Innovation, training and twin transition in the Blue Economy

Overview

Objectives

This call aims to contribute to tackle the multiple challenges identified by the MedBAN project in the Mediterranean Sea Basin. The MedBAN project focuses on the blue economy, specially in the Mediterranean Region, and this call is specifically targetting EU Blue Economy SMEs, aiming to facilitate and support SMEs in their innovation, training, green and digital transformation activities.

Please note that MedBAN is a project co-funded by the European Union (Grant Agreement nº 101074763) through the Joint Cluster Initiatives (EUROCLUSTERS) for Europe’s recovery (SMP-COSME-2021-CLUSTER) call under the Single Market Programme.

Activities/actions supported

The project set up a ‘Resilience preparedness – Business Continuity Plan" identifying 16 challenges facing the Mediterranean Blue Economy (common to most of the regions). It is expected that beneficiaries’ activities contribute to tackle these challenges and that the financial support provided to them enables them the get expert services that enhance their contribution to overcome the identified challenges. For more information please check the text of the call (see link below).

Institution providing the funding

European Commission

Size of funding

EUR 750.000

Conditions

Overview of eligibility criteria

To be eligible for funding in the “Innovation, training and twin transformation call (ITTT)” call for proposals, applicants must:

• Be private entities which are considered SMEs, according to the definition included in the EU Council Recommendation 2003/361.
• Have their headquarters in one of the eligible countries of the SMP COSME strand (EU-27, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway). In particular, the main target groups are SMEs from the Mediterranean, namely MedBAN partners’ countries (France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain), but SMEs from all the eligible countries may apply without any disadvantage in the evaluation criteria.
• Be a single SME. Consortium applications are not eligible.

Furthermore, independently of its position in the value-chain (e.g., producer, technology and equipment and infrastructure provider, end-user, support service provider), applicant SMEs need to be active in at least one of the following sectors: sustainable acquaculture; sustainable fisheries; sustainable tourism; harbours; marine renewable energies.

Overview of award criteria

Award criteria include the following:

• Viability
• Feasibility
• Scalability
• Coherence
• Impact

A table available in the text of the call lists the scores of each award criteria per topic and sets the score-range (1 to 5) per criteria, as well as the minimum score per criteria for a proposal to be selected for funding.

Procedures

Application procedures

Applications for MedBAN calls should be submitted in the F6S platform (see link to the call for more information). Please note that the call documents, including a 'Guide for F6S Application' to submit the proposal on F6S, are available in the MedBAN public folder.

Furthermore, the complete application procedure consists of the following elements:

• Application form (filled online in the F6S platform)
• Declaration of Honour – (template in the MedBAN Public Folder to be uploaded in F6S platform)
• Quotation of the service supplier (signed by the SMEs as declaration of acceptance)

The applications must be submitted in English.

Application support available

For technical issues concerning the submission procedure or any other questions related to the call, please contact the F6S MedBAN page or send an email to medban.eu@gmail.com.

A FAQ document is also included in the MedBAN public folder linked above.

Link to funding opportunities

Link to the programme for more info (1)

Link to the programme for more info (2)