FRIEND CCI – FUNDING CALL FOR THE INNOVATION OF CULTURAL AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

The “FRIEND CCI: Open Call for project proposals dedicated to SMEs” officially opens today, July 21, 2023, and will close on September 30, 2023.

Objectives: The first call aims to support SMEs in:

• Developing and implementing cross-sectoral projects aimed at bringing innovation to of products and/or processes/technologies, with a specific focus on the needs related to the twin transition (the green and digital transition together).
• Promoting cross-fertilization and innovation among SMEs from different ecosystems.
• Internationalizing to facilitate access to global supply and value chains.

The support will involve mandatory training and redevelopment activities based on the specific needs of SMEs, including the skills required for the green and digital transition. Furthermore, as part of the support, SMEs will be asked to include internationalization activities.

Mandatory Objectives:

The call offers the possibility to choose at least one of two mandatory objectives. Candidate consortia must aim to submit joint projects with at least one or both of the mandatory objectives:

• Introduce or improve product innovations.
• Adopt processes and technologies to strengthen the transition to a greener and more digital economy.

(All activities that can be included in the project to achieve the mandatory objectives are better described in the call document.)

Eligible Candidates:

Consortia containing micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Additional eligibility criteria are available on page 7 of the FRIEND CCI for SMEs Call – Full text of the call.

How to Apply:

Submit the proposal on the cluster submission platform at

https://clustersubmissionplatform.eu/eurocluster_post/friend-cci-smes/ by registering and filling out the required fields in 3 stages:

Stage 1: CANDIDATE INFORMATION. Complete the fields with information about your company.

Stage 2: PROJECT INFORMATION. Fill in the fields with information about the project.

Stage 3: ATTACHMENTS. In this stage, you need to upload the required attachments in the requested format.

Evaluation Process:

The evaluation process is described in detail on page 11 of the call document.

Communication of Results:

At the end of the evaluation period, which is expected to last until the end of October 2023, FRIEND CCI Eurocluster will inform each candidate consortium of their score and the evaluation results. The list of winners will be published on the cluster submission platform with their respective scores, as well as disseminated through other channels. Winners will be notified via email, so they must ensure to provide an email address that is checked frequently.

For further information, please contact segreteria@venetiancluster.eu.