project management of your EC funded research project.

Eligibility?
Nine events will be held around the region on different aspects of FP7 in the next year and at the end of each it will be possible to attend a concept surgery, where you can discuss your organisation's suitability to FP projects and other National and Regionally funded initiatives. Alternatively one of our experts can visit you to conduct the surgery.

To find out more please contact either Peter Hamilton (peter.hamilton@pera.com) or Marcus Pearson (marcus.pearson@pera.com) who will be happy to address all questions and requests.

Forthcoming events...

Wednesday 9th January 2008 at the University of East Anglia - Energy, Environmental, Renewable and Waste Technologies

New markets, new products, new business. Generating all of these is time consuming and costly. From Biomass to Solar from bottles to landfill, if you're thinking of getting involved or are already operating in the Energy, Environmental, Recycling or Waste marketplaces then this event is a must see. Covering all aspects of new product development, market expansion/growth and new market entry including;

* Concept generation
* Market and product validation
* Organisational prioritisation
* Strategic execution

Wednesday 13th February 2008 at Cranfield University

This event will help you understand the benefits from creating new product and service development partnerships and will provide the opportunity to introduce you to new business development networks across the European Union.
If your company is an SME or an LE and wants to move up the value chain or explore access to international markets and high volume customers this is the event for you.
Find out how you can gain from involvement in European funded projects.
Explore your ideas in confidential workshops to see which routes to finance are best for you.

To register your interest or for further information on the FP7 events mentioned above please contact eedafp7events@pera.com