He also added that the value of the requested funding was nearly HUF 1200 billion (over EUR 3.8 billion) at the competitive portfolio calls published by the NRDI Office. 3925 applications were submitted to the Economic Development and Innovation Operational Programme/EDIOP (GINOP) whereas 885 applications were submitted to the Competitive Central Hungary Operational Programme /CCHOP (VEKOP) and almost 4000 applications via the NRDI Fund.
Having made the current grant decisions, the NRDI Office will launch new rounds of calls and new schemes and by mid-2017 all of the calls of the portfolio will be open – highlighted the President of the Office. This is necessary so that the programmes can be completed by 2021-2022 as 1-2 years are not enough to carry out the R&D programmes effectively and on a high standard – added the President.
He also emphasised that the assessment criteria of the applications guarantee that neither applications without RDI content and limited to innovation generalities nor over-priced applications would pass through the filter. As he said, it is important that applicants view themselves in an international perspective and ‘should not compare themselves to their neighbours’.
The President also mentioned that several reimbursable RDI funds – which can be referred to as credit guarantees, interest-free loans – will be available in the forthcoming stages via venture capital funds.
In reply to a question, József Pálinkás said that by mid next year he expects financing requests be submitted to the venture capital fund to be established by the Government to finance knowledge and technology intensive businesses and to develop the Hungarian innovation ecosystem. The related Government Decision was promulgated in August. HUF 30 billion (nearly EUR 97 million) will be provided by the NRDI Office via EDIOP, whereas HUF 20 billion (EUR 64.5) will be granted by the Hungarian Development Bank (MFB) to the state owned venture fund the legal background of which will be laid down until October – pointed out the President.
József Pálinkás said that the recent decisions awarded HUF 172 billion (EUR 0.5 billion) through EDIOP, the largest part of which – approximately HUF 68 billion (EUR 220 million) – was received by 247 projects in the first round of calls for support of R&D and innovation activities of enterprises. He also noted that a great proportion of applications having been awarded the highest scores at the evaluation were related to the fields of agricultural innovation, sustainable environment and healthy society.
He said that the total budget of the researcher-initiative thematic programmes has been increased with HUF 1 billion to HUF 7 billion (EUR 22.6 million) this year, while the maximum amount which may be awarded to one applicant has been raised to HUF 48 million. 1145 proposals were submitted to the programme out of which 219 applications were awarded.
József Pálinkás stated that the call aimed to strengthen the innovation ecosystem of start-up incubators was one of those that attracted the most interest with 44 applications submitted and a funding request of HUF 25 billion (EUR 80 million) in total. In the first round 8 project proposals with a funding request of HUF 4.73 billion in total received endorsing policy opinions.
József Pálinkás explained that HUF 144 billion (EUR 465 million) is available under 6 calls to promote the cooperation between businesses and research institutions. From this knowledge transfer type scheme, project proposals in the value of HUF 27.5 billion received endorsing policy opinion for the Higher Education and Industry Cooperation Centres. The call for application for R&D competitiveness and excellence in collaboration also attracted great interest; 120 projects were submitted with a grant request of HUF 200 billion in total. 23 projects were awarded HUF 25.7 billion in the first round – said the President of the NRDI Office.
Source: MTI