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.

Information and image source:

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.

Information and image source:

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

Visit the below link for further details.

Information source:

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

Visit the below link to read further.

Information source:

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.

Information and image source:

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

Visit the below link to read further.

Information source:

Image source: pixabay.com

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).

Continue reading on the below link.

Information source:

Source of Funding: European Commission

The New Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument calls has been published; the I3 instrument, as part of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), aims at promoting innovation and interregional collaboration providing financial and advisory support for projects and the development of value chains.

Deadline for applications is: 17th October 2023.

More information on the open calls can be found via the below link:

Information source:

Source of Funding: Malta Council for Science and Technology

MCST launched its annual thematic programme this year, and the theme for 2023 is the Space Upstream. This field of scientific research is extensively broad and presents myriad opportunities where the sky is not the limit. It presents opportunities for Maltese stakeholders to conduct research in the following areas:

• The transportation of items or personnel into Space
• Space Exploration
• The development of related ground-based technology

The call is open to all Maltese legal entities from the public, private and academic institutions under three funding modalities (De Minmis ; GBER ; State Aid n/a).

An applicant or each partner within a consortium is to opt for one funding modality, making use of the respective rules and application template accessed below. A proposal can apply for a grant of up to €125,000 in order to carry out their research projects during a period of 12 or 18 months. For more information about this call and to find the application documents please check out our webpage: https://mcst.gov.mt/space-upstream-programme/

Funded projects under this Call must start between October and November of 2023.

Information Session about the Call:

MCST together with ESA will deliver an information session about the Call. The session will be held online.

9th June, between 10:00 and 11:30Hrs

You may request a copy of the recording by sending an email to space.mcst@gov.mt.

Please confirm your attendance by filling in the Google form (Link provided below). You may also book a one-to-one session with an ESA representative to discuss your proposal by booking an appointment in the form provided: https://forms.gle/KuizVedLAHmo9tor5

Information and image source:

Source of Funding: Malta Council for Science and Technology

The Commercialisation Voucher Programme is a formidable instrument aimed at bridging the existing gap in the R&I framework as well as improving the overall development and commercialization potential of innovative ideas. This Programme acts as a demand side measure, enticing user driven innovation, with an aim to increase research, technological development, and innovation activities, which could eventually be implemented in industry. The Vouchers are primarily intended to assist prospective applicants of the FUSION Technology Development Programme to prepare themselves better in terms of project proposal and validation. In some cases, it may also assist beneficiaries of previous or current R&I Programmes as well as projects funded through the European Programmes. Submission, evaluation, and selection of application will be in the form of a one-stage process in which a legal representative of the applicant will be asked to submit all the necessary information, to enable a decision on acceptance or rejection. The Commercialisation Vouchers are subject to a Scientific Evaluation and priority will be given to the Smart Specialisation Areas. State Aid rules apply.

Interested parties should submit their application form electronically to voucher.mcst@gov.mt with “CVP 2023 Call Application” as a subject. The Application must be dated and signed by the applying entity’s legal representative. It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to ensure the timely submission of the application within the timeframes provided for in the call. Emails larger than 6MB shall be automatically rejected by the system. File sharing software is limited to WeTransfer or Dropbox.  All received applications shall be acknowledged by email and provided with a reference number.   Additional notes to applicants:

• Altering the parameters of the application template might lead to disqualification. Inputted text should not exceed the printable area of the text boxes.
• Annex I is to be used to include a clear diagrammatic representation of how the project will go beyond the state-of-the-art. Annex I should be stamped or signed by the applicant and scanned together with the application form.
• Annex 2 is to be used to include a reference list with full citations for each item. Annex 2 should be stamped or signed by the applicant and scanned together with the application form.
• Additional information pertaining to guidelines, rules, procedures, and the application form can be found in the documents attached with this call.

Visit the below link to download guidelines and application forms.

Information and image source: