This Open Call supports Small and Medium Enterprises (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 to 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. 

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

Deadline: Tuesday, 5th September 2023, 17:00 Brussels time. 

WHO CAN APPLY? 

Applications must be presented by SMEs and start-ups (in the form of SMEs) 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. 

SMEs (as defined by the EU legislation (Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC and the SME user guide) working on the AI & BC technologies, and from the manufacturing, mobility, logistics and energy sectors interested in adopting AI & BC solutions to become more digital, resilient and green. 

WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE ADDRESSED? 

Applications can include more than one training activity, as long as: 

• The training activities are linked to each other, meaning there is a training plan to follow with a specific objective and impact for the SME. 
• The total cost of the training activities altogether does not exceed 5.000,00 EUR, or if it does, the SME must declare that they will cover the remaining cost.  
• The training activities proposed have a cost of at least 500,00 EUR. 

These activities must include Artificial Intelligence / Blockchain technologies, and support Green and Digital transition.  

WHAT’S THE AVAILABLE BUDGET? 

AIBC has destined 150.000,00 EUR for supporting training activities. 

Each beneficiary of this call can receive up to 5.000,00 EUR in the form of a lump-sum (thus, it is expected that at least 30 companies will receive financial support).  

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 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 TRIAINING ACTIVITY LAST? 

Training activities must start after the signature of the agreement (November 2023) and be completed by 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 the 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: Training contract.

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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