Presentation of Horizon 2020 and COSME in Novi Sad

The EU Info Day – within which Horizon 2020 (EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation) and COSME (EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) – gathered more than 60 participants, professors, scientists, researchers and co-workers of the UNS, private faculties and representatives of SMEs at the amphitheatre of the Rectorate of the University of Novi Sad (UNS) on 30 November 2016. The Info Day was organised by the EU Info Point Novi Sad in cooperation with the Regional Development Agency Bačka and European Affairs Fund of AP Vojvodina.

Nikolina Pupavac, representative of the Regional Development Agency Bačka reminded that it is the year of entrepreneurship and expressed her hope that the following year will also be devoted to it. She offered the assistance of that organisation to citizens, owners of SMEs and those who want to start a private business.

The Horizon 2020 and Marie S. Curie actions were presented by Gordana Vlahović, Head of the Office for International Cooperation of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the UNS. Professor Vlahović reminded of the fact that Horizon 2020 is a programme involving a fund of EUR 78 billion, available in the following sever-year period. The funds under the programme are available to scientists, entrepreneurs and the civil society in Serbia. She emphasised, among other, that 18 000 researchers in Europe, out of which 7000 PhD candidates, have already had benefits of this programme and reminded that the new call for proposals will be open from 11 April 2017 until 14 September 2017.

Following the programme presentation, there was a practical exercise to identity and analyse calls for proposals and to submit applications.

The procedures under COSME were presented by Dražen Lovrić, European Affairs Fund of AP Vojvodina. COSME is aimed at SMEs allowing better access to finances and access to market, creating more favourable conditions for business creation and growth and supporting entrepreneurs. COSME provides guarantees for entrepreneurs up to EUR 150.000, and projects that are co-financed are aimed at associations, chambers of commerce and companies. The co-financing rate varies up to 50%, depending on the call. The budget of COSME is EUR 2.3 billion involving the period from 2014 to 2020.