INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the “PREMIERE Seed-Funding Initiative” is to support practice organizations during Horizon Europe (HEU) proposal development phase targeting 2025-2026 calls.

This seed-funding aims to offer the initial financial support for up to € 6 000 for proposal development activities, such as attending consortium meetings, engaging stakeholders, building capacity, developing concept, drafting the proposal, etc. 

The initiative has a total budget of € 50 000, with each successful applicant receiving maximum of € 6 000. Additionally, funding recipients will benefit from the guidance of experienced proposal writers throughout the entire HEU proposal development process.

As a result of the PREMIERE Seed-Funding Initiative, a handbook on enhancing seed-funding programs will be published. The perspectives and feedback from applicants are integral to designing guidelines for future seed-funding programs for HEU.

Submission for applications is open from 1st of December 2024 to 31st of January 2025.

ELIGIBILITY OF APPLICANTS AND COST CATEGORIES

  • The applicant must be a practice organisation (e.g. EIP-AGRI Operational Groups, Farmer’s organizations, Agricultural Chambers, LEADER action groups etc.).
    NB! Individual farmers are not eligible applicants.
  • The applicant must be operating in an EU member state.
  • A first-time participant in a Horizon Europe project.
Eligible costs:

Costs that are directly aimed at the preparation of the HEU project proposals. Funding recipients may use the funding for:

  • Participation in consortium meetings. Funding can be used to attend consortium meetings with potential HEU partners, fostering connections and ensuring alignment with proposal goals. NB! The share of travel and accommodation costs must not exceed 50% of the total funding.
  • Personnel costs. Funding may cover the costs for project staff and management directly involved in proposal preparation activities. This includes employment-related expenses, such as taxes, benefits, or other relevant costs.
  • Communication. Costs for developing and distributing informational and promotional materials, managing websites, and using relevant communication or document-sharing platforms (e.g., Zoom, Nextcloud). This also includes expenses for organizing consortium-building events, meetings, workshops, or seminars.
  • Training and capacity building. Funding can support training sessions, workshops, and capacity-building initiatives to enhance the skills and knowledge of project staff and stakeholders. Eligible expenses include training fees, materials, trainers’ fees, and related costs.
  • Outsourcing specialized services. Recipients may incur costs for engaging external consultants, contractors, or service providers required for specific proposal-related activities, especially where specialized expertise is needed.

Eligible expenses must be justified, clearly described, economically viable, and necessary for the achievement of the objectives stated in the application.

Non-eligible costs:

Costs that are not directly related to the implementation of the activity (incl. investments in fixed assets, operational costs of the parties of the cooperation project, financial penalties, expenditure on scholarships, donations, mementos, prizes and gifts).

TERMS AND CONDITION

  • Each applicant is permitted to submit a maximum of one application.
  • The applicant is expected to give an overview of how the applicant plans to use the support funds, description of the timeline and budget for the activities for which seed-funding is being sought.
  • The funding recipient is committed to actively participate in the PREMIERE mentoring program, designed to provide comprehensive guidance and support throughout the project implementation phase.
  • The funding recipient is expected to give feedback and progress updates to support the development of the Seed-Funding Handbook.
  • The seed funding recipient agrees to sign a contract with the coordinating organisation, Kodukant Läänemaa, to establish a clear framework for collaboration and delineate respective responsibilities. The contract contains the Agreement of Participation and Use of Data.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

  • Feasability and Realistic Approach of the proposal development plan.
  • Clarity of the budget and justification of costs.
  • Capacity and Expertise of the Applicant.
  • National diversity of the consortium. Bonus points are given to Merging innovators and Moderate Innovators according to European Innovation Scoreboard 2023
    (Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Greece, Lithuania, Portugal, Malta, Spain, Italy, Czechia, Slovenia, Estonia)
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