Learning to enhance the exploitation potential of R&D project results.

LEEP-SME is a collaborative project between funding agencies and networks working to establish best practices for proposal evaluation and monitoring procedures by funding agencies and to improve support services for SMEs in their project realisation phase.

The overall aim is that the funding agencies who choose to adopt LEEP-SME’s methodologies will see an improvement in the abilities of funding beneficiaries to realise and successfully commercialise their project results.

The current state of flux from the novel coronavirus strain has resulted in a wave of combined national and EU funding being channelled towards R&D-performing companies, research institutes and universities who are generating tremendous innovative results at lightning speed. Last Friday 15, our multilateral call for solutions for COVID-19 echo period closed with 65 applications, with 12 countries involved. A second call launched the same day. But while plans to fund projects are highly reported on, I want to tell you more about the successes that have already come about from Eureka-backed companies who are flexibly redirecting their R&D in response to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.

As an international network supporting innovation beyond borders, we know that when people work together, extraordinary things can happen.

In the past weeks, our colleagues across the network have been banging their virtual heads together to put in place support measures for businesses and researchers to find COVID19 solutions.

At Eureka, we are always at your service – and remain so as we temporarily work from home. I am here to reassure you that our collaborators remain 100% committed to supporting you in your R&D endeavours. "We" means not just the Brussels-based Eureka team, but our representatives in over 45 countries across Europe and the world.

We are confident that this moment will pass, but we and you must all take the recommended measures to protect everyone.

At Eureka, we would like to reassure you that health and safety have our complete attention. We have therefore taken the decision to temporarily move to working from home until further notice. Our collaborators remain 100% committed to supporting you in your R&D endeavours, however.