Seventh Framework Programme on Research and Technological Development - FP7

FP6 and its successor FP7 are the financial instruments to help make European Research Area a reality with EU funded R+D projects. FP6 had a total budget of 17 500 million euro for the 2000-2006 period that is distributed amongst both RTD and demonstration activities and Nuclear (Euratom) activities. The maximum overall amount for Community financial participation in the new Seventh Framework Programme will be 50 521 million EUR.

Duration: 2007-2013
Responsible DG/organisation: Directorate General Research

Submit your FP7 project idea and get professional help in the proposal development	Click here
Topics of Environment and Energy in FP7	Click here
Read on project types and funding schemes	Click here
For submission and selection procedure	Click here
See details on themes of FP7 (flash)	Click here
Find out the differences between FP6 and FP7.	Click here
How does SME Environment help you to participate in FP7?	See here

Where it is in the 2007-2013 EU funding scheme?

In the 2007-2013 structure, FP7 will be found under Heading 1 - Sustainable Growth - 1a. Competitiveness for growth and employment, encompassing expenditure on research and innovation, education and training, EU networks, the internal market and accompanying measures. Do you want to know more about the new funding scheme? Visit www.2007-2013.eu website.

The strategic objectives of FP7

Increasing knowledge is crucial for the EU's initiative to becoming the world's most dynamic, advanced, competitive, knowledge-based economy. In order to increase knowledge the EU works to foster research and development within the community under what is called the Framework Programme. For the 2007-2013 budgetary period the EU has initiated the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). An entirely new approach has been taken with FP7 in comparison to previous Framework Programmes. Rules have been relaxed, funds have been redistributed and most importantly, the funding has increased.

FP7 was designed to help better foster research and development in the EU. It has been simplified and works to not only encourage research but also to attract the best and brightest from within and outside the EU to come and work. FP7 is divided into four categories of interest, Co-operation, Ideas, People, and Capacities. Euratom and Joint Research Centre initiatives are a separate but integrated part of FP7 as well. Thematic areas of community interest have been addressed within each of the four categories. The four categories help guide the EU and work to broaden all aspects of European research and development, from international participation to individuals thinking outside the box.

The budget for FP7 has been set at 50.5 billion euro, with Euratom having a separate budget of 2.7 billion euro for 2007-2011. This budget is further distributed between the four respective categories to help fund activities under each activity area. Co-operation receives the majority of funding, approximately 32.4 billion euro, but also covers the broadest range of activities.

Who should consider participation?

• A research group at university or at a research institute
• A company intending to innovate
• Small or medium-sized enterprises (SME)
• Public administrations
• Undergraduate students
• Experienced researchers
• Institutions running research facility of transnational interest
• Organisations and persons from third country

Supported actions, project types

The proposed Seventh Framework Programme will be organised in four programmes corresponding to four basic components of European research:

1. Cooperation: supporting the whole range of research actions carried out in transnational

cooperation in the following thematic areas:

I. Health;

II. Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology

III. Information and Communication Technologies

IV. Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies

V. Energy

VI. Environment (including Climate Change)

VII. Transport (including Aeronautics)

VIII. Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities

IX. Space

X. Security

In addition, two themes are covered by the Euratom Framework Programme:

- Fusion energy research

- Nuclear fission and radiation protection

In the case of particular subjects of industrial relevance, the topics have been identified relying, among other sources, on the work of different " European Technology Platforms".

2. Ideas: supporting “investigator-driven” research carried out across all fields by individual national or transnational teams in competition at the European level.

3. People: strengthening, quantitatively and qualitatively, the human potential in research and technology in Europe, as well as encouraging mobility.

4. Capacities: supporting key aspects of European research and innovation capacities such as research infrastructures; regional research driven clusters; the development of a full research potential in the Community's convergence and outermost regions; research for the benefit of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs); “Science in Society” issues; support to the coherent development of policies; horizontal activities of international cooperation.

The seventh Framework Programme shall also support the non-nuclear direct scientific and technical actions carried out by the Joint Research Centre (JRC).

Project types, funding rates

The activities of the programme will be financed trough the following funding schemes:

A/ Actions which are primarily implemented on the basis of calls for proposals:

1. Collaborative projects

Support to research projects carried out by consortia with participants from different countries, aiming at developing new knowledge, new technology, products, demonstration activities or common resources for research. The size, scope and internal organisation of projects can vary from field to field and from topic to topic. Projects can range from small or medium-scale focused research actions to largescale integrating projects which mobilise a significant volume of resources for achieving a defined objective. Projects may also be targeted to special groups such as SMEs.

2. Networks of Excellence

Support to a Joint Programme of Activities joint research programmes implemented by a number of research organisations integrating their activities in a given field, carried out by research teams in the framework of longer term cooperation. The implementation of this Joint Programme of Activities these joint programmes will require a formal commitment from the organisations integrating part of their resources and their activities.

3. Coordination and support actions

Support to activities aimed at coordinating or supporting research activities and policies (networking, exchanges, trans-national access to research infrastructures, studies, conferences, etc). These actions may also be implemented by means other than calls for proposals.

4. Individual projects Support for “frontier” research

Support to projects carried out by individual national or transnational research teams. This scheme will mainly be used to support investigator-driven “frontier” research projects funded in the framework of the European Research Council.

5. Support for training and career development of researchers

Support for training and career development of researchers, mainly used for the implementation of the Marie Curie actions.

6. Research for the benefit of specific groups (in particular SMEs)

Support to research and technological development projects where the bulk of the research is carried out by universities, research centres or other legal entities, for the benefit of specific groups, in particular SMEs or associations of SMEs. Efforts will be undertaken to mobilise additional financing from the EIB Group and other financial organisations.

B/ Actions implemented on the basis of decisions by the Council and the European Parliament (or by the Council in consultation with the European Parliament ), based on a proposal from the Commission, the Community will provide financial support to multi-financed large-scale initiatives.

• A financial contribution from the Community to the joint implementation of well identified national research programmes, on the basis of Article 169 of the Treaty.
• A financial contribution from the Community to the implementation of Joint Technology Initiatives to realise objectives that cannot be achieved through the funding schemes identified in point 1 part a) above.
• A financial contribution from the Community to the development of new infrastructures of European interest.

The submission process

Submission of proposals is only possible in response to calls for proposals, which are published in the Official Journal of the European Communities Calls have strict deadlines which are enforced to the minute. Special information packages are issued for each call comprising documents, explanations and forms which are needed for the preparation of a proposal.

The selection process

Proposals are evaluated and selected for funding by the European Commission with the help of independent external experts (peer review). Evaluation criteria and a detailed description of the process of evaluation are published in advance. For successful proposals, the European Commission enters into (financial and scientific-technical) contract negotiation leading, eventually, to the signature of a contract.

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 Structure of the FP7

 

 

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SME Environment project helps SMEs working in the field of Energy & Environment to develop project proposals under the 6th and 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development of the European Union.

The project members have created a special database and a guide for those small and medium sized enterprises which are active in the field of energy and environment and are interested in participation of projects submitted to the FP7 or need help with their FP6 projects. SME Environment also offers a wide range of on-line services.

Read more and Download

• the Guide for SMEs here or
• the Guide for Coordinators here

Register your company in the database here

Start our special e-learning courses tailored to your needs

• Basic information on FP6, FP7 programmes and proposal development (Suggested for beginners) here
• How to develop a successful project proposal? here
• How to manage successfully an FP6 project? here

Consult our experts and get answers to your questions. here

Find partners

• Upload your profile here

Upload your FP7 project idea

Upload your project idea here and get professional help in proposal development. Those SMEs that upload the best FP7 project ideas will receive personal consultation for the proposal development.