Archives: June 2010

The European Commission has published a call for proposals under the 2010 Work Plan for PROGRESS, the EU's Employment and Social Solidarity Programme. Selected projects should contribute to ''social experimentation'' - the development and testing of innovative approaches to EU policy priorities in the context of social protection and social inclusion.

Social experiments are intended to:
* Initially be undertaken on a small scale owing to existing uncertainty as to their effects;
* Be implemented in conditions which ensure the possibility of measuring their effects;
* Be replicable on a wider scale if the results prove convincing.

Particular attention will be given to projects focusing either on social inclusion of young people or related to transition from institutional care to community-based alternatives (''deinstitutionalisation'') in respect of the elderly, children, persons with disabilities or mental health problems.

A budget of EUR2.5 million is available to support approximately 10 projects. Activities should start in spring 2011 for a duration of 12-24 months.

Deadline: 31 August
Further details

A series of calls for proposals under the Youth in Action Programme were launched during June. The programme's objectives are to encourage involvement in, recognition of, and the development of opportunities for non-formal education and learning activities for young people (aged 13-30) and youth workers . This is achieved through ongoing networks, exchange and capacity-building actions which deal with issues such as citizenship, participation, cultural diversity, and inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities.

Of particular interest may be a call on Action 4.6 ('Partnerships') which aims to support projects linking the European Commission with regional or local public bodies or organisations active in the youth sector at European level in order to develop or reinforce long-term actions, strategies and programmes in the field of non-formal learning and youth. A per project budget of up to EUR100,000 is available at a 50% co-financing rate and at least 12 projects are to be approved.

Deadline: 8 October
Further details

A seperate call on Action 4.3c ('Youth Support Systems') will provide co-financing of up to EUR25,000 to approximately 24 youth workers' transnational mobility and exchange projects with a view to promoting the acquisition of new skills and competences including a better understanding of the European dimension of youth work. This should also contribute to the capacity-building and development of the structures involved - thus contributing to recognising and professionalising youth work as a cross-cutting policy tool. Preference will be given to projects reflecting the priorities of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion; promotion of young unemployed people's active participation in society; or awareness-raising and mobilisation of young people around global challenges such as sustainable development and climate change.

Deadline: 22 October
Further details

Finally Action 4.5 ('Information activities for young people and youth workers') is providing EUR1 million to support 10 projects (80% co-financing), which promote communication actions aimed at young people and youth leaders with a long-term aim of encouraging active participation in public life. Proposals must enhance the dissemination of quality information and increase young people's access to various channels of communication at both national and European levels.

Deadline: 10 September
Further details

The overall objective of this call for proposals, associated with the 2009 preparatory action''Sustainable Touris'', is to improve the sustainability and competitiveness performance of cycling tourism. It aims to support and promote cross-border and transnational cycling routes and cycle networks.

Only the official routes of Eurovelo, the European cycle route network are applicable. There are sections in Ireland to routes 1 (along the Atlantic coast from Rosslare-Sligo and onwards to Larne) and 2 (Galway-Dublin). An application relating to one of these sections may apply for 'Type A' (European-wide management and further development of the European cycle route network) funding. This might involve the development of specific management and/or action plans for cross border/transnational cycling tourism projects by reference to EuroVelo criteria and quality standards; creating a European evaluation system for route quality assessment (including on-site evaluation of selected routes); or work on route data collection and revision.

5-8 projects funded to the tune of up to EUR120,000 each (representing 75% EU support) will be approved. Applicants are advised to consider their approved 12-month projects (to be carried out during 2011) as the first stage towards developing a more substantial future bid under an Interreg programme.

Deadline: 30 July
Further details

The transnational Interreg North West Europe (NWE) Programme's Steering Committee met in Belfast on 16-17 June to evaluate applications received under its 6th call for proposals. Just 2 projects were approved from 19 bids. One of these, IOIT - Inspiring Open Innovation Team - includes Dublin City Council who will receive EUR350,000 in ERDF funding towards efforts to promote a cultural and operational shift from a ''closed'' innovation model to a much more ''open and connected'' model. The National College of Ireland and University College Dublin are also involved as sub-partners.

The project sets out to encourage the crucial role of transnational collaboration, partnering and synergies at European level in developing potential within the knowledge economy. This will entail the shared design and delivery of practical open-innovation activities and support systems including an innovation 'boot camp', SME capacity building and a pre-incubator expertise exchange programme to translate knowledge sector business requirements into research commercialisation actions.

The NWE programme recently held a pair of themed workshops focused on Innovation and on Prosperous Communities where over 100 participants gathered to discuss future project ideas. The results of the workshops and project ideas generated are now available online.

Further details

Waterford has secured EU funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) under the 'Science in Society' strand to develop as a 'European City of Scientific Culture' over the next four years.

The PLACES (Platform for Local Authorities and Communicators Engaged in Science) venture led by ECSITE, the European Network of Science Museums, and also involving the European Science Events Association (EUSCEA) and the European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN) aims to build community platforms of local practitioners engaged in science in society issues. It will stimulate the sharing of good practice, knowledge and tools and promote cooperation between platform members, experiment with new activities, raise awareness on scientific culture with local/regional politicians, define a model of European city of science, and deliver policy recommendations to EU actors.

The Irish element will see the Waterford Institute of Technology outreach Centre for the Advancement of Learning of Maths, Science and Technology (CALMAST) partnering with the local authorities in Waterford City and County to promote the area's existing scientific research and communications activity and to strengthen the appeal of the wider South-East region to attract competitive research funding and inward investors.

www.wit.ie

A recently approved EUR3 million Interreg Northern Periphery Programme initiative led by the Western Development Commission (WDC) along with partners from Northern Ireland (Action Renewables), Scotland and Sweden, is examining how local energy needs can be supplied from local sources in order to deliver much needed sustainable employment to rural economies.

The pilot phase of the RASLRES project focuses on wood biomass and was launched on 29 April by which point 125 enquiries had been received from businesses and organisations in the West Region alone. WDC research shows that by 2020, if forestry is properly managed with a long-term vision, the West could annually develop an indigenous, renewable wood energy resource supplying over 470,000 tonnes of fuel. This replenishable output would deliver 11% of the region's heat needs as well as enormous CO2 emissions savings and would create up to 900 additional jobs across the entire supply chain - in turn generating an additional EUR15 million for the regional economy and providing EUR1.7 million directly to the farming sector.

During 2010 and 2011 RASLRES will assess the heat market and fuel resources in each participating region to identify 'hot spots' of potential wood energy activity. This will lead to the roll-out of a range of free and expertly tailored technical and business advisory services to the wood energy sector via pilot projects to:
* Establish sustainable local supply and demand loops;
* Develop local wood fuel supply from forestry;
* Offer best practice approaches to support industry development;
* Help build critical mass and scale; and
* Support investment plans and help secure project finance.
The selected pilots are intended to be developed into commercially operational investments in terms of renewable heating schemes and/or fuel supply chains.

Aside from wood, RASLRES also encompasses the analysis and development of reed canary grass and marine biomass alternatives in order to stimulate the market and sustainably grow local bio-energy businesses in peripheral regions.

Further details www.raslres.eu or contact ianbrannigan@wdc.ie

Funding is being made available by the European Commission to support operations reinforcing and developing its policies in the field of transport as set out in its 2010 Work Programme and in the context set in the White Paper 'European Transport policy for 2010: time to decide'. The main topic selected is road safety for which EUR2 million is to be provided to co-finance research activities and dissemination of best practices; coordination and harmonisation of standards and procedures; and studies and analyses on socio-economic issues referring to the transport system.

Possible project themes include:
* Development and implementation of innovative road safety communication campaigns, teaching approaches and new information technologies to influence user behaviour;
* Ensuring greater awareness and better understanding between various types of road users;
* The impact on driving behaviour and road safety of factors such as an ageing population, gender, and new technology;
* The economic and social impact of road safety

This call will also co-finance a network of centres promoting inland waterway navigation (local level logistical advice and technical assistance to transport users).

Deadline: 15 September
Further details