(12 October 2015) – The Commission is today launching a new initiative to ensure that taxpayer money is spent efficiently by improving the synergies between EU funding for regional policy and for research.
The new “Seal of Excellence” scheme will allow regions to recognise the quality label awarded to promising project proposals submitted under Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innovation programme and promote their access to different funding sources like the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) and other national or regional investment programmes.
The “Seal of Excellence” quality label will be awarded to promising projects submitted under Horizon 2020 which could not secure funding due to budgetary constraints but received high assessment scores in the demanding and independent evaluation process.
In its pilot phase, the “Seal of Excellence” will first be given to proposals by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) submitted under the SME instrument of Horizon 2020. The action could then be extended to cover more areas of Horizon 2020.