This month’s blog from Abigail Freeman – Capital Enterprise fund raising consultant – has identified a number interesting funding opportunities for members interested in women entrepreneurship, innovation and technology transfer and entrepreneurship mentoring. Please check out her blog and lets us know if anything tickles your fancy.
Women’s Enterprise:
European Network of Female Entrepreneurship Ambassadors
An exciting opportunity to promote Women’s Enterprise in the UK and across the EU has been launched by the European Commission’s Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation, with a deadline of 12 March 2010. The proposal must be presented by a national consortium made of partner organisations from the same country.
Until now, the UK has not been eligible for this funding – this is a follow-up to a call last year, and extends coverage of the ‘European Network of Female Entrepreneurship Ambassadors’ to those countries where it is not yet established, including the UK.
The funding is intended for UK organisations that foster, promote and/or support entrepreneurship. The aim is to set up a UK partnership that will join the existing European Network in bringing together successful female entrepreneurs across the EU to act as ‘Female Entrepreneurship Ambassadors’. These inspiring women business leaders will work locally and nationally to act as role models, to motivate and encourage other women to consider becoming an entrepreneur as an attractive career option. The idea is that they will highlight the role that women can play in creating jobs and promoting competitiveness.
The Commission is looking to fund about 10 projects across Europe, each to receive about €50,000 in funding, which will represent 50% of the total project cost (the remaining 50% must be cash match)
Capital Enterprise will be bringing this item to the Board meeting of the NFEA/Prowess on the 16 February, so please do get in touch before then if you’re interested in being involved in a potential UK consortium.
We’ve assembled a list of relevant documents and links:
- View the call document (PDF)
- Guidance notes
- Useful European Commission studies and resources on women’s entrepreneurship
Inspiring Innovation:
Interreg IVB Northwest Europe Programme
A number of Capital Enterprise partners are taking up the opportunity to meet with a potential Interreg IVb project currently being developed in the field of Innovation and Technology Transfer. The ‘Inspiring Innovation’ project will be led by Edinburgh’s Enterprise and Innovation partnership which includes the City Council, University, Enterprise Agencies and Innovation Centres, with 9 other partners from across the North West of Europe. It aims to inspire and stimulate an ‘innovation culture’ in partner organisations and build their capacity to maximise the economic potential of the research/technology base. It will enhance knowledge transfer commercialisation and improve sector competitiveness transnationally.
With Innovation as one of its main themes, Interreg IVb could be suitable for a number of Capital Enterprise members and the opportunity is there to proactively develop projects and shape them to suit your organisation’s priorities and objectives. (Please note that Interreg IVb projects usually benefit from the Local Authority being involved too.)
I would urge you not only to be reactive to immediate funding opportunities, but also to look to the longer term and take a proactive approach to developing new projects. With over €98.5 million still left in the pot to allocate, (over half of the original budget) Interreg IVb is very likely to launch another call in late 2010 and further calls in 2011.
Interreg IVb Innovation projects should aim to produce transnational partnerships across the eligible area (see map below) which can enhance the region’s capacity to innovate and facilitate the development of knowledge-based activities. Preference will be given to projects which can develop cross-sectoral synergies and facilitate the creation, demonstration and above all, the application of knowledge.
Project activities should be clearly linked to territorial development and not solely focus on networking within the specific scientific/business sector. The Programme will not support research and development or academic networking which is not linked to actions or demonstration projects.
Projects must include partners from at least 2 of the eligible countries to receive funding (see map).
More information about this funding is available on the Interreg IVb website; or contact Capital Enterprise.
A quick follow-up to last month’s announcement about the Interreg IVc partner search from Praha University – the University decided to pull the plug on their project at the last minute!
I am putting that one down to practice – it always pays to ensure the Lead Partner shows commitment to the project before they start to bring others on board!
Lifelong Learning Programme
2010 calls for proposals still open
Both individuals and organisations in the field of school and higher education, vocational training and adult learning can apply for the numerous activities supported by the programme, which includes the Comenius, Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci and Grundtvig sub-programmes.
A number of deadlines are still open – for details, see page 2 of this call for proposals or contact us for more info.
One of the Lifelong Learning programmes that may be of particular interest to Capital Enterprise members is the ‘Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs’ scheme. It is intended to match a New Entrepreneur, i.e. someone who is planning to set up their own business or is a recent start-up, with a Host Entrepreneur, who should be an experienced business person owning or managing an SME in the EU. New Entrepreneurs will gain experience from shadowing the senior Host Entrepreneur, while at the same time contributing to the business through their work, new ideas and fresh views.
The role for Capital Enterprise members could be as Intermediary Organisations: The matching of New with Host Entrepreneurs is carried out with the help of over 100 intermediary organisations (IOs) competent in business support (e.g. Chambers of Commerce, incubators, start-up centres, etc.) all across the EU. The IOs’ activities are coordinated by EUROCHAMBRES, the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry, which acts as Support Office for the programme.
There is due to be a call very soon, so we will keep you posted when that comes up …
In the meantime, if you have any specific funding requirements, please contact us to arrange a scoping meeting. Several Capital Enterprise members have now given us their priorities and ideas for European projects – their ‘funding wish-list’ – so we can better keep an eye out for suitable opportunities, funds or partner searches on their behalf.
Please do take advantage of your Capital Enterprise membership and contact us with similar information on your funding needs. The more we understand about your requirements, the more we can look out for opportunities to suit you.
Until next month!
Tags: Funding Opportunity
