Yorkshire and Humber introduced to EU funding

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Apr 27, 2007

The Euro Research Support programme is aimed at helping organisations in the Yorkshire and Humber region access the Eur 53 billion funding that is available for research and development under FP7.

A new initiative to help organisations in the Yorkshire and Humber region get involved with the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) is underway.

Funded by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, and delivered by Sagentia and RTC North, the Euro Research Support programme is aimed at helping organisations in the region access the Eur 53 billion funding that is available for research and development under FP7.

FP7 is the European Commission's main mechanism for funding collaborative research and development projects across Europe, and is due to run for 7 years from 1 January 2007.

Application procedures for European funding are often complicated so Yorkshire Forward has implemented this programme to facilitate the process, providing organisations with information on the latest calls for proposals and what funds are available and relevant to them.

Euro Research Support will also assist in finding and building the necessary collaborations and help in preparing proposals.

Technology companies Sagentia and RTC North, based in Cambridge and Sunderland respectively, are delivering the service, acting as the main information point for Yorkshire and Humber-based organisations wishing to participate and providing feedback on applications.

The support service includes a dedicated helpline and website featuring information on calls for funding applications in specific areas, plus a toolkit on how to apply.

The RTC North-Sagentia team has been selected based on its combined expertise in the public sector.

Sagentia has worked on a number of high-profile projects with organisations including the DTI and Scottish Enterprise.

It has also successfully led another programme of work with Yorkshire Forward - Innovation Challenge - which has so far helped create and safeguard 1264 jobs in the advanced metals and engineering sector and led to GBP 20m of additional sales in the region.

Jim Farmery, Head of Innovation at Yorkshire Forward, comments: "At the moment you can only access public funds for RandD projects that take place solely within the country that is funding them".

"Framework 7 funds will focus on encouraging collaborations across Europe, allowing businesses to take a pool of expertise and resources".

"Providing support on how to put together an application and feedback on its strengths and weaknesses will make sure companies put forward the best bid possible and maximise their chances of getting support".

John Greaves, Head of Public Sector Practice at Sagentia, adds: "We are delighted to be working with Yorkshire Forward and RTC North on this project".

"This type of support is invaluable in helping organisations successfully access the significant funds available through the European Commission".

"Encouraging RandD collaborations in this way will provide organisations in the region with an excellent opportunity to work with major companies across Europe and will, in the longer term, help create increased innovation and wealth in the area".