Preparação de Missões Regionais - I&D Ciência - Projeto em Copromoção

The main goal of this opportunity is to identify and prepare regional and local missions in the Azores that align with strategic innovation priorities. It aims to bring together regional R&D organizations to address key societal challenges in the Azores through joint, innovative solutions. The focus lies on mapping research with commercial potential, assessing their readiness, and encouraging collaboration between priority areas for systemic change. The program specifically targets projects that can improve the quality of life for citizens in the Azores. All activities are geographically limited to the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

• Projects must be led by a non-business entity from the Azores Scientific and Technological System (SCTA).
• They must be co-promoted and align with the Azores 2030 Program and RIS3 Azores 2022-2027 strategy.
• Projects should focus on applied research and innovation, with industrial research or experimental development as main activities (up to 10% upstream research).
• Total project costs must be between €200,000.01 and €411,764.00.
• Environmental, accessibility, and 'do no significant harm' principles must be respected.
• All required documentation, including a consortium agreement, must be submitted within three months of approval.
• Projects must not begin before application submission and must be completed within 18 months unless justified.

Examples:

• A university-led project mapping renewable energy research in the Azores and identifying commercial partnerships.
• A collaborative initiative between regional research centers to develop innovative agricultural practices with market potential.
• A consortium project cataloging R&D supply and demand in marine sciences to foster industry-academia cooperation.

• Salaries and costs of human resources dedicated to R&D activities.
• Travel expenses within Portugal related to the project.
• Travel expenses within the Azores directly attributable to the project.
• Purchase of goods directly needed for project execution.
• Acquisition of services essential for project implementation.
• Indirect costs, calculated at a flat rate of 7% of total eligible direct costs.
• Costs for industrial research and experimental development activities.

Restrictions: Only expenses directly related to the project are eligible. Upstream research activities are limited to 10% of the work plan.

• Total budget of the grant: €350,000
• Co-financing rate: Up to 85% from FEDER
• Maximum per project: €411,764.00
• Minimum per project: €200,000.01
• Maximum project duration: 18 months
• Other financial details: Payments are made as reimbursements for eligible and paid costs. Public procurement rules apply. Non-compliance with information or publicity obligations can result in a reduction of up to 3% of the allocated funds.

• Applicants must be non-business entities from the Azores Scientific and Technological System (SCTA).
• Projects must align with the Azores 2030 Program and RIS3 Azores 2022-2027 strategy, verified by the Quantitative Alignment Indicator (IQA).
• Applications must be in the form of co-promotion, led by an SCTA entity.
• All required documentation must be complete, signed, dated, legible, and in non-editable formats.
• Projects must include technical details, budget, and a schedule.
• Environmental, accessibility, and 'do no significant harm' principles must be observed.
• Projects must not have started before application submission.
• Total project costs must be between €200,000.01 and €411,764.00.
• Projects must achieve a final merit score of at least 3 points based on the selection criteria.