106 million to deploy the Green Revolution in forest areas

14.04.2020. Sustainable development aid will facilitate investment in rural Andalusia and protect its natural heritage.

The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development is allocating 106 million euros in forestry aid, one of the pillars of the Green Revolution that is being promoted in the face of climate change and the protection of Andalusia’s natural heritage.

This aid makes it possible to develop investments in the most rural areas of the region. 780 entities will benefit and, consequently, will become a source of employment in municipalities and regions that are urging for new opportunities to combat depopulation.

The call established a minimum amount of aid of 1,000 euros and a maximum of 250,000 euros. These grants, which are part of the Rural Development Program of Andalusia 2014-2020, will facilitate the implementation of investments aimed at developing forest areas, improving the viability of forests or increasing the adaptability and environmental value of forest ecosystems.

Green Revolution: to turn Andalusia into a world reference in the fight against climate change, through a battery of investments and initiatives, such as doubling the funds allocated to forestry aid.

Organisation: Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development

Beneficiaries:

  • Natural and legal persons
  • Communities of property
  • Economic or wealthy units
  • City councils that own this type of land.

More information in the following link 

The LIFE programme funds nature conservation projects in the fields of biodiversity

13.04.2020. The Environment and Climate Action Programme (LIFE) is the European Union’s financial instrument dedicated to the environment for the period 2014-2020. Its overall objective is to contribute to sustainable development and the achievement of the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy and the EU’s environment and climate strategies. One of the sub-programmes of LIFE is the Environment, which represents 75% of the total funding.

Projects in Nature and Biodiversity priority area receive up to 60% EU co-financing (within the Environment sub-programme), but the co-financing rate can be up to 75%, if at least half of the total estimated project costs are used for actions to improve the conservation status of priority habitats. In this sense, nature conservation projects in the fields of biological diversity, habitats and species are financed. The European Union (EU) provides grants for action on best practice, pilot and demonstration projects that contribute to the implementation of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, the EU Biodiversity Strategy until 2020, and the development, implementation and management of the Natura 2000 network.

In the framework of the LIFE Programme and the 2020 call, interesting opportunities are presented to give continuity to various actions of the Iberian Centre for Research and Fight against Forest Fires (CILIFO). The project could obtain alternative sources of funding for some lines of study, research and dissemination being carried out by the project’s different working groups. Furthermore, a proposal promoted by CILIFO within the framework of the LIFE Programme could exploit the good practices of CILIFO and the results obtained by the CILIFO Working Groups.

The CILIFO project, which is a European project focused on the prevention and extinction of forest fires, as well as on the adaptation and mitigation of climate change, is led by the Andalusian Regional Government (Spain). CILIFO has the first accelerator/incubator specialized in the prevention and extinction of forest fires and co-founded by an Interreg programme in Europe, «Firefighting Open Innovation Lab – CILIFO«, which can contribute with innovative solutions. This Open Innovation Lab welcomes entities (entrepreneurs, spin-offs, start-ups, SMEs…) working in the field of climate change adaptation and mitigation, including forest fire prevention and extinction.

Target: the programme is aimed at consortia between public and private organisations at local level, councils, town halls, universities, public or private companies (including SMEs) and associations. Startups and entrepreneurs can also apply for the aid, as innovation in low-cost technologies for easy application in different areas is particularly encouraged.

Procedure: the Environment Subprogramme is divided into two stages: first a 10-page «concept note» is presented. You can modify a concept note submitted as many times as you wish until the call for project proposals is closed. Then, if the concept reaches the second stage, it will be necessary to send the complete project proposal based on the comments of the LIFE programme. The average budget per project is EUR 1 to 2 million.

Deadline for concept notes for nature and biodiversity projects closes on 16 July 2020.

Example of a project: LIFE-SINK (Innovative substrates for NOx capture and recovery of burnt soils)

The project focuses on finding circular economy solutions (waste recovery) for the recovery of soils damaged by forest fires. Specifically, one of the components of the substrate to be used will be properly treated sewage sludge, so as to improve the condition of this forest habitat. Therefore, the objective of the project is based on the design, development and implementation to the market of «artificial substrates» created by means of non-hazardous waste for the capture of NOx, as well as to fertilize the land. The project demonstrates how the developed «artificial substrates» (also called technological, amendments or techno-soils), coming from the recovery of «Non-Hazardous Waste», by means of specific formulations studied, are capable of reducing the pollution of NOx (nitrogen oxide) in cities or areas with a high degree of pollution, and it is viable to market them for the reduction of atmospheric pollution and improvement of the properties of the soils where they are applied.

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic: Due to the COVID-19 health crisis, projects dedicated to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic have taken on special relevance for the European Commission, encouraging research into systems of contagion and control of pandemics. It is not only researching new drugs or vaccines that may be of special interest in the fight against the coronavirus but also looking for projects that have unique viability in this field so important at present.

EU applicants are encouraged to reflect on what elements of their project can help prevent, mitigate, manage the current crisis or recover from a similar health crisis in the future. The aim is that any project that has some element, however small, that can collaborate or add to a much larger and more coordinated response in the fight against the pandemic, can be investigated from a health approach in order to readapt it and turn it into a response that, coming from different projects, can become a solution greater than the sum of its parts.

For more information contact the Coordinator of the CILIFO project at the Finnova Foundation, José Manuel Requena (jrequena@finnova.eu) or visit the website: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/section/life/calls-proposals#inline-nav-1

Leadership Program in Open, Strategic and Unique Innovation: Projects Creation Innovation Units

08/04/2020. These are grants for projects to create Joint Innovation Units to develop technological development and innovation activities in Andalusia.

Characteristics of the eligible projects.
The joint unit will be made up of a single research body and a single company that is NOT an SME, which must contribute at least 50% of the total budget.

Eligible expenses

  • Expenses for research, technical and auxiliary staff.
  • Costs of newly acquired instruments and materials.
  • Costs of contractual research, knowledge, patents, as well as costs of consultancy and equivalent services.
  • General costs directly derived from the project and necessary for its execution.
  • Other additional operating expenses

Amount: The maximum intensity of the aid will be 60% of the investment with a maximum limit of 2,000,000 euros per project.

Beneficiaries:

  • NON-SMEs
  • Public Research and Dissemination Bodies

Organisation: Ministry of Economy, Knowledge, Business and University.

Application period: 75 calendar days from the day following the end of the alarm condition.

The minimum eligible budget for each project will be 1,500,000 euros.

Contact: Adrian Noheda: adrian.noheda@finnova.e

Leadership Program in Open, Strategic and Unique Innovation: Collaborative Projects

08/04/2020. This is aid for collaborative projects of Industrial Research or Experimental Development by companies with operational establishments in Andalusia.

Characteristics of the eligible projects

Industrial Research or Experimental Development Projects:

  • Developed in effective collaboration between several companies, at least three with operational establishments in Andalusia, of which at least one must be an SME, with the paid participation of at least one research and knowledge dissemination organisation in an amount equal to or greater than 15% of the overall eligible budget.

Eligible expenditure

  1. Expenses for research, technical and auxiliary staff.
  2. Costs of newly acquired instruments and materials.
  3. Costs of contractual research, knowledge, patents, as well as costs of consultancy and equivalent services.
  4. General costs directly derived from the project and necessary for its execution.
  5. Other additional operating costs.

Beneficiaries:

  • Self-employed
  • Companies in general
  • Public Research Bodies
  • Universities and their university institutes with proven capacity and activity
  • in R&D
  • Other centers
  • Public R & D Technology Centers and Innovation and Technology Centers.
  • Other non-profit entities that carry out and/or manage R+D+i activities

Organisation: Ministry of Economy, Knowledge, Business and University.

Application period: 75 calendar days from the day following the end of the alarm condition.

The minimum subsidizable budget will be 1,000,000 euros.

Contact: Adrian Noheda: (adrian.noheda@finnova.eu)

LIFE aid for Environment and resource efficiency traditional projects

08/04/2020. The Environment and Climate Action Programme (LIFE) is the European Union’s financial instrument dedicated to the environment for the period 2014-2020. Its overall objective is to contribute to sustainable development and the achievement of the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy and the EU’s environment and climate strategies. One of the sub-programmes of LIFE is the Environment, which represents 75% of the total funding.

LIFE co-finances up to 55% of projects in the priority area of Environment and Resource Efficiency (the Environment Sub-Programme) especially in the areas of air, chemicals, green and circular economy, industrial accidents, marine and coastal management, noise, soil, waste, water and urban environment. The programme provides grants for pilot and demonstration projects to develop, test and demonstrate policy or management approaches. It also covers the development and demonstration of innovative technologies, the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of EU environmental policy and law, as well as best practices and solutions. In particular, the European Commission seeks new technologies and solutions that are ready to be applied under near-market conditions, on an industrial or commercial scale, for the duration of the project.

In the framework of the LIFE Programme and the 2020 call, there are interesting opportunities to give continuity to several actions of the Iberian Centre for Research and Fight against Forest Fires (CILIFO). The project could obtain alternative sources of funding for some lines of study, research and dissemination being carried out by the project’s different Working Groups. Furthermore, a proposal promoted by CILIFO within the framework of the LIFE Programme could exploit the good practices of CILIFO and the results obtained by the CILIFO Working Groups.

The CILIFO project, which is a European project focused on the prevention and extinction of forest fires, as well as on the adaptation and mitigation of climate change, is led by the Andalusian Regional Government (Spain). CILIFO has the first accelerator/incubator specialized in the prevention and extinction of forest fires and co-founded by an Interreg programme in Europe, «Firefighting Open Innovation Lab – CILIFO», which can contribute with innovative solutions. This Open Innovation Lab welcomes entities (entrepreneurs, spin-offs, start-ups, SMEs…) working in the field of climate change adaptation and mitigation, including forest fire prevention and extinction.

Target: the programme is aimed at consortia between public and private organisations at local level, councils, town halls, universities, public or private companies (including SMEs) and associations. Startups and entrepreneurs can also apply for the aid, as innovation in low-cost technologies for easy application in different areas is particularly encouraged.

Procedure: the Environment Subprogramme is divided into two stages: first a 10-page «concept note» is presented. You can modify a concept note submitted as many times as you wish until the call for project proposals is closed. Then, if the concept reaches the second stage, it will be necessary to send the complete project proposal based on the comments of the LIFE programme. The average budget per project is EUR 1 to 2 million.

Deadline for concept notes for traditional environment and resource efficiency projects: 14 July 2020.

Project example: HyperIN
Hyper [IN] is a revolutionary thermal and acoustic insulation material with permanent fire resistance. It is an internationally patented material that is biodegradable, insulating and fireproof, manufactured mainly from recyclable materials, which is mainly applied in the construction sector. A characteristic of this product is that a large part of its components are obtained from recycled products following the principles of the circular economy. This project is characterized by applying the principles of the circular economy, since it is composed of recycled materials that are reused (such as rice straw), with the aim of providing solutions to various environmental problems using 100% recycled and natural materials.

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic: Due to the COVID-19 health crisis, projects dedicated to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic have taken on special relevance for the European Commission, encouraging research into systems of contagion and control of pandemics. It is not only researching new drugs or vaccines that may be of special interest in the fight against the coronavirus but also looking for projects that have unique viability in this field so important at present.

EU applicants are encouraged to reflect on what elements of their project can help prevent, mitigate, manage the current crisis or recover from a similar health crisis in the future. The aim is that any project that has some element, however small, that can collaborate or add to a much larger and more coordinated response in the fight against the pandemic, can be investigated from a health approach in order to readopt it and turn it into a response that, coming from different projects, can become a solution greater than the sum of its parts.

For more information contact the Coordinator of the CILIFO project at the Finnova Foundation, José Manuel Requena (jrequena@finnova.eu) or visit the website

 

DOWNLOAD HERE THE GUIDE TO THE LIFE CALL FOR ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE ACTION PROJECTS

CILIFO_Guideline_Finnova_LIFE_en_v1

ALERT: Commission reports on cancellation of EU Green Week 2020 in June due to COVID-19

07/04/2020. Green Week 2020, organised by the European Union, will focus on nature and biodiversity. Around the world, biodiversity is disappearing as a result of the unsustainability of much human activity.

The European Commission has reported on the EU Green Week 2020 website that their main priority «the health, safety and well-being of our speakers, moderators, exhibitors and participants, and so we have been monitoring the situation concerning the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak constantly». Therefore, «due to the current situation and the uncertainties about how long it may continue, it has been decided that EU Green Week 2020 will not take place in June as originally foreseen». However, they explain: «A decision on whether to postpone, restructure or cancel the event will be taken as soon as possible. More information will be published as soon as it is available.».

During this week, it was planned to explore possible avenues for change and examine EU policies, such as the European Green Agreement, that can help protect, restore and sustainably manage nature, leaving room for it to recover and thrive. This year’s Green Week was also a milestone on the road to COP15-CBD («15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations to the Convention on Biological Diversity») in Kunming, China, in October 2020, where world leaders would adopt a new 10-year action plan to combat climate change. In this sense, CILIFO (Iberian Centre for Research and Fight against Forest Fires), as a project that seeks to adapt to and mitigate climate change, had planned a training action focused on attracting European funds for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

For more information, please visit the EU Green Week 2020 website: www.eugreenweek.eu

 

Covid-19 Financial Support Programme for Companies

This is a line of financing to guarantee the monetary risks incurred by SMEs and self-employed workers before financial institutions in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.

Eligible expenditure: the guarantee operations which the SGR grants and formalises with the business owner, from 14 March to 31 October 2020.

Characteristics of the loan:

  • Average amount: 25,000
  • Term: Up to 5 years.
  • Grace period: up to 12 months.
  • Interest rate: Fixed, up to 2%.
  • Arrangement fee: Up to 0.50%.

Guarantee: 100% of the underlying transaction.

Guarantor: Sociedad de Avales y Garantías de Andalucía, S.G.R. (Guarantee)

Economic conditions of Guarantee: Single payment on formalization.
– Annual guarantee commission: Up to 1.25%.
– Study fee: Up to 0.50%.
– Linked capital: 2% (refundable).

Counter-guarantees: personal signatures of holders and partners.

Situation of the SME at 31/12/2019: businesses with tax benefits and generation of sufficient resources for the payment of their debt

Beneficiaries:

  • SMEs
  • Self-employed

Eligible expenditure: Guarantee operations granted and formalised by the MGS guarantee with the business owner between 14 March and 31 October 2020.

Organisation: Consejería de Hacienda Industria y Energía

List of economic activities admitted, according to CANE-2009: click

Deadline: 31 October 2020

Contact: Adrian Noheda (adrian.noheda@finnova.eu)

 

NEOTEC Program

27.03.2020. The Firefighting Open Innovation Lab-CILIFO reports the following aid: up to 70% of funding in the budget of each of the business projects that opt for this program and that have a minimum of 175,000 euros eligible for funding.

Objective
To finance the start-up of new business projects in any technological and/or sectorial field, which require the use of technologies or knowledge developed from research activity and in which the business strategy is based on the development of technology. However, business projects whose business model is based primarily on services to third parties, without developing their own technology, are not eligible for this call. Neither will those initiatives that do not clearly reflect in their business plan the continuity in the development of technology be supported.

Deadline and budget
The 2020 call is expected to be launched in May.

For more information, please visit the following link

Who?

Small innovative companies that:

  • Are not quoted
  • Are constituted in the three years preceding the closing date of applications.
  • Likewise, the date of granting of the company’s deed of incorporation must be at least six months prior to the closing date of applications
  • They have not distributed profits
  • They did not arise from a corporate transaction
  • Have a minimum share capital of 20,000 euros
  • Have the annual accounts for the last two years

Details:
Up to 70% of the project’s budget can be financed, which must be between 175,000 and 250,000 euros. The duration of the project will be annual or multi-annual (two years maximum).

CILIFO en la EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2020

25.03.2020. La Semana de la Energía Sostenible de la UE (EUSEW) 2020 tendrá lugar en Bruselas del 22 al 26 de junio de 2020. La “Policy Conference” es la mayor conferencia europea dedicada a las energías renovables y el uso eficiente de la energía en Europa.

Las sesiones organizadas por la Comisión Europea y las partes interesadas se centran en cuestiones de energía sostenible, debaten nuevos desarrollos de políticas, mejores prácticas e ideas de energía sostenible.

Energy Days son actividades y eventos organizados por organizaciones locales públicas y privadas de toda Europa para promover la energía limpia y la eficiencia energética. Son un componente clave de la Semana de la Energía Sostenible de la UE.

Dentro de las tareas de comunicación, internacionalización, explotación de resultados, capitalización y captación de tecnologías, emprendedores, start-ups y pymes para que participen en el “Firefighting Open Innovation Lab – Cilifo”, y poder hacer el catálogo de tecnologías innovadoras, la Fundación Finnova (beneficiaria del proyecto) solicitará la participación en la Energy Week 2020 mediante la organización de un Energy Day.

Organizar un Energy Days brinda la oportunidad de compartir el proyecto y sus ideas y debatir soluciones con la comunidad, con los que toman las decisiones y con el público en general; y mostrar cómo CILIFO está desempeñando un papel activo en el logro de los objetivos energéticos y climáticos de la UE.

Al registrar su evento como Energy Day, el proyecto CILIFO y su aceleradora, el Firefighting Open Innovatio Lab, se convierten en parte de la Semana de la Energía Sostenible de la UE, ya que se obtendrá visibilidad en toda la UE al convocar un evento en el sitio web de EUSEW y usar materiales con la marca EUSEW del kit de herramientas del organizador del Energy Day.

Cualquier beneficiario del proyecto interesado en hacer eventos deslocalizados, acciones formativas, de networking o comunicativas del proyecto CILIFO, puede participar y organizar su propio Energy Day.

Contacto: beatriz.martinez@finnova.eu

Finnova presents CILIFO to the European Commission’s Director General for Research and Innovation

23.03.2020. The European Commission invited the Foundation to Finnova to take part in the hackathon of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Research and Innovation on 27th February 2020.

During the event, the Foundation took the opportunity to inform, communicate and disseminate the CILIFO project, both internationally and within the European Commission. All this was done within the framework of the international communication tasks of the CILIFO project entrusted to Finnova; and of its actions in Brussels, which were included in the CILIFO project form.

The Hackathon is a working methodology used by the European Commission that allows it to extract innovative ideas in order to formulate its future policies and future financial programmes for the next period 2021-2027.

The day consisted of several working groups (in this case there were 4 working groups), where each group competed to generate the most innovative ideas that could be included in future Community policies. The winning group was given an honorary title. The group in which Finnova participated, together with other entities, won with respect to the challenge of «how to achieve a carbon neutral city by 2030». Finnova presented innovative solutions from incubated/accelerated companies in the «Firefighting Open Innovation Lab – CILIFO», among other contributions that were made.