Network project call between Singapore and Türkiye

TÜBİTAK and Enterprise Singapore are announcing this call for proposals for joint R&D projects, focusing on the development of innovative products and applications in all technology and market areas. Applicants are expected to develop market-ready solutions or projects that have strong market potential for Türkiye and Singapore.

Key Details of the Call:

• Eureka programme: Network projects
• Period of call: 31 March 2024 to 14 October 2024
• Sectors: All thematic areas

You can submit your R&D project application for this call during the application period. Your project consortium must include organisations established in at least two of the countries listed in this call.

The Turkish National Authority is the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK ), the leading agency for the management, funding and conduct of research in Türkiye.

Enterprise Singapore (ESG) is the government agency championing enterprise development through innovation, internationalisation and capability development.

Both TÜBİTAK and ESG will provide all necessary assistance to project partners during project proposal preparation and submission of project proposals, as well as in the evaluation and monitoring phases. In addition, both parties will facilitate the Eureka application process and the acquisition of the Eureka label for accepted proposals.

These organisations will also provide access to public funding for the joint projects. Support will be provided to each partner by its own authorities in accordance with applicable national laws, rules, regulations and procedures, on a non- exchange of funds basis, and subject to budgetary availability in each country.

31 March 2024 – Call opens

14 October 2024 – Submission deadline for Eureka application (11:59 CEST) and national funding

30 November 2024 – Eligibility feedback to applicants

February 2025 – Eureka label (estimated)

The funding support will be given to each eligible partner by its own National Authority. Funding conditions and eligibility criteria may vary from country to country. The information regarding funding for each country is explained below:

Türkiye:

All companies which were established in accordance with Turkish law can apply for funding for their international projects. There is no budget limit for international projects and they can be funded by TUBITAK without any restriction in project duration. Only companies participating in international projects are funded within this program, but universities and research centers can be funded as subcontractors. Turkish applicants must complete their national application within four weeks after the eligibility feedback.

Companies receive a certain percentage of their eligible costs as a grant in this call. There is no maximum or minimum limit to the budget of project. The percentage of grants is 60% for large companies and 75% for SMEs of their eligible project budget.

Turkish participants are funded by the TÜBİTAK TEYDEB 1509-International Industry R&D Projects Support Program.

For further information about financing of Turkish participants please directly contact with TÜBİTAK. Detailed information can also be reached from here.

Singapore:

Interested Singaporean companies should initiate early consultation with Enterprise Singapore on the eligibility assessment and project scope discussion by emailing koe_zi_yan@enterprisesg.gov.sg.

To be eligible for the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG), which is up to 70% of total qualifying project costs, the applicant must fulfil ALL of the following:

1. Be a business entity that is registered and physically present in Singapore, and;
2. ≥ 30% local equity held directly or indirectly by Singaporean(s) / Singapore PR(s), determined by the ultimate individual ownership and;
3. Be financially able to see a project through to completion.
4. Any other criteria as described in the Enterprise Development Grant page (http://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/edg).

According to Eureka’s practices, applicants may choose to request a label without public financing (e.g. self-funding is also applicable).

If there is no allocated budget for your organisation type in your country and you want to participate in a project consortium, contact your national funding body to see whether there are other funding opportunities available or talk to them about self-funding.

Eureka has limited eligibility criteria for organisations participating in a Network projects consortium:

• Your project idea must represent international cooperation in the form of a specific project.
• The project must be directed at researching or developing an innovative product, process or service with the goal of commercialisation.
• The project must have a civilian purpose.
• Your consortium must include at least two independent legal entities from a minimum of two Eureka countries
• No single organisation or country can be responsible for more than 70% of the project budget.

Eligibility Criteria by National Authorities

Eligible partners are invited to present joint proposals for industrial R&D projects according to the following criteria:

• The partners should include at least one Turkish and one Singapore company. Participation of research institutes/universities and other organizations is welcome as self-funded participants or subcontractors according to each country’s funding regulations.
• Organizations from other countries may also participate, but they will not be funded by ESG or by TÜBİTAK.
• The Turkish and Singapore partners must express their will to cooperate to the development of a new product, industrial process or service. The product, process or service must be innovative and there must be a technological risk involved.
• The project should have an obvious advantage and added value resulting from the technological cooperation between the participants from the countries (e.g. increased knowledge base, commercial leads, access to R&D infrastructure etc.).
• The project should demonstrate the contribution of all participants (not more than 70% of participants contribution from one country or one company) and the project must be significant to them.
• The participants are required, prior to obtain the Eureka label, to have signed a consortium agreement.

Any partner whose cooperative R&D project is consistent with the aforesaid criteria can apply to the present announcement in accordance with the national laws, rules, regulations and procedures in effect.

Your project application will be reviewed according to our Network projects evaluation methodology.

1. Impact

• Is the market properly addressed (i.e. size, access and risks)?
• Is the value creation properly addressed (i.e. employment opportunities and environmental and societal benefits)?
• What are the competitive advantages of your project (i.e. strategic importance, enhanced capabilities and visibility)?
• Are your commercialisation plans clear and realistic (i.e. return on investment, geographical and sectoral impact)?

2. Excellence

• What is the degree of innovation? (i.e. is the proposed product, process or service state-of-the-art? Is there sufficient technological maturity and risk)?
• How is the new knowledge going to be used?
• Is your project scientifically and technically challenging for consortium partners?
• Is the technical achievability and risk properly addressed?

3. Quality and efficiency of implementation

• What is the quality of your consortium (i.e. balance of the partnership and technological, managerial and financial capabilities of each partner)?
• Is there added value through international cooperation?
• Is your project management and planning realistic and clearly defined (i.e. methodology, planning approach, milestones and deliverables)?
• Is your cost structure reasonable (i.e. costs and financial commitment for each consortium partner)?

4. Overall perception

Experts will list three positive and negative points to your application and finally state whether they recommend your project for public investment.

Your national funding body may carry out a further evaluation (performed by the national project coordinator and technical experts) according to national rules before allocating funds to successful applicants.

Participants are invited to contact the officers from the National Authorities (see contact details at the end of the text) before submitting the documents.

Project applicants have to submit 2 separate applications:

• Eureka Application: Jointly-submit their applications on Eureka platform (https://eureka.smartsimple.ie)
• Application for Individual Country’s Funding Agency: Each applicant must submit all required documents to their respective national funding authority and meet its due diligence process requirements.

Eureka Application

Eureka application process is as follows

1. Contact your national funding body to discuss your project idea, financial viability, eligibility and national procedures.
2. Create an account on our application portal (one per consortium) and select the funding opportunity you want to apply to.
3. Using the portal, complete one application form per consortium (in English) and invite other consortium partners to fill in a partner form.
4. Upload a GANTT chart (one per consortium), a signed and completed co-signature form (which you can download from the platform) and any additional required annexes.
5. Your application will be checked for completeness and eligibility before being reviewed using a standard evaluation procedure. If successful, your project will receive a Eureka label.
6. Your national funding body may carry out a further evaluation (performed by the NPC and technical experts) according to national rules before allocating funds to successful applicants.
7. The final step is to complete and sign a consortium agreement (CA). We recommend that you seek legal advice when drafting your CA.

Application for Individual Country’s Funding Agency

• In Türkiye, the participants will have to submit a formal national application through TÜBİTAK TEYDEB’s website (https://eteydeb.tubitak.gov.tr/) including the signed version of EUREKA Application Form.
• In Singapore, Singapore companies will be required to submit a separate application, which you can commence by filling up https://go.gov.sg/sgturkiyecip2024. A representative from Enterprise Singapore will reach out to you separately.

Applicants will be requested to provide information during the lifetime of the project at international level to make sure the project has been developed as expected. Additionally, they will have to provide information regarding the impact of the project once it has been finished.

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