Grant Scheme for Supporting the Implementation of Smart Specialisation Strategy through Projects in Montenegro

Deadline: 30-Jan-23

The European Commission (EC) is offering Grant Scheme for Supporting the Implementation of Smart Specialisation Strategy through Projects.

Objectives

• The global objective of this Call for Proposals is to contribute to strengthening the economic competitiveness and innovation capacity of Montenegro through reinforcing the linkage between science and industry.
• The specific objective of this call for proposals is to improve competitiveness of MSMEs by providing funding support for development and co-creation of innovations, within the quadruple helix model (business, academia, government, wider society). Main contribution to strengthening competitiveness will be made by supporting business sector activities in Smart Specialization Strategy (2019-2024)  priority areas.
• The target group of this CfP is actors of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Montenegro.
• The final beneficiaries of this CfP are MSMEs operating in S3 priority areas and subjects of innovation infrastructure.

Priorities

• The priorities of this call for proposals are:
  • Institutional support to the business sector by creating conditions for technology transfer, the adoption of new technologies, support for attracting EU and other external funds for research and innovation, and the establishment of strong cooperation with the academic sector.
  • Increase in the number of projects that will raise the levels of research, development and innovation activities in organisations and enable them to reach competitive edge.
  • Connecting fragmented research and innovation initiatives and projects around commonly defined challenges, in line with S3 strategy of Montenegro and EU Green Deal.

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 900,000.00. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.
  • Minimum amount: 60,000.00 EUR
  • Maximum amount: 120,000.00 EUR
  • Minimum percentage: 50% of the total eligible costs of the action.
  • Maximum percentage: 90% of the total eligible costs of the action

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead applicant(s)
  • In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must :
    • Be a legal person and
    • Be profit-making or be non-profit-making organization and
  • Be a specific type of institution, such as:
    • 100% privately owned micro, small or medium-sized enterprise registered at least one (1) year before the submission of the concept note  or
    • Scientific-research institution registered as a legal person and licensed by the Ministry of Science and Technological Development of Montenegro (in accordance with Article 28 of the Law on Scientific-research activities – Official Gazette of Montenegro, No.
    • public or private university; registered in the Register of licensed and accredited higher education institutions  as defined by the Law on Higher Education of Montenegro (Official Gazette of Montenegro No. 44/2014, 52/2014, 47/2015, 40/2016, 42/2017, 71/2017, 55/2018, 3/2019, 17/2019, 47/2019, 72/2019, 74/2020, 104/21, 86/22)   or
    • subjects of innovation infrastructure: science and technology park, innovation and entrepreneurial center, business and technology incubator, technology transfer center, cluster organisations and other subjects of innovation infrastructure registered in the Register of innovation activity as defined by Law on innovation activity .Please note that the  registration certificate issued by the Ministry of Science and Technological Development must be effective at the time of submission of the concept note.
  • Be established in  Montenegro
  • Be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary.
• Co-applicant(s)
  • Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
  • Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself:
    • If awarded the grant contract, the co-applicant(s) (if any) will become beneficiary(ies) in the action (together with the coordinator).
    • In addition, please note that contracts cannot be awarded to or signed with applicants included in the lists of EU restrictive measures.
• Affiliated Entities
  • Entities affiliated to an applicant may hence be:
    • Entities directly or indirectly controlled by the applicant (daughter companies or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant (granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of control;
    • Entities directly or indirectly controlling the applicant (parent companies). Likewise, they may be entities controlling an entity controlling the applicant;
    • Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (sister companies).
  • Membership, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as a e.g. network, federation, association in which the proposed affiliated entities also participate or the applicant participates in the same entity (e.g. network, federation, association) as the proposed affiliated entities.

For more information, visit European Commission.