The deputy minister and parliamentary and strategic state secretary of ITM also pointed out that Central European countries and their companies are often discriminated in Brussels. ‘For example, only less than five percent of innovation funds that can be requested directly from the European Union were awarded to companies and institutions located in the countries that have joined the EU since 2004, even though their population share would suggest four times more. The aim of the government is clear: we want fair and just treatment for Hungarian applicants in the award of directly accessible EU funds,’ he added in his post.

The NRDI Office prioritises knowledge-sharing and knowledge-enhancement required for winning EU funds, therefore, among its services related to international programmes, it can send mentors with considerable professional experience to Hungarian startups, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to help them successfully apply for EU funds.

Currently the NRDI Office’s mentoring programme is open for registration. Projects are selected for mentoring based on the project information provided during registration. The selected applicants will receive complex innovation management and business development advice from independent experts free of charge, including business planning, opinion on the application to be submitted, and preparation for the personal presentation and interview. The mentoring programme forms part of the NRDI Office’s portfolio of services and is financed from the NRDI Fund.

As part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 framework programme, the EIC Accelerator call offers up to EUR 2.5 million in funding to innovative SMEs for upgrading prototypes to internationally marketable, competitive products or services. Winning projects will receive EUR 0.5 to 2.5 million for product/service development and may obtain further investment to enter the market.

Registration page: mentoring program

Budapest, 29 July 2020

Source: Ministry for Innovation and Technology