The aim of this funding regulations is make use of joint research and innovation projects to improve the integration of the Central, Eastern and South Eastern European countries in particular. When establishing project consortia the aim should be to cover as much of the value chain as possible and to involve companies, notably SMEs, in promoting the transfer of technology and innovation. The project consortia will have to aim at preparing R&D projects which address the thematic areas of the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/) and other relevant EU funding programmes.

Cooperation at European level is to be expanded by focussing on key topics of mutual interest – particularly in subject areas that are addressed in the Federal Government’s High-Tech Strategy (https://www.hightech-strategie.de/de/The-new-High-Tech-Strategy-390.php), in the partner countries’ national research and innovation strategies and in the priority areas of the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020.

The call targets the following countries:

• the EU Member States Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, and Slovenia,
• the official EU accession candidates Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, and
• the potential EU accession candidates Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Kosovo.

There will be a two-stage procedure for the joint applications. Until june, 30th, 2018 the pre-proposal has to be submitted via the electronic submission to PT DLR. The project duration should be min. 12 months and max. 24 months. The maximum amount of funding requestes is limited to 120,000 € for German institutions and to max. 150,000 € if there is a SME‘s contribution.

Project consortia should consist of min. three institutions: the German applicant, at least one partner from one of the target countries, and one partner from one of the 28 EU memberstates or from one of the H2020 associated countries.

The BMBF has currently entrusted the following project management organization with implementing the funding measure:

DLR Projektträger
Europäische und internationale Zusammenarbeit
Heinrich-Konen-Straße 1
53227 Bonn
Internet: http://www.internationales-buero.de

The detailed call can be found here.

Contact at EPC