NCP project on strengthening competitiveness in ERC calls

Deadline: Jan 7, 2016  
CALL EXPIRED

Topic Description

Scope:

The ERC wishes to strengthen national and local support to potential ERC applicants, in particular to those from countries with weak participation in the ERC programme.

Support will be given to a consortium of formally nominated ERC National Contact Points (NCPs) with a view to identifying and sharing good NCP practices and raising the general standard of support to ERC applicants, taking into account the diversity of actors and experiences.

The activities will be tailored to harmonise the quality of the services provided between the more and less experienced NCPs and level the quality of support provided to ERC applicants between more and less competitive countries in the ERC’s calls.

Various activities may be included, such as joint workshops, coaching, twinning/ tripling, webinars and other IT tools and fora for enhanced cross-border brokerage events, training sessions and organisation of workshops/meetings.

An integral part of the project will be the organisation of transnational workshops for coaching potential ERC applicants with all stakeholders involved in the ERC application process, and the provision of support for dedicated local ERC stakeholder events. The travel and subsistence expenses of participants should be covered for both types of event.

Special attention will be given to enhancing the competence and capacity-building of ERC NCPs, including helping less experienced NCPs rapidly acquire the know-how accumulated in other countries. Building up cooperation with other relevant stakeholder networks to increase the support to potential ERC applicants will also be encouraged.

The focus throughout should be on issues specific to the ERC and should not overlap with actions foreseen in other NCP networks.

The actions shall be implemented under the guidance of a group comprising representatives of the NCP project, of the ERC Working Group on Widening European Participation and of the ERCEA.

The evaluation of the potential impact of the project will take into account in particular whether the consortium has a good representation of NCPs from more and less competitive countries in the ERC’s calls.

Submission of a single proposal is encouraged.

The maximum duration of the project shall be for 36 months.