Framework Partnership Agreement – SME’s interests in standardisation

The main objective of this call is to facilitate appropriate representation and effective participation of SMEs in the European standardisation process. 

As a result of this call, the Agency might conclude with the selected Partner(s) a Framework Partnership Agreement for the period covering 2022 to 2026 for the provision of specific grants (action or operating grants).

Based on the FPA, the Agency may request the Partner to submit proposals for action or operating grants. The grants will be awarded and concluded subject to the satisfactory evaluation of the specific proposal for a grant of the Partner and budget availability.

In the application for a FPA, the applicants are requested to propose a multi-annual action plan for grants. The plan should cover the envisaged period of the FPA. It should provide information on the envisaged activities in support of the industrial strategy and in particular in digitalising and greening the European economy. It should also provide information on how the applicant(s) see their role and their objectives within the industrial ecosystems and the European standardisation system.

Eligible applicants

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:

- be legal entities (private bodies)

- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:

• EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))

- meet the eligibility criteria for Union financing specified in the Annex III of Regulation (EU) 1025/2012:

• be a European organisation representing SMEs in European standardisation activities which:

             (a) is non-governmental and non-profit-making;

             (b) has as its statutory objectives and activities to represent the interests of SMEs in the standardisation process at European level, to raise their awareness for standardisation and to motivate them to become involved in the standardisation process;

             (c) has been mandated by non-profit organisations representing SMEs in at least two thirds of the Member States, to represent the interests of SMEs in the standardisation    process at European level.

All applicants must register in the Portal Participant Register.  The Participant Register is the Commission online tool to register and manage the data of the organisations participating in the EU programmes. It allows consistent handling of the participants` official data and avoids multiple requests to enter the same information.

If you want to participate in a project proposal, your organisation needs to be registered and have a 9-digit Participant Identification Code (PIC). This unique identifier of your organisation will be used as a reference by the Commission in any interactions.

Please read here a guide on how and where to register.

Indicative Budget  

The EU contribution is limited to a maximum reimbursement rate of 85 % of eligible costs under an action grant and of 95% eligible costs under an operating grant.

Taking into account the repartition of the budget among the Annex III organisations, awarded in the last years through specific grant agreements under the previous FPAs concluded with the European Commission, and in light of the policy priorities of the current mandate of the European Commission, the maximum grant amount for organisations representing SMEs interests per year is estimated to be allocated according to the following proportions:

* Estimation.

** As an example, the maximum grant amount for SMEs’ budget in 2022 would be 35% of EUR 4.7 million, i.e. EUR 1.6 million.

The budget for 2022-2024 is subject to the adoption of the respective Financing Decisions of the Commission.

Only the Partner(s) having signed an FPA with the Agency will be invited to submit specific proposals for grants.

Depending on the number and quality of proposals, the Agency expects to sign at least one FPA.

How to apply

Applicants must comply with the requirements set out in the full text of the call for proposals and submit their full application[1] electronically to the following email address:

EISMEA-STA-SME-2021ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (EISMEA-STA-SME-2021[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) .

Paper submissions are NOT eligible.

Please note that the deadline for submission is 29 October 2021, 17.00.00 (CET).

More information

Questions on this call for proposals can be submitted by email to: EISMEA-STA-SME-2021ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (EISMEA-STA-SME-2021[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) .

Minor changes to the Call document and the Application form - 25 October 2021

A new version of the above mentioned documents that corrects some minor clerical errors has just been published. 

Changes to the Call document: In Section 2.Objectives —Themes and priorities —Activities that can be funded —Expected impact, the period indicated in the paragraph below will be modified from ‘2022 to 2026’ to ‘2022 to 2025’.As  a  result  of  this  call,  the  Agency  might  conclude  with  the selected  Framework Partner(s)  (hereafter  “the  Partner(s)”)  an  FPA  for  an  initial  period  covering  2022  to 2025for the provision of specific grants (action or operating grants).

Changes to the Application form: In the Part B, the indication ‘Insert text’ will be added to the section ‘Project summary’.

You can find the updated documents below.