On Wednesday 19 September, the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, or UEAPME, published a document containing numerous recommendations with a view to taking the interests of SME more into account in the future framework programme, Horizon Europe.
The organisation thus focuses on the European Innovation Council (EIC) and recommends that the budgetary share devoted to it must be increased from 10% to 15%. In addition, the organisation wants to ensure that SMEs will be represented within the EIC (Article 10 of the specific programme – see related article). It also trusts that the entrepreneurial organisations will have their word to say on the annual work programmes of the EIC and that entrepreneurs and investors will be able to take part in the Council’s assessment process.
Furthermore, the organisation wants to avoid an over-restrictive definition when it comes to defining “innovation”, to prevent access to the framework programme being refused to highly innovative SMEs. More precisely, the UEAPME stresses that the objective of 20% of SME and start-up participation in the framework programme should be maintained. This objective exists in Horizon 2020 but disappeared in the new Commission proposal. The aim is to encourage the Commission to ensure SMEs can participate in calls for offers launched as part of the framework programme.
In order to consult all proposals see: https://bit.ly/2DlfDzc. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)