Source of Funding: Malta Council for Science and Technology

The Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETPartnership) is a multilateral and strategic Horizon Europe partnership with the aim of empowering the energy transition and contributing to the EU’s goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

The 2023 CETPartnership Joint Call is a 2-stage call structured around 12 call modules. The call modules describe specific topics and/or challenges that applicants shall address in their project proposal. Applicants must choose and apply a specific call module when submitting their project proposal. Evaluation and ranking of the project proposals will be performed separately per call module.

Source of Funding: European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency

The 2023 CEF Transport calls for proposals make EUR 7 billion available for projects targeting new and improved European transport infrastructure. 

Projects funded under these calls will help to increase the sustainability of the trans-European transport network, putting the EU on track to meet the European Green Deal objective of cutting transport emissions by 90% by 2050.

The calls support the European Commission’s vision of a future sustainable transport system, with smart and resilient solutions implemented to interconnect Europe. 

The EU needs an efficient and interconnected multimodal transport system for both passengers and freight. This includes an affordable, reliable and performing rail network, an enhanced inland waterways navigation and infrastructure in maritime ports, a balanced interconnection between transport modes and an increased automation and interoperability for greater efficiency and safety of the transport network.  

The calls cover the Core and Comprehensive TEN-T networks in the following areas: 

• railways 
• inland waterways
• maritime and inland ports
• road safety
• rail-road terminals 
• multimodal logistics platforms
• multimodal passenger hubs
• smart and interoperable applications for transport 
• safe and secure mobility
• infrastructure resilience 

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Source of Funding: Malta Council for Science and Technology

The Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) is receiving proposals under the Internationalisation Partnership Awards Scheme Plus (IPAS+). The Scheme is divided into two options. Applicants are to fill in the appropriate sections of the form; they may select either Option A or Option B, or both:

Option A: opportunities for collaborative initiatives between Maltese entities and at least one foreign entity of proven track record of excellence. Proposals should describe the nature of the joint activities that would be funded through the Award. Applicants are to demonstrate how the proposed activities contribute towards and align with achieving the goals of the National R&I Strategy, and to describe the potential of any activities to become self-sustaining or generate longer-term outcomes.

Option B: opportunities for Maltese entities intending to submit a Horizon Europe/Partnerships proposal as the coordinator of the consortium to engage a service provider (local or foreign) who will be supporting the applicant through proposal writing and submission. The amount of the Award available to any one successful applicant is capped at €6000 per Option. Some exceptions regarding the financial capping for Option B can be found in the rules for participation. All projects are evaluated by a selection panel set up by MCST on the basis of evaluation criteria outlined in the Call text.

Interested Applicants are to submit their application form electronically to ipas.mcst@gov.mt keeping in copy Mr. Robert Cauchi at robert.cauchi@gov.mt with “IPAS+ – Application 2023” as subject heading. The deadline for submission is Friday 13th October 2023 at 11.30pm. The application must be dated and signed by the applicant and the legal representative. All received applications shall be acknowledged by email. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

An online info session with more details on the IPAS+ call will be held on Wednesday 13th September 2023 at 10.00am. To register for this info session kindly press here.

 Continue reading and download the application forms from the below link.

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Source of Funding: Fondi.eu

This incentive seeks to assist Micro Enterprises through non-repayable Grants to part-finance investment to digitalise their operations, and hence improve their resilience, efficiency, productivity and customer experience by addressing new digital capabilities and digitalised processes such as product and process design and engineering, end-to-end procurement, supply chain/distribution and after sales.

Eligible Organisations

Micro Enterprises

Financing

This scheme is funded through the Recovery and Resilience Fund and will part-finance 50% of the eligible costs with a maximum funding amount of €10,000 per digitalisation investment in digital technologies per operation. Investments in Gozo will benefit from an additional 10% aid intensity.

Check out the below link to download guidelines and to check the next cut off date.

Please find hereunder a recording of the information session held in May 2023.

Video source: click here.

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Source of Funding: Horizon Europe

HORIZON-CL4-2024-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-46: CO2-neutral steel production with hydrogen, secondary carbon carriers and electricity OR innovative steel applications for low CO2 emissions (Research Innovation Action) – Portfolio topic covering two independent technology areas, with an overall available budget of 20 M€.

Enhance CO2-neutral steel production with hydrogen, secondary carbon carriers and electricity

Expected Outcomes:

• Introduce the use of secondary carbon sources in the steelmaking process.
• Combine the reduction of fossil carbon-related emissions with improvements in the materials and energy flows.
• Adapt to the use of low-CO2 hydrogen for heating in rolling, shaping, and heat treatment, considering also a coupling between hydrogen and/or electrical heating and fuel-flexibility concepts.
• Valorisation of non-conventional ores, e.g., in (photo)electrolysis processes.
• Substitution of fossil sources as carburiser and slag foaming agent in electric arc furnaces (EAF).
• Pre-reduction or reduction smelting with hydrogen and/or electricity for residues.
• Identify and analyse the amount of European existing technologies that could be efficiently retrofitted to CO2 neutral solutions (e.g. H2 DRI).

OR

Contribute to innovative steel applications for low CO2 emissions

Expected Outcomes:

• New or modified alloying concepts, downstream processing and manufacturing processes for new clean steel grades.
• Manufacture steels with improved life cycle contributions to CO2 emissions reduction.
• Clean steel grades with improved in-use properties.
• Innovative simulation methods and tools to accelerate development of clean steel grades.
• Advanced grades of steel for use in efficient high temperature processes.
• Advanced grades of steel for use in the railway's systems of high-speed trains.
• High-performance structural steels not containing critical strategic elements and/or characterized by increased tolerance to the content of contaminants in the scrap.
• Steel grades with increased use of low-quality input materials.

Call Opening Date: 19 September 2023

Application Deadline: 7 February 2024

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Source of Funding: Horizon Europe

HORIZON-CL4-2024-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-44: Digital transformation and ensuring a better use of industrial data, which can optimise steel supply chains (Innovation Action) – Available budget 10 M€.

Expected Outcomes : 

• Awareness and effectivity for total safety and CO2 reduction through digital transition with better use of data.
• Extension of inline and real-time tools to monitor the process and stay into the optimal window.
• Enhancement of the in-line classification of feedstock and intermediate products through the continuous analysis of composition and bulk properties by considering the assembly of sensors, specific models, and advanced data processing.
• Increasing data sharing in steel plants to realise the seamless digital integration of the value chain and the interoperability of systems and tools by implementation of existing and enhanced standardised protocols.
• Novel sensors and models for real-time process control and energy forecasting to match demand and offered energy mix. The expected outcome is an enhanced merging of planning activities and approaches to run plant processes.
• Application of digital technologies and methods to develop decision-supported planning and process monitoring tools operable in offline or online modes.
• Traceability of materials and process information throughout the value chain for product quality, efficiency and process integration control (including multi-scale modelling of structure, and structure vs. properties correlations).

Call opening on 19 September 2023

Application Deadline: 7 February 2024

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Source of Funding: MDIA - Malta Digital Innovation Authority

The AI Applied Research Fund is in line with the AI Strategy Implementation and Governance.

In terms of rationale and scope, this Grant is aligned with several of the goals of the Malta AI Strategy including:

• Building awareness of AI and its potential benefits for society;
• Stimulating R&D through AI-related activities;
• Fostering a culture of collaboration between research institutions and industry;
• Demonstrating the potential benefits of AI applications to both the public and private sectors.

Part of MDIA’s budget has been earmarked for the creation of support measures for the further diffusion of innovative technology arrangements within the public and private sector in order to increase efficiency, transparency and citizen engagement.

Visit the below link to read further, download the guidelines and application form.

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Source of Funding: European Commission

Under the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS), the European Commission funds research on:

• New, sustainable and low-carbon steelmaking and finishing processes
• Advanced steel grades and applications
• The conservation of resources, protection of the environment and circular economy
• The management of workforce and working conditions

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Source of Funding: European Commission

In line with the New European Innovation Agenda’s flagship on accelerating and strengthening innovation in European Innovation Ecosystems across the EU and addressing the innovation divide, this action is intended to create connected Regional Innovation Valleys (RIVs) across the European Union (EU), involving regions with lower innovation performances, by building on strategic areas of regional strength and specialisation (defined in their smart specialisation strategies), in support of key EU priorities.

The European Commission dedicated EUR 122 million under Horizon Europe (European Innovation Ecosystems) and under the European Regional Development Fund (Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument).

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