I. Interview
We welcomed Nolwenn Simonot and Jeanne Andrade for a Q&A session on European innovation programs. Watch the full discussion in this video.
II. Written transcript
Tell us a bit about yourselves : who you are and your professional background ?
Nolwenn Simonot :
My name is Nolwenn Simonot. I work within Bpifrance’s Innovation Directorate as Head of International Innovation Development. With me is our colleague Jeanne Andrade, who works on international collaborative innovation, particularly European innovation programs.
Jeanne Andrade :
My name is Jeanne Andrade. I am in charge of European innovation programs. I’m part of Nolwenn Simonot’s team, and I work on collaborative innovation by supporting French companies carrying out R&D projects with foreign companies.
What is an innovation program, and what does it involve ?
Nolwenn Simonot :
An innovation program is, in essence, a funding program for innovation. It provides applicants with a framework that enables their R&D projects to be financed, whether as a single beneficiary or through collaborative partnerships.
For a single-beneficiary R&D project, the company has no partners and pursues funding on its own, with the project carried out solely by the company. Some funding schemes are specifically dedicated to this type of standalone R&D. As for collaborative projects, the company forms a consortium with companies from other countries to carry out the R&D project. Innovation programs exist for both types of projects.
What are the specific features of European innovation programs ?
Jeanne Andrade :
When we talk about European innovation programs, our team is actually referring to two different things. First, there are programs initiated by the European Commission, which are inherently European. These are often highly competitive and aligned with Europe’s major strategic priorities. One example is the well-known framework program called Horizon Europe, which aims to foster research and innovation.
Alongside these programs, there are others that are also described as European because they target European territories. For example, the EUREKA network brings together around forty countries, including European ones, and enables the organization of intergovernmental calls for projects. Within EUREKA, the best-known program is Eurostars.
Can you name two or three of these programs ?
Nolwenn Simonot :
As Jeanne Andrade highlighted, there is the Eurostars program, which is undoubtedly the best-known program within the EUREKA network. It is a highly attractive program for collaborative projects. And to illustrate Horizon Europe, the best-known gateway for companies is the EIC programs, in particular the EIC Accelerator.
Based on your experience, which programs do you consider the easiest to join ?
Jeanne Andrade :
I think the EUREKA network is currently the easiest to access through its intergovernmental calls for projects. For example, there is a France-Spain call. The key feature is that we support companies from start to finish. We can discuss their projects with them, help refine them, and guide them throughout the process. The success rate is very high. Whereas Eurostars, for instance, is quite accessible, but it is still competitive. It is a competitive call evaluated by independent experts, but it remains relatively easy to apply to. To give you an example, French companies have had a success rate of around 31% in recent calls. That’s the highest rate, which is a very encouraging statistic.
Conversely, when it comes to the most difficult programs to access, the EIC Accelerator mentioned by Nolwenn is perhaps the most representative example, as success rates are extremely low, around 3 to 4%.
Which companies or projects are eligible for European innovation programs ?
Nolwenn Simolot :
It depends on which funding scheme you are targeting. With the support you can receive from our team, you’ll know which program is the best fit for your project. That said, if we set aside the EIC and focus on the major calls for proposals within Horizon Europe, organized by cluster, sector, and sub-topic, these programs are extremely competitive, as Jeanne Andrade already pointed out. The key selection criterion is, of course, the quality of the R&D project. In practice, these projects are almost exclusively led by major players such as large corporates or major research centers like the CNRS. At that level, Horizon Europe tends to attract very large, well-established actors.
For the EIC programs, whether Pathfinder, Transition, or Accelerator, which follow one another in terms of technological maturity, the target applicants are startups and SMEs. The primary eligibility criterion is technological excellence: projects must be deeptech and highly innovative.
Only the very best projects are selected. With the EIC, we work on rather specific projects, as they are generally single-beneficiary applications, although Pathfinder can be, and is in fact encouraged to be, collaborative. We also work with younger, smaller companies that have significant breakthrough technologies.
As for collaborative R&D projects within the EUREKA network, particularly Eurostars or European Network Projects, such as the bilateral France-Spain call Jeanne mentioned, these are intergovernmental programs, meaning eligibility depends on each country. In France, eligibility is fairly broad, as we are looking for innovative companies with innovative products, and companies can have up to 2,000 employees.
Beyond this criterion, European regulations must also be taken into account, particularly those linked to a company’s equity level. The level of equity must be consistent with the amount of funding the company is seeking. As a result, eligibility criteria may vary depending on where you are looking for your partners. For example, in Spain, large corporates may sometimes be eligible for funding, while in Sweden, academic partners can also be funded.
Is it relevant for a startup or SME to take part in this type of program ? What are the benefits of doing so ?
Nolwenn Simonot :
The primary purpose of these programs is to provide financial support to accelerate your R&D development. This is also why companies often choose to engage in international collaborative projects. The key benefit is gaining access to a technological building block from another partner, which helps speed up your R&D by working with someone already specialized in the expertise you are seeking. And of course, we are here to help you secure this funding.
There are also non-financial benefits, particularly the opportunity to open up internationally through a partner, which can provide strong visibility. It’s worth noting that some companies that submitted European projects, even if they were not selected, said that simply creating and building the consortium and developing the collaborative project gave them valuable perspective on their own situation. It allowed them to challenge their model, their business model, and their business plan, and ultimately make progress in structuring the company beyond the R&D project itself.
In addition, it not only provides significant visibility with potential clients, but also with investors. Taking part in these European programs is, in a way, a path to scaling up. It demonstrates a willingness to go further, and many companies tell us that they were able to find customers much more easily, particularly in the countries where other consortium members were based.
It can also change investors’ perception. Those who previously showed little interest may start to think: they are expanding internationally, engaging at the European level, pursuing R&D excellence with strong partners, and aiming higher-so we should invest.
So there is clearly the direct financial aspect, along with everything that comes with it, particularly strong international visibility, but also increased recognition at the national level among investors and potential clients.
Are there any funds or financing programs to help organizations take part in these innovation programs ?
Jeanne Andrade :
Yes, support is available. At Bpifrance, for example, there are a number of well-known and wide-ranging schemes called diagnostics. For collaborative innovation programs, there is a dedicated one called the International Technological Partnership Diagnostic. The aim of this scheme is to reduce the barriers to applying for companies interested in these programs because, as we mentioned, innovation programs can seem intimidating, they may appear complex, even though they are very achievable.
The idea is not to discourage companies, but on the contrary to encourage them to seek support, for example from a consulting firm or an expert who is used to writing application files, or at least reviewing them, to avoid any mismatch with the standards expected by evaluators. When we talk about European Network Projects, such as the France-Spain call, the evaluators are innovation agencies.
However, when we talk about Eurostars, or even more demanding programs such as Horizon Europe, it is important to understand that the experts assessing the applications have clear expectations and standards. You need to submit an application that meets these standards in order to maximize your chances and receive a positive technical evaluation. In that sense, working with a consulting expert can be very valuable, and Bpifrance covers half of the expert’s service cost. This is what the diagnostic scheme is about.
Since this part of the service does not need to be paid upfront by the company, Bpifrance pays the consulting expert directly.
So only 50% is paid by the applicant company. This diagnostic helps not only, as we mentioned, to refine the application file, but also to structure the entire technological partnership process because a technological partnership involves the allocation of intellectual property. This is a key point that will inevitably arise at some stage of the collaboration, and it is better to anticipate it, just as you should anticipate the negotiation of the consortium agreement and the subsequent commercialization plans.
They need to be clear and realistic. These are issues that must be addressed upfront. In addition, working with an expert, as Nolwenn mentioned earlier, helps companies take a step back from their situation and resolve all these questions in advance. That covers the collaborative aspect.
There is also a diagnostic for programs such as the EIC Accelerator, which is a single-beneficiary program. It works in exactly the same way, through a scheme called the Europe Diagnostic, designed to help the company submit its project.
Does participation in European innovation programmes open doors to other European markets?
Nolwenn Simonot :
Beyond the international tech partnership diagnosis or the Europe diagnosis that will allow you to structure your consortium, your project, and your file ultimately, we can also come in early to give you a boost in finding your partner.
This can be your main partner. But in case you are forming a consortium and you are missing a small technological piece and you don't know who to turn to, know that we are currently building our expertise on the matter to connect you with networks.
We are actually in contact with networks in other countries, and the idea is really for you to express your needs to us, so that we can relay it through our channels to help you find potential partners.
So, don't hesitate, we really have this soft support and the financial support upfront to truly help you structure your file and seek out these funding opportunities.
Are there mechanisms to help businesses find partners within innovation programs?
Jeanne Andrade :
We mentioned it a bit earlier, especially when we were talking about internationalization. What needs to be understood is that in technological partnerships, this is something that comes into play quite early in the product life cycle. Ultimately, if we analyze it, we are neither in a commercial partnership nor in an industrial partnership, but when it is an R&D partnership, very often, the company we collaborated with will become the commercial partner.
It is a primary lever for internationalization, which is collaborative innovation.
When we think about markets, if we stay in Europe, the German market, for example, and a bit further the market in South Korea, these are extremely specific markets, with characteristics that completely escape our understanding simply because we are not at all on the same standards.
Having a public partnership with a local player allows for a national flavor, and therefore it serves as a lever that is somewhat of a first step before launching into an export strategy, for example.
So, collaborative innovation is definitely something that allows you to explore these markets. As Nolwenn said, it is also a lever for increased visibility since you are part of a European consortium, and therefore you have access to new clients and new partners. Stakeholders know you, so it is obviously something that comes up very often, collaborative innovation as a first step and as a lever for growing internationalization.
Do you know of any innovation programs outside of Europe that are accessible to French companies ?
Nolwenn Simonot :
As Jeanne mentioned at the very beginning, the EUREKA network includes 40 countries, and not all of them are in Europe. We have connections, and the activity of our team is to create more with the rest of the world to allow companies that may be a bit more geographically distant to participate in this type of project. If we are talking about EUREKA, which includes things that preexist thanks to this framework, you can mention and keep in mind countries like Canada, Israel, South Africa, South Korea, and the most recent, Singapore.
This pre-existing framework allows companies (for example, a French company and a Canadian company) from two member countries (France and Canada) to apply for co-funding for a joint R&D project. Obviously, there is everything that is conducted bilaterally, that is to say, between Bpifrance and a counterpart of Bpifrance in the rest of the world.
In this regard, please do not hesitate to share your needs with us if you notice that we are not covering the area, as we really try each year to adapt our roadmap and move towards the countries we work with based on the needs reported by companies.
Typically, we do not yet have any calls for projects, except with South Africa on the African continent, but we are really working on it, and in particular, we hope for a call for projects with Morocco next year.
Nevertheless, we have existing calls for projects, for example with Taiwan, and we are currently looking into other countries because we have specific needs that have been brought to our attention. Please know that the European format exists a little further down the line, so we are open to discussion and perhaps, by the way, I am talking about governmental interest, but it is feasible.
Similarly, Horizon Europe, led by the European Commission, also slightly transcends borders since, for example, Tunisia is a member country. So, we can stretch the boundaries a little bit after all.
What are your tips for those who would like to participate in this kind of program ?
Nolwenn Simonot :
It is possible to make project calls with countries that are not members of EUREKA through EUREKA. This is called the Globalstar program. The idea of such a program is that a consortium of EUREKA member countries makes a project call with a non-member country.
In recent years, this has been the case with Japan and Taiwan. There is one planned with Brazil, for example, in 2022. These are countries that are not members. France, the Netherlands, and Denmark wish to participate and launch a call for projects with these non-EUREKA countries.
Ultimately, it is a pre-existing framework that allows for the creation of much further than the European borders of frameworks that enable this co-financing. Additionally, there are interregional mechanisms in place. There are agreements among them, for example, Monaco, Catalonia, Lombardy, and Bavaria. Therefore, there will be calls for projects at the regional level, but at the national level, I believe that it will really be those that are supported by the team either bilaterally between French countries in counterpart, or at the EUREKA level and beyond.
One last advice?
Jeanne Andrade :
When we talk about all these programs, it can feel like a lot of information at once, and they seem complex. In reality, they are a bit complex, if only to understand their entire structure. So, please don't hesitate to contact our team.
Request an appointment to discuss your project in more detail and see how we can support you and understand your needs. So one piece of advice is to not self-censor but to seek to get in touch with us and not to be deterred by the complexity that can indeed arise when we tackle all these programs.
Why reduce the barriers to application if the innovation programs are there to encourage research? The explanation given, saying that the programs are intimidating, etc., is not clear.
Of course this can mean having the best projects to oversee and not preventing those interested from participating in the programs anyway.
In my opinion, it is more about guiding companies to seek help from experts to create strong application files as mentioned later, in order to be capable of participating in innovation programs.
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