Purpose of the Call: The call is intended for innovative SMEs that want to enter new markets with their products. By receiving the funds from the Call, the applicants reduce the risk of commercialization through the preparation of market feasibility projects and thus creating favorable conditions for entering a new market. The markets in scope are countries in North and South America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
What are the eligibility conditions? Any innovative SMEs from countries that are in the scope of the Horizon programe as well as associated countries can apply. Start-up companies who want to enter new markets can also apply to the Call.
What are the eligible costs?
Co-creation and technology uptake preparatory work (innovation and technology transfer services)
- Frugal innovation and the preparatory phase of a future international R&I project with the local strategic subcontractor
- Analysis of the IP environment: Identification and assessment of the legal (and related technical and financial) IP environment in the target country, legal, technical (certification and alike), and commercial (royalties or duties) constraints or advantages for IP registration and defense
- Technology scouting and novelty verification: Inventory and study of the legal, technical, and commercial situation of existing, registered, and potentially legally conflictive technologies in the target market
- Technology valuation: Technology market value calculation by experts (valuation and pricing through discounted cash flow, market comparison, benchmarking, rating and ranking, etc.)
- Technology legal situation analysis: Due diligence of the technology legal situation in the target country (legal evaluation and actions to ensure overall technology freedom to operate and legal protection in the target country)
- Technology protection and valorization strategy design: Design, planning, and preliminary implementation of measures to valorize existing technologies (licensing, venturing, or partnering)
- Certification and homologation compliance verification: Compulsory regulatory technical certification, testing, and benchmarking activities
- Technology partnership matchmaking
- Small-scale proof of concept (trial and assimilation, further R&I preparatory work)
Market research (desk and field studies)
- Business opportunities early survey detection (pre-conceptualization)
- Qualitative analysis (consumer analysis: segments, preferences, patterns, motivations, opinions, attitudes, values, culture, etc.)
- Product commercial research (local customer experience-oriented: concept, design, supply, use, etc.)
- Market quantitative analysis (real, potential, or tendencies)
- Competition analysis (market share, positioning, value propositions, value chains, etc.)
- Analysis of potential partners for distribution and marketing
- Analysis of potential suppliers
- PESTLE (political, economic, sociological, technological, legal, and environmental issues) and market barriers analysis.
Compliance verification:
- Administrative and legal freedom to operate or due diligence verification
- Business-related social and cultural best practices identification and implementation planning
Business prospection trips – limited and justifiable within your market feasibility project
- Trade fairs, conferences, info days, or networking, and matchmaking events
- Joint workshops or meetings with potential partners
- Workshops with partners to prepare international R&I projects.
When is the application deadline? 17.10.2023