Simplify Accessibility for SMEs in FP7

Workshop: Rules on Participation for implementation of FP7

Alexander Wahler, Hanival Internet Services GmbH Austria www.hanival.net

Brussels, 6.6.2006

Content

Simplify Accessibility for SMEs Provide more Financial Transparency Standardize Consortium Agreements

Simplify Accessibility for SMEs

Allocate quotas for participation of SMEs (i.e. min. 25% for IPs)

Support participation of SMEs in Joint European Technology Groups

Simplify reporting and documentation procedures for SMEs

Provide language support in the proposal submission and negotiation phase

Provide more Financial Transparency Increase certainty and planning of

expected funding faster time-to-contracting faster time-to-money (shorten pre-payment

cycles) Increase Flat Rate for Indirect Costs for

SMEs to 40% (20% in FP6)

Retain (EC) max 1% for risks

Standardize Consortium Agreements Define distribution of EC financial contribution

by the coordinator in grant agreement of EC and not in the consortium agreement

Support SMEs in negotiation of consortium agreements (i.e. legal subcontracting costs up to €5.000.- are eligible costs for the project)

Provide multilingual guidelines for consortium agreements with special focus on IPRs for SMEs

Conclusion

Simplify rules and accessibility to increase successful participation of SMEs in FP7

Increase transparency of financial contributions and reduce financial risks for SMEs

Represent IPRs of SMEs in consortium agreements