New call CIP EIP Towards World-Class Clusters - Promoting Cluster Excellence

The European Commission has published a new call for proposals for the CIP Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme. Deadline for applications is June 18, 2013. The EIP call Towards World-Class Clusters - Promoting Cluster Excellence (62-G-ENT-CIP-13-N04C031) has a budget of € 1,377,000. Please check here for further information about this call. 

The objective of this call is to pursue the EU efforts aimed at strengthening cluster management excellence in the EU by further using the results and tools developed by the European Cluster Excellence Initiative (ECEI) and building upon the experience and lessons learned from the 2011 Call for proposals and the current projects working on cluster excellence. Eligible members of the consortium shall be regional or national public authorities or agencies financing and/or managing cluster programmes in their territory. Each consortium should be composed of partners from at least 3 different CIP participating countries. Maximum 4 projects will be funded through this action. Financial assistance cannot exceed 95% of the total eligible costs. Grants are up to € 344,250 per project.

EIP is one of the specific programmes under the CIP and has as objectives:
• Better access to finance for SMEs through venture capital investment and loan guarantee instruments;
• Business and innovation support services delivered through a network of regional centres: The Enterprise Europe Network;
• Promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation;
• Support for eco-innovation;
• Support for policy-making that encourages entrepreneurship and innovation.