So, you want to write a proposal? Ian Holmes H2020 National Contact Point

Horizon 2020 basics Collaborative Projects Research and Innovation 100% funded (RIA) – 2 stage TRL 3-5 Innovation Actions 70% funded (100% NFP)(IA) single stage TRL 5-7 Coordinated Support Actions 100% funded (CSA) Must have at least 3 EU countries in consortium* Emphasis on expected impact and Market exploitation Industry participation, especially SMEs is vital *could be an issue post Brexit! The gap between research/technological demonstration/prototype and commercialisation.

Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs)

SC2 calls and topics in the context of H2020 Challenge-based, and open to innovative proposals Calls are not prescriptive – They don’t outline the expected solutions, or the approach to be taken to solve it Emphasis on impact, each topic has an impact statement Explain how you will address these impacts Need different disciplines and sectors to succeed Horizontal issues such as sustainability, climate, gender are intrinsic to all projects

Responding to key challenges our planet is facing for the years to come. 2018-2020 Work Programme aims to : Address climate change and resilience on land and sea. Make the transition towards a circular bioeconomy. Foster functional ecosystems, sustainable food systems, healthy lifestyles Boost major innovations on land and sea – new products, value chains and markets. Develop smart, connected territories and value chains in rural and coastal areas. Read The Introduction pages 5-10 SFS-38-2016: Impulsivity and compulsivity and the link with nutrition, lifestyle and the socio-economic environment

Contribution to focus area(s) The EC has identified a number of “cross cutting” focus areas. Some topics will have additional letters and must ensure they contribute to the relevant focus area theme. 'Building a low-carbon, climate resilient future' (LC) 'Connecting economic and environmental gains - Circular Economy' (CE) 'Digitising and transforming European industry and services' (DT) E.g. DT-SFS-14-2018: Personalized Nutrition

The policy context Global commitments European policies CAP & EIP-AGRI Climate & energy Bioeconomy strategy Circular economy SDGs: 2,3,11,12,13,14,15 Integrated Maritime and common fisheries policies Digital single market

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Proposals are expected to support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular: SDG 2 'Zero hunger’, SDG 11 'Sustainable cities and communities’, SDG 12 'Responsible consumption and production’, SDG 13 'Climate action' and SDG 15 'Life on land‘ Identified in the call text and often appear as “Expected impacts”

How to read the calls Call Title Specific challenge Scope This is the problem to be addressed Specific challenge This explains the reason for the challenge Scope This provides some insights to possible approaches / solutions It is not very prescriptive Look for acronyms, legislation, specific countries, other EC initiatives It will indicate the expected size of the project e.g. Euro 3 million Expected impact: This is what the project must deliver Justify how your approach is the best way to achieve these impacts

Multi-actor projects: Multi-actor approach must: Innovation is demand-driven, and ensure involvement of key actors through out the project: A multi-actor project proposal must demonstrate: how the project proposal's objectives and planning meet needs, problems and opportunities of end-users, how it complements existing research and best practices. “Highly recommended” that it involves EIP-Agri Thematic Networks READ Page 8 of Work Programme. https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/news/horizon-2020-multi-actor-projects-eip-agri-brochure

Stage 1 Application Only 10 pages to cover; 1.Excellence 2.Impact 1.1 Objectives 1.2 Relation to the work programme 1.3 Concept and methodology 1.4 Ambition 2.Impact 2.1 Expected impacts

Carries the same amount of marks as all 4 for the excellence headers!

First stage proposals: Complete the parts indicated by a bracket ( } ). The minimum font size is 11 points. Page limit for first stage proposal is 10 pages. Page limit is applied automatically; remove the instruction page before submitting. If you upload a proposal exceeding the limit, before the deadline you get a warning. After the deadline, excess pages are invisible! Keep your text concise

X Diagrams Diagrams can be very effective and engaging, if used well. Ensure they are relevant and specific to project Ensure they are legible X

Relation to the work programme: Indicate the work programme topic and explain how your proposal addresses the specific challenge and scope of that topic, as set out in the work programme. Keep it simple and clear. Often seen: table of all relevant elements of the topic text and the way to deal with them in the project. Demonstrate you have understood the topic and addressed all relevant aspects of it.

Relation to the work programme: example Specific challenge Project Genetic diversity in agriculture is a pre-requisite for food security Genetic diversity, especially in wheat, is very important for food security Wheat is prone to a number of biotic and abiotic threats with devastating effects on the nutrition of 2 billion people. Widening its genetic basis is essential to ensure its resilience. Scope Big-data approach The project will use a big-data approach The selection of valuable traits for the breeding of drought-resistant wheat will utilize data from genomics, proteomics and transcriptomics

Evaluation criteria for the Excellence section How the work corresponds to the topic description in the work programme Clarity and relevance of the objectives Credibility of the approach Soundness of the concept, trans-disciplinary considerations, Work is ambitious, has innovation potential, and is beyond the state of the art

Evaluation criteria for the Impact section The expected impacts listed in the work programme under the relevant topic You must address all of them!!!!! Carries the same value as the excellence!

Evaluation Guidelines If a proposal Is marginally relevant to the call, lower score for Excellence No matter how excellent the science! Does not significantly contribute to the expected impacts in the WP, lower score for Impact If cross-cutting issues are explicitly mentioned, and not addressed (or non-relevance justified), lower score A successful proposal will address them, or convincingly explain why not relevant in a particular case

Proposal evaluation Remotely out by independent external experts (3 or 5) (with ) Some will be “academic peers” Others cover business / social impacts or other areas of topic Award Criteria: (Experts) Excellence Impact Quality and efficiency of the implementation

Useful Tips First impression count No guide for applicants, instructions are in the forms Read the forms Answer the questions Stick to the page limit First impression count Choose a catchy title Make it engaging /interesting from the Start Use clear, legible diagrams Use your NCP /or impartial colleagues to read it

Lessons learnt so far TRL – Involvement of future end-users Right level Right place, Correct terminology Involvement of future end-users Clear exploitation approach Don’t “shoe horn” it in where it doesn’t fit. Real market information needed Real Impact to be demonstrated

Horizon 2020 UK website www. h2020uk Horizon 2020 UK website www.h2020uk.org National Contact Point for SC2 – Ian Holmes ian.holmes@innovateuk.gov.uk @UKH2020_Sustain You can sign up to receive our monthly newsletter which includes updates on forthcoming competitions, innovation successes, activities and events.