This Open Call supports European companies (SMEs) in their digitalisation planning activities related to activating Services and support in Product Development to further support their twin transition (digital and green). It is targeted at European SMEs from the manufacturing, mobility, logistics and energy sectors, working on the AI & BC technologies and/or interested in adopting AI & BC solutions to become more digital, resilient and green.

UPDATES: There has been added a condition related to a “Declaration of financial capacity” for being eligible to receive the interim Payment of the 20% of the total approved lump-sum after the second month of the project. Please check section of the Guidelines. To provide more time to the participating companies, the deadline has been postponed of 1 week. Furthermore, the total amount of budget available for the 2nd cut-off has been increased of 30.000,00 EUR (total budget 2nd cut-off 180.000,00 EUR). 

Opening date: Tuesday 6th June 2023, 12:00 Brussels time. 

Deadlines: 

• 1st cut-off (NEW): Tuesday, 12th September 2023, 17:00 Brussels time. (CLOSED)
• 2nd cut-off: Tuesday, 16th January 2024, 17:00 Brussels time. 

WHO CAN APPLY? 

Applications must be presented by SMEs officially founded before 31.12.2021 and registered in an EU Member State or a country participating in the Single Market Programme (SMP). The beneficiary SME must work with Artificial Intelligence and/or Blockchain technologies or come from one of the industrial ecosystems targeted by AIBC: manufacturing, mobility, logistics and energy. 

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES/TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED WITHIN THE PROJECT PROPOSAL? 

Activities must tackle the planning phase of the digital transformation involving AI/BC/twin transition. Topics are grouped by Macro-challenges and presented with a brief description of each challenge. Funding will be provided to SMEs for activities related to services and Product Development such as: 

• Technology transfer 
• Use of infrastructures 
• Proof of Concept (PoC) 
• Business model development 
• Innovation development services 

• Resilience continuity plans  
• Product/solution development 

These activities must include Artificial Intelligence / Blockchain technologies, support Green transition and address at least one challenge among the ones included in the call Guidelines.  

WHAT’S THE AVAILABLE BUDGET? 

AIBC has destined 330.000,00 EUR (NEW budget increased by 30.000,00 EUR) for supporting digitalisation services and product development activities. The total budget will be divided equally between the 2 cut-off dates of this call: meaning, 150.000,00 EUR for the first cut-off date and 180.000,00 EUR for the second cut-off date. 

Each beneficiary of this call can receive up to 15.000,00 EUR in the form of a lump-sum (thus, it is foreseen that at least 22 SMEs will receive financial support, 10 for the first cut-off date and 12 for the second cut-off date).

No co-financing is required from the selected companies. However, they must commit to ensure the necessary resources needed to carry out the activities and must have stable and sufficient sources of funding to maintain their activity throughout its development. This will be stated in the Declaration of Honour and the agreement that beneficiaries will sign before the start of the implementation. All the supporting documents are available in the Guidelines.  

Beneficiaries can participate to the different AIBC EUROCLUSTERS Open Calls (project proposals, training, participation to international events, digitalisation services and product development) but a single beneficiary cannot receive more than 60.000,00 EUR overall. Only one application per call is allowed. 

HOW LONG SHOULD THE ACTIVITY LAST? 

All services/activities financed by this call must have a duration of maximum 6 months starting from the signature of the contract. 

Activities must start after the signature of the agreement and be completed by:  

• 1st cut-off selected SMEs (NEW): 5th June 2024 
• 2nd cut-off selected SMEs: 30th September 2024.  

WHAT DO I NEED TO SUBMIT AND APPLICATION? 

All needed information is available at the Call Guidelines above. The application form is available at the EUSurvey Platform and all supporting documents to successfully complete an application are found here:  Supporting Documents.

AGREEMENT

The template of the agreement to be signed with the AIBC Coordinator is available at this link: AIBC Agreement Beneficiary Digitalisation Services and Product Development.

This agreement will be defined and customed with the specific information for each beneficiary of the open call.

INFO&MATCH 

The AIBC EUROCLUSTERS will facilitate access and connections to potential experts and entities through an online matchmaking platform: https://www.b2match.com/e/aibc-infomatch 

Furthermore, the AIBC infodays presentations are available in the platform, together with the registrations, also are available at the following links: 

• Info&Match: Friday, 16th June 2023, at 9:30 CEST – registration here 
• Info + Q&A: Tuesday, 25th July 2023, at 14:00 CEST (including updates on this open call) – registration here 

Other relevant information such as FAQ and events lists is also available there. 

All interested organisations are invited to visit the platform and use it for organising meetings and developing partnerships, collaborations.   

To be noted that AIBC EUROCLUSTERS only provides this platform as a support for networking activities, but all applications will be considered equally (independently on whether they from entities registered in the platform or not). 

For any inquiries, reach out to us at aibc@piemonteinnova.it  

The AIBC EUROCLUSTERS Project is funded under Grant Agreement no. 101074645 – SMP-COSME-2021-CLUSTER Call for proposals.  

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