Source of Funding:

The Malta Council for Science and Technology would like to announce that it is currently receiving project proposals under the FUSION Technology Development Programme LITE.

• The call closes on the 1st of November 2021 at 23:59pm.
• This call provides financial support for research, development and innovation preferably within the SMART Specialisation Areas identified in Malta’s National Research and Innovation Strategy 2020.
• The focus is on innovative research with high commercial Impact.

More information on this opportunity for funding, the eligibility criteria, the rules for participation and the application form, can be found in the link below.

Information and image source:

Source of Funding:

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 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 €5000 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 Mr. Mark Farrugia at mark.c.farrugia@gov.mt with “IPAS+ – Application 2021” as subject heading.

The deadline for submission is Friday 29th October 2021 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 Monday 27th September 2021 at 10.00am. To register for this info session kindly press here.

Additional information can be found in the below link. Alternatively, interested parties may contact Mr. Mark Farrugia on 23602178 or 23602000.

Information and image source:

Source of Funding:

The Maritime Seed Award (MarSA) is a joint initiative between Transport Malta and the University of Malta supported by the TAKEOFF Business Incubator, Knowledge Transfer Office and the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation (CEBI) at the University of Malta.

The sixth call of this programme aims to help move promising ideas from the Maritime Field forward toward commercialization. To date, twenty-seven projects have received funding through prior programmes. Award funding totalling to €100,000 will help to bring the innovative early-stage idea/technology from lab to life and provides support to researchers and entrepreneurs when they need it most to increase the likelihood of success.

The Maritime Seed Award will fund two types of initiatives: University of Malta academic staff may apply for ‘proof of concept’ funds which will enable a step-change in taking an innovation developed through research at the University closer to being commercialised; whereas entrepreneurs from within or outside the University may apply for ‘seed’ funds which will enable a step-change in taking their independent technology or knowledge-based start-up closer to the first customer or investment.

Potential applicants for the Seed Fund must attend the scheduled online workshop session hosted by TAKEOFF, while Proof of Concept Fund applicants must attend the workshop being organised by the Knowledge Transfer Office. The workshops will provide an overview for creating a competitive proposal. The final application form will only be accepted if applicants or their representatives register and attend their respective workshops. This will only be waived in extenuating circumstances. Should applicants be unable to attend either workshop, alternative meetings must be held directly with the Knowledge Transfer Office for POC or TAKEOFF for SF. Both workshops will be held online and the workshop link will only be sent to those who register beforehand. To register for the event, please click here

Information source:

Source of Funding:

As part of the EOSC Future project, the Research Data Alliance (RDA) is launching a call for proposals to improve the technical data frameworks for the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). These proposals should focus on maintaining, optimising and documenting existing frameworks in keeping with RDA’s outputs and recommendations. Applicants can submit their proposal until 29 October 2021, 16.00 CEST via the EOSC Future Grants Platform.

EOSC Future wants to develop a European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) whose technical specificities align with the real-life needs of the EU’s diverse research communities. While many trusted frameworks for FAIR data interoperability already exist, they need to be optimised and documented further to be (re)implemented in EOSC. The RDA Open Calls look to engage the scientific community to improve and document existing frameworks while leveraging existing RDA recommendations for:

• data management
• data collection
• data cescription
• identify, store, and preserve
• disseminate, link, and find
• policy, legal compliance, and capacity

The first RDA Open Call, Optimising (RDA) Open Science Frameworks and Guidelines in the context of EOSC, specifically targets small projects to show implementation and uptake of RDA recommendations. It aims to support and encourage applicants that adopt existing recommendations and outputs to promote examples and lessons learnt within the broader EOSC community. Successful applicants should consider implementation scenarios and documentation needs to answer questions like:

• Is the guidance up to date and ready to operationalise?
• What communities can be involved to update it?
• Are they aligned to new emerging standards, global or European?

Who can apply?

The Research Data Alliance welcomes applications from persons or groups committed to FAIR data (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and the principles that RDA holds dear. The call is open to a wide variety of applicants, including junior or senior researchers, mid-career data professionals, and data scientists. Applicants can be part of a European research group, organisation or SME. Note that this call is not open to members of the EOSC Future consortium.

Further criteria and conditions are detailed on the EOSC Future Grants Platform.

Deadline

The call is open for applications until 29 October 2021, 16.00 CEST.

What does the grant include?

Grants of max. €12 500 will be awarded over the lifetime of the EOSC Future project. Further calls with a similar focus may be opened in 2022 and 2023.

Information and image source:

Source of Funding:

The Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) is pleased to announce the launch of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Support Scheme. The scheme is intended to support single companies classified as SME[1] (including Start-Ups) established in Malta, for both the short stage application and full stage application of the European Innovation Council Accelerator programme.

The applicants may select either to apply for Option A and/or B (which covers the short stage application), or Option C (which covers the full stage application) depending on the stage of their EIC application and/or project.

Short Stage Application Support

Option A – Business Coaching: Applicants may apply for a grant to recruit a business coach matching the specific industry and market context. The coach should challenge assumptions and consider new options in a learning-and-solving manner.
A maximum grant amount of €5,000 may be requested by the applicant to cover the fees of the business coach service provider.

Option B – Pitch Coach: Applicants may apply for a grant to recruit a pitch coach in preparation for the short and/or full application stage. Coaching provides applicants with the opportunity to further their communication skills, as well as develop the capacity to share the right information, engage the audience and pitch to potential investors.
A maximum grant amount of €2,000 may be requested by the applicant to cover the fees of the pitch coach service provider.

Full Stage Application Support

Option C – EIC Consultant & Proposal Writer: Applicants can engage a consultant or firm to improve opportunities for Maltese entities intending to submit an EIC Accelerator proposal and who will be supporting the applicant through proposal writing and submission. The consultant engaged for EIC Accelerator proposal will focus on factors that will increase chances of winning, supporting the preparation of all the paperwork that goes with the proposal.

A maximum grant request of €10,000 may be provided to reimburse the costs related to engage the service provider.

The scheme is open as from 2 August 2021 and interested applicants should apply with the application forms found hereunder. Applicants need to submit their completed and signed application form to MCST at any time, the received applications will be checked and prepared for evaluation at each end of the month.

Application forms are to be sent in digital format to email: eicscheme.mcst@gov.mt

For application forms and deadline please download the attachments form the below link:

Information source:

Source of Funding:

StandICT.eu 2023 “ICT Standardisation Observatory and Support Facility in Europe” will build on the success and momentum of the precursor 2018-20 StandICT.eu initiative to advance and create a truly consolidated European Standardisation Ecosystem. 

At the heart of this objective is the StandICT.eu Fellowship Programme, which through a series of 10 Open Calls, will provide 3 million Euro through a cascade grant process to support and incentivise participation of European standardisation specialists in key international and global SDOs and consortia. 

The topics for the StandICT.eu 2023 calls are defined through continuous monitoring and careful analysis of the international ICT standards landscape through liaison with Standards Development Organisations (SDOs) and Standard Setting Organisations (SSOs), key organisations such as the EU Multistakeholder Platform For ICT Standardisation, and its prestigious EAG- Expert Advisory Group and EUOS Foresight Committee, as well as industry-led groups, to pinpoint gaps and priorities matching EU DSM objectives.  

Find out more about the Open Calls below and join us to really make Europe’s voice heard in the Global Standards Scenario. 

4th Call Priority Areas:

We have chosen to focus our ten calls around macro-areas of the key strategic orientations of the Strategic Plan In The Horizon Europe Framework Programme and have chosen, extremely relevant for 2020 “Civil security for Society” . Applications are to be considered equally valid and scored accordingly if they address any of the topics mentioned below taken from Ethe Rolling Plan Of The Multi-Stakeholder Platform For ICT Standardisation.

• Accessibility of ICT products and services
• Advanced manufacturing
• Agri-food
• Artificial Intelligence
• Big Data
• Blockchain and Distributed Digital Ledger Technologies
• Building Trust
• Broadband infrastructure mapping
• B2B Platform economy (for digital manufacturing industry)
• Circular Economy
• Citizen centric digital public services
• Clean Planet
• Cloud computing
• Cloud Federation
• Cobots
• Construction - building information modelling
• Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE) for the EU maritime domain
• Cross Domain Technologies
• Cultural Heritage
• Cybersecurity / network and information security
• Data Interoperability
• Digital Twins
• eCall
• Edge Computing
• Electronic identification and trust services including e-signatures
• eGovernment
• eHealth, healthy living and ageing
• e-Invoicing
• e-Infrastructures for research data and computing intensive science
• Electromobility
• EMC Radiation
• European Global Navigation Satellite System (EGNSS)
• Emergency communications
• e-Procurement – pre- and post award
• European Electronic Toll Service (EETS)
• Fintech and Regtech Standardisation
• Global Standard Governance
• ICT Environmental impact
• Identity Management and Anonymisation
• Industry 4.0
• Intelligent Transport Systems - Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility (ITS-CCAM) and Internet of Things (IoT)
• Justice
• Language Technologies
• Learning and Education
• Machine Learning
• Management of identities for smart organizations
• Media
• Ontologies
• Open Data Standards
• Open Source
• Preservation of digital cinema
• Privacy
• Privacy protection
• Public sector information, open data and big data
• Quantum Technology
• Quantum Computing
• Quantum Key Distribution
• Robotics and autonomous systems
• Semantic Interoperability
• Single European Sky
• Smart grids and smart metering
• Smart City Covid+
• Smart cities and communities/ technologies and services for smart and efficient energy use
• Trusted Information
• Water Management Digitalisation
• 3D Printing
• 5G

Read further on the below link:

Information source:

Source of Funding:

MITA YouStartIT Accelerator Programme, in short YouStartIT, is an accelerator programme run by the MITA Innovation Hub.  The focus of YouStartIT is on accelerating early stage startups from concept stage to prototyping and then market deployment within a 16-week period during which they are mentored, supported and guided to investor readiness.  By the end of the programme the startups will have developed, tested and deployed (or improved) their prototype, formulated a business plan and formalised into a business undertaking.  YouStartIT runs roughly twice a year offering a pre-seed investment of €30,000 and taking in five or more startups per intake. All intellectual property developed belongs to the startup.

Who can apply?

Teams of at least two individuals can apply. At least one must have sufficient technical skills to assume a CTO role in future. Startup projects must consist of a proof-of-concept with the intent of developing a prototype at “beta” version or less. If selected, you will be expected to formalise into a business undertaking registered in Malta and then follow the programme on location.

How it works?

Once a call for startup projects is open, click on the Apply button on the homepage to start the application process and get the full details. After the deadline, we will evaluate and shortlist all applications. If shortlisted, we will invite you for a short interview. Depending on project maturity, we may ask you to follow a pre-acceleration programme called Validator in preparation for the final bootcamp and pitch.

What MITA offers?

You will receive a €30,000 pre-seed, consisting of a cash grant of up to €20,000, plus €10,000 worth of pro bono services covering hands-on project support, legal, tax and incorporation services, mentorship and 24×7 access to our co-working space in SmartCity. In addition to that, tens of thousands of Euro worth of credits from AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft for Startups, Atlassian and ZenDesk.

Application deadline: please check the below link.

Information source:

Source of Funding:

Through an agile and flexible process, following the Horizon 2020 cascade funding mechanism, ongoing NGI Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) provide support to projects from outstanding academic researchers, hi-tech startups and SMEs.

Funding is allocated to projects using short research cycles targeting the most promising ideas. Each of the selected projects pursue their own objectives, while the NGI RIAs provide the programme logic and vision, technical support, coaching and mentoring, to ensure that projects contribute towards a significant advancement of research and innovation in the NGI initiative.

The focus is on advanced concepts and technologies that link to relevant use cases and that can have an impact on the market and society over all. Applications and services that innovate without a research component are not covered by this model.

Federated Testbeds for NGI Innovators: FED4FIRE+, application deadline: 7 September 2021

Reinforcing the European Blockchain Ecosystem: NGI Assure (NGI GO2S), application deadline 1 August 2021

Technologies Improving Search and Discovery: NGI Zero Discovery, application deadline 1 August 2021

Blockchain Technologies: NGI TRUBLO, application deadline: 10 September 2021

Blockchain Technologies: NGI ONTOCHAIN, application deadlines: 15 September 2021

NGI Experiments toghether with US Teams: NGI ATLANTIC.EU, applicaiton deadline: 15 September 2021

Consulting on Public Tendering: TETRA, application deadline: continuous submission

Information souce:

Source of Funding:

Information and image source:

Source of Funding:

The Med Pearls project, funded by the European Union under the ENI CBC Med Programme, has the goal to set up a network of 26 Slow Tourism products across 6 Med countries (Egypt, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Palestine and Spain). These products (also called ‘PEARLS’) will share similar characteristics, follow the Slow Tourism spirit and offer equivalent and fully adapted experiences in the different countries. Thus, promoting the Mediterranean in a unique platform to enjoy Slow Tourism experiences at a reduced pace.  

To this end, the project Med Pearls is issuing calls for proposals for sub-grants, aimed at the creation of new Slow Tourism products in the pilot areas of the project addressed to Destination Management Companies (DMCs) or Incoming Travel Agencies.

The following Calls for Proposals are now open:

• Call for proposals for Egypt Pilot Areas.

• Call for proposals for Italy Pilot Areas.

• Call for proposals for Palestine Pilot Areas.

• Call for proposals for Jordan Pilot Areas.

• Call for proposals for Greece Pilot Areas.

Interested companies can download now the Applicant Package, send questions on the procedure to apply and submit their proposals via the following link: medpearls.oncat.eu

Deadline for applications is: 30th September 2021 at 18.00h CET

Webinars will be organised early in September to support the applicants in their participation to the Calls for proposals. In the meantime, please submit your questions through the functionality provided at: medpearls.oncat.eu

Information source: