Dissemination and Exploitation Support Facility

Topic description

ExpectedOutcome:

Improving knowledge diffusion, technology uptake and having spill-over effects is fundamental to ensure that researchers and their institutions build on and valorise the latest available knowledge. Moreover, the exploitation of research results and the creation of value for our economy and society, often depend on the skills and abilities of the beneficiaries as well as the intermediaries (i.e., technology/knowledge transfer officers) to present and connect to those stakeholders that can help them take the results into the next level. Especially in Widening countries, R&I actors lack sufficient support and information, skills or connections to the right stakeholders and these gaps can jeopardise their ability to maximise the potential value of their results.

Dissemination & Exploitation (D&E) policy of Horizon Europe can act as an enabler for the implementation of the political objectives of this programme component. Therefore, this action focuses on activities to strengthen or build D&E capacities in Widening countries. It will provide beneficiaries of the ongoing portfolio of projects funded mainly under the programmes: Spreading excellence and Widening Participation under Horizon 2020 and the widening component of Horizon Europe with further opportunities for scaling up their research results and improve the sustainability of their actions. This includes innovations that can translate into / contribute to new products and services that create economic or social value, more efficient production or distribution processes; and results that can feed into policymaking and help citizens and public authorities. The action is framed by a broader D&E policy and will support our beneficiaries towards the maximum dissemination and exploitation of their results in the context of Horizon Europe.

The following specific outcome is expected:

• Strengthened Dissemination and Exploitation capacities including through better understanding of the Commission’s D&E Strategy and the opportunities it can offer to beneficiaries in need from widening actions;
• Support to beneficiaries in their dissemination and exploitation of results through a market-oriented approach;
• Improved skills and knowledge on D&E, knowledge transfer and IP management for researchers and management personnel of beneficiaries of widening actions to be able to fulfil their Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement obligations, including after the end of their project;
• Collected and shared best practices for uptake of R&I results and identify the blocking contextual elements that prevent beneficiaries from valorising further their R&I results; Address these blocking factors by proposing measures in the valorisation channels as identified in the EU valorisation policy;
• Increasing the maturity level of key exploitable results produced by widening beneficiaries;
• Greater recognition of beneficiaries based in Widening countries at national & regional policy level, as a result of enhanced visibility of D&E success stories;
• Enhanced synergies between beneficiaries of widening actions in view of networking opportunities and future competitive calls;
• Improved sustainability of ongoing widening actions;
• Identify downstream synergies with other EU programmes especially the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

This action should be implemented as a CSA awarded to consortia of at least three entities who should have a proven track record of success in D&E and related training, communication and networking. The consortium should establish a facility including training, upskilling, entrepreneurship, access to capital, best practice sharing, knowledge exchange and community of practice building for beneficiaries of the Widening countries with a first priority to beneficiaries of ongoing or completed widening projects funded under Horizon 2020 or Horizon Europe (this action could be extended to other H2020 and HE beneficiaries in Widening countries if budget cannot be exhausted by the widening portfolio). The scope of the services should include the valorisation of research results that were not immediately generated within a widening action but in a related domain under a different funded action. The consortium should ensure that the developed services address the full geographic scope of the Widening countries including Outermost Regions.

Specifically, the consortium should establish a tailor-made service package with training, coaching, mapping of results, experts and study visits, peer support, matchmaking events, innovation and IP management, knowledge transfer both in an individualised manner and collective workshops. The consortium is expected to closely collaborate with the ongoing NCP network WIDERAnet, other NCP projects and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN).

It should help beneficiaries to better understand how to fulfil with D&E commitments under Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020 and to seek for opportunities by other community funding programmes especially under the cohesion policy (e.g., ERDF, ESF) as well as the RRF and Reform funds. It should also enhance beneficiaries’ knowledge on tools to develop their D&E activities, including, e.g., the tools offered by the Commission for D&E support (e.g., Horizon Results Platform, Horizon Results Booster), effective use of social media and innovative communication channels, IPR (e.g., IP Helpdesk, IP scan, IP voucher, Health Research Board, etc.) & Open data. In addition, it should incentivise beneficiaries to initiate policy dialogues with national and regional institutions and stakeholders aiming at a favourable impact on the modernisation of the national and regional R&I system and creating an innovation friendly culture in Widening countries. Furthermore, the activities should support and motivate beneficiaries of completed and advanced ongoing projects to scale up and valorise their results towards further uptake and commercialisation (e.g., training, networking, start-ups, connection with the investors and the relevant industrial ecosystems, commercialisation support).

This will help to ensure sustainability of widening actions especially Teaming and Excellence Hubs after the end of the funding period.

This consortium should provide a plan detailing its priorities, the key targets, proposed actions, repartition of budget and regular monitoring on achievements and challenges.