31.03.2010 - 21.06.2010

Announcement

of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the framework of the Federal Government's Strategy for the Internationalization of Science and Research: Funding regulations for the "Implementation of Marketing Measures in the Target Region of Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe" aimed at R&D networks and research clusters as part of the initiative to promote Germany as a key location of innovation.

1. Funding purpose and legal basis

1.1 Objectives of funding

Both by European and by international standards, Germany has an excellent position in the fields of science, research and development. German companies are leaders in the development of innovative products, and "Made in Germany" is regarded as a seal of quality throughout the world.

Nevertheless, 90 percent of all global knowledge is generated outside Germany. To develop innovations and create high-quality jobs in Germany, this global knowledge needs to be used more effectively for the benefit of German business and industry. In order to remain competitive, Germany needs to become a hub of global knowledge production and implementation in selected key areas of research. Against this background, the internationalization of German R&D is an important priority of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), which acts on behalf of the Federal Government.

Targeted marketing activities - carried out in cooperation with university and non-university science and research institutions as well as companies with strong research departments - have the aim of raising international awareness of Germany's strengths as an R&D location. The cutting-edge fields defined in the Federal Government's High-Tech Strategy play an important role in this context.

The long-term goal is to raise awareness and increase the attractiveness of Germany as a key R&D location, make it a top destination for the best researchers and for R&D investments from all over the world, and develop it into a leading international R&D service provider.

The medium-term objectives are:

• to initiate collaborations between German and foreign research institutions and companies
• to integrate international experts into collaborations and into joint consortia in priority areas of research and technology
• to open up new markets for innovative products and knowledge-based services

The target region of this call is Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe. This includes Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria and the South Eastern European Countries: Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania.

The region of Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe has been developing dynamically in recent years. For German companies, Eastern Europe is one of the most important growth regions. Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary are among Germany's 15 most important trade partners.

For many years now, German universities and research institutions have valued scientists and engineers from Central, Eastern, and South Eastern Europe as attractive and reliable partners. The proposed research marketing activities can build on the excellent ties that already exist between companies, universities, and research institutions.

Funding of research marketing activities in the region of Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe also has the following aims:

• Building up regional, cross-border networks of excellence
• Creating attractive hubs of excellence

The call is intended for thematic R&D networks which specialize in priority fields of the Federal Government's High-Tech Strategy and which have an interest in applying for BMBF funding in order to carry out targeted marketing measures aimed at developing strategic research partnerships, acquiring R&D contracts, integrating international experts into existing collaborations and consortia, or preparing for market entry. If possible, the thematic R&D networks should include basic research institutions, partners that carry out applied R&D activities, and companies responsible for commercial application.

Partners from German university and non-university research establishments and companies should join forces in these networks and work together to internationally market their research activities in the research field in question.
The activities in this measure are part of the initiative "Research in Germany - Land of Ideas", which has the aim of promoting Germany as a key R&D location. This includes the organization of events, the support of individual activities and the creation of target group-specific marketing material (brochures, internet portals, etc). All public appearances and marketing material created in connection with the measure must be clearly recognizable as part of the BMBF initiative (i.e. the "Research in Germany - Land of Ideas" logo must be used).

1.2 Legal basis

Project grants will be awarded in accordance with the present funding regulations, the BMBF's standard terms and conditions for grants on an expenditure or cost basis and the administrative regulations under section 44 of the Federal Budget Code (BHO).
There is no legal entitlement to funding. The funding provider will make a decision after due assessment of the circumstances and within the framework of the budget funds available.

2. Object of funding

Against the background set out in section 1, the aim of this announcement is to support subject-specific and innovative marketing measures that are integrated into the R&D network's overall concept.

The priorities are application-oriented research topics that fit in with the BMBF's funding programmes, particularly the thematic areas of the Federal Government's High-Tech Strategy (www.hightech-strategie.de).

Special emphasis is put on cooperation between different partners in the area of R&D, special scientific skills, and industry participation. The aim is to fund international marketing measures for research and development activities. If possible, the thematic R&D networks should include basic research institutions, partners that carry out applied research and development activities, and companies responsible for commercial application.

The following target group-specific activities aimed at initiating collaborations and improving the success of German institutions can be funded as part of an overall marketing concept:

• Measures aimed at selecting and communicating with suitable R&D networks and cooperation partners in the region of Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe (e.g. delegation visits, partnering events, workshops)
• Measures aimed at presenting the German thematic R&D network in the target region (e.g. participation in trade fairs and other specialist events, road shows, creation of a website)
• Marketing measures aimed at supporting the development of the applicants' strategic R&D network and strengthening its local presence
• Measures for the integration of qualified scientists and engineers in collaborations and joint consortia
• Direct marketing measures
• Acquisition of application-oriented R&D contracts from companies in the region of Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe

Measures for the promotion of export activities will not be funded under this call.

The marketing activities are to be carried out between October 2010 and September 2011.

3. Recipients of funding

Only thematic R&D networks are eligible to apply. A representative of the network will act as the official funding recipient. The network can include research organizations, public and private institutions of higher education, non-university research institutions, commercial companies - particularly SMEs¹ - and other organizations (e.g. associations, societies and foundations), provided that they are based in Germany.
Research establishments which receive joint basic funding from the Federal Government and the Länder can be granted project funding for additional expenditure under certain conditions only.

4. Prerequisites for funding

Funding will only be provided for projects that have high potential for realization and success in line with the objectives of this call.

The partners in the R&D network must structure their cooperation in the following way: One of the partners should act as the authorized applicant; the other partners can participate in the joint application by concluding cooperation agreements with the authorized applicant. These must be submitted together with the application.

The measure will be evaluated. The successful applicants will be expected to participate in an evaluation workshop and in a kick-off event at the beginning of the project.
In their own interest, applicants should familiarize themselves with the EU's Research Framework Programme in the context of the envisaged national project. They should check whether the proposed project includes specific European components which make it eligible for exclusive EU funding. Furthermore, they should check whether an additional application for funding can be submitted to the EU in the context of the proposed national project. The results of these investigations should be described briefly in the national project application.
If the BMBF has already provided support for the applicant's research marketing activities in the target region, the added value of the new project should be described explicitly and with reference to the results of the previously funded projects.

5. Type, scope and level of funding

Funds will be awarded in the form of non-repayable grants of up to €50,000 per project for a period of (usually) 12 months to cover expenses for personnel and material.

The funding period can be extended in justified cases. An application for extension of the funding period must be submitted three months before the end of the initially approved funding period and must include an account of the results already achieved.
The International Bureau of the BMBF at the DLR has been authorized by the BMBF to conclude funding contracts under private law with the selected applicants.

Grants for commercial companies will be calculated on the basis of the eligible project-related costs, up to 50% of which can as a rule be covered by government grants, depending on the project's closeness to application. The BMBF's policy generally requires a minimum own contribution of 50% towards the eligible costs.

Grants for universities, research institutions and similar establishments will be calculated on the basis of the eligible project-related expenditure (or, in the case of project funding for the Helmholtz centres and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG), the eligible project-related costs).

Applicants are expected to prove that they have an independent interest in the project by contributing additional funding to the project - this contribution must match or exceed the amount applied for.
Apart from the BMBF's terms and conditions, the European Commission's Community Framework for State Aid for Research and Development must be taken into account when determining the rates of funding.

6. Procedure

6.1 Handling, subject-specific information and guidance for applicants

The following project management agency is responsible for the implementation of the BMBF programme for the "Implementation of Marketing Measures in the Target Region of Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe":

International Bureau of the BMBF
c/o German Aerospace Center
Heinrich-Konen-Strasse 1
53227 Bonn
Germany
Internet: www.internationales-buero.de

Applicants are advised to contact the member of staff responsible for the country in question to obtain further information and expert guidance.

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Croatia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia:  Ralf Hanatschek, Tel.: +49 (0)228 3821 482

Bulgaria, Slovenia: Christian Schache, Tel.: +49 (0)228 3821 465

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland:  Dr. Michael Lange, Tel.: +49 (0)228 3821 485

Romania, Hungary:  Dr. Ralf Hagedorn, Tel.: +49 (0)228 3821 492

Slovakia, Czech Republic:  Dr. Hans-Peter Niller, Tel.: +49 (0)228 3821 468

6.2 Submission of applications

Applicants should submit a written application in German to the International Bureau of the BMBF at the PT-DLR by 21 June 2010 (incoming mail stamp). The deadline for submission is not a cut-off deadline. However, it may not be possible to consider applications received after this date.

Applications should be drafted electronically using the "easy (AZA or AZK)" system (http://www.kp.dlr.de/profi/easy/bmbf/index.htm) and submitted together with a project description of up to 10 A4 pages (Arial, 11 point, 1.5-spaced). In addition, an electronic version of the application should be included on an appropriate storage medium.

The project description should be structured as follows:

1. General information about the applicant and the partners to be involved
2. Formulation of the objectives of the measure and planned follow-up activities in the target region after the funding period
3. Description of existing contacts and collaborations with the target country / region
4. Short potential analysis and identification of the unique selling points of the applicant's own R&D network
5. Information on the research and market potential of the target country/countries and the benefits for the applicant's own network
6. Overall marketing concept, planned individual measures
7. Medium and long-term effectiveness of the proposed measures in the context of this call's objectives,
8. Detailed work plan and time schedule and, if relevant, distribution of tasks and cooperation with the partners
9. Structured financial plan with information about own funds and funding requirements, structured according to the eligible types of costs (see section 5).
10. Measures for the protection of intellectual property/IPR. The BMBF_s brochure on the intellectual property protection offers helpful suggestions for cooperation agreements. The brochure is available for download via the following link: http://www.bmbf.de/pub/know_how_internationale_kooperation.pdf.
11. Suggestions for the evaluation of the proposed measures

6.3 Selection and decision-making procedure

The submitted applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Plausibility, originality and professionalism of the marketing concept and the individual measures
• Expected results of the marketing concept and the individual measures
• Chances of realization and of attaining the targets set out in the work plan and the time schedule
• Qualifications of the applicant and the partners

The applicants will be informed in writing about the results of the evaluation.

Approval and payment of and accounting for the funds as well as proof and examination of proper use and, if necessary, revocation of the award and reclaiming of the funds awarded are governed by the administrative regulations pertaining to section 44 of the Federal Budget Code (BHO) unless deviation is allowed under the present funding regulations.

The International Bureau of the BMBF at the PT-DLR will conclude a funding contract under private law with the selected applicants. The projects are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2010. The project results are to be presented at an evaluation workshop in the fourth quarter of 2011.

7. Entry into force

These funding regulations will enter into force on the day of their publication in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger).
Bonn, on 31 March 2010

Dr. Erika Rost
Federal Ministry of Education and Research

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¹ EU's definition of SMEs: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/enterprise_policy/sme_definition/index_en.htm