If you are an organisations interested in submitting research and innovation proposals in response to short to medium-term COVID-19 specific needs in Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, The Netherlands, Spain and Turkey, this call for proposals is for you. The Assembly of European Regions is happy to present this call launched by the Eureka Network. The Eureka Network is an intergovernmental organisation for market-driven industrial Research, Development and Innovation.

The call for project proposals may include but not limited to: 

• Infection prevention and protection
• Sanitation technology
• Diagnostics and testing
• Therapeutics, vaccines and medicines
• Disease-tracking technology, analytical solutions for health systems
• Smart technology for COVID-19 patients
• Smart technologies and support systems for critical production and supply chains under lockdown
• Safe mobility: migration data and trends, regional risk monitoring, protection of isolated and risk groups, safe use of public transports
• Education technologies and digital workplace.

This call for solutions for the COVID-19 Echo Period only concern organisations in the following countries (based on mutual consent between participating national funding bodies (NFB):

• Austria (Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft – FFG)
• Canada (National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program – NRC IRAP)
• Denmark (Innovation Fund Denmark – IFD)
• France (Bpifrance)
• The Netherlands (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland – RVO)
• Spain (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnologico Industrial – CDTI)
• Turkey (Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu – TÜBİTAK)

Application deadline: 15 May 2020.

You can apply here.The form must be completed in English.

Eligibility criteria  

In order to apply to the present call, the partners must meet the following qualifications:

• The consortium should include at least two organisations independent of each other from at least two of the participating countries.
• Funding assistance follows each national funding body’s (NFB) funding regulations.
• The project partners must express their willingness to cooperate, on a win-win/fair basis in the development of a new product, industrial process or service.
• The product, process or service must be innovative and there must be a technological risk involved.
• The project must have a civilian purpose.
• The project should benefit all involved partners in a well-balanced consortium.
• The project should have an obvious advantage and added value resulting from the technologic cooperation between the participants (e.g. increased knowledge base, commercial leads, access to R&D infrastructure, etc.).
• The duration of the project may not exceed 12 months.
• Projects are expected to start by August 3 2020. Participants must discuss with their NFB about the expected start date of their activities. NFB regulations may apply.
• Product, service or process implementation or market launch should happen no later than 6 months after project completion.

 Important to note: Each participating NFB may apply additional eligibility criteria based on their national regulations. Applicants are strongly advised, prior to submitting the application, to contact their NFB to discuss their project idea, and verify their and their project’s eligibility.

Partners from other Eureka countries or countries outside of the Eureka network can also participate, but funding must be secured within the deadlines of the call.

 More information here.

 If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the AER Secretariat. 

Photo by Ousa Chea on Unsplash