Outreach

Description

Overview The PoliRuralPlus project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 101136910), invites proposals for its Outreach Call. This call seeks innovative projects that enhance rural-urban interactions across the EU, aiming to foster grassroots innovations and leverage technological advancements for sustainable rural development. The Outreach Call is targeted at addressing unique challenges within our nine pilot regions across the European Union. Objectives of the Outreach Call Promote innovative ideas that redefine rural-urban interactions. Support grassroots initiatives that demonstrate regional intricacies and innovations. Award a lump sum of up to 5,000 EUR to selected initiatives fostering regional innovation and leveraging local insights to strengthen rural-urban synergies. Specific Objectives per Pilot Area Proposals must align with the specific objectives identified in one of the nine designated pilot regions of the PoliRuralPlus project: Ireland (Monaghan County): Enterprise development in the green economy, social enterprise support. Slovakia (entire country): Rural revitalization, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building. Greece (Region of Central Greece): Sustainable agritech training, agritourism promotion, digital skills enhancement. Italy (Apulia): Short food supply chains, healthy diets, rural-urban linkages. Finland (Mallusjoki rural district): Rural Event Industry Ecosystem, community engagement, economic opportunities. Czech-Bavarian border region (Bohemian Forest / Šumava and Bayerischer Wald / and surrounding areas): Rural innovation network, connectivity, business opportunities. Spain (Segobriga and region of Sierra y Mancha Conquense): Rural-urban synergies, cultural heritage, economic development. Latvia (Vidzeme): Regional development monitoring, inclusive governance, innovation support. Malta (Malta and Gozo): Digital transformation, entrepreneurial capacity building, youth empowerment. Please note that detailed description of the specific objectives and the spatial extent of the pilot regions are described in the Guidelines for Applicants.

Beneficiary & submission

Submission Process Online submission: Via the PoliRuralPlus Knowledge Hub. Parts of proposal: Part A: Administrative Form. Part B: Technical Description (PDF format). Early submission is highly recommended. Errors in submissions can be corrected and resubmitted before the deadline; only the latest version will be considered. Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be evaluated based on three main criteria: Objectives (0-5 points) Impacts (0-5 points) Implementation (0-5 points) A minimum score of 3 in all criteria and an overall score of at least 11 is required for funding. The highest Impact KPIs will serve as a tiebreaker. Priority will be given to selecting one proposal per pilot region.

Further information

Eligibility Criteria Type of organisation: Open to all types with operational and financial capacity. Single applicants only: No consortia or joint submissions. Eligible countries: Legally established in an EU Member State or Associated Country. One proposal per applicant: Only one proposal will be accepted for funding per applicant. Declaration of honour: Applicants must declare their eligibility and no conflict of interest in the online application. Pilot specific proposals: The proposal must address specific challenges and opportunities identified within one of the 9 designated pilot regions of the PoliRuralPlus project. Language: English. Compliance: GDPR adherence required. Non-beneficiary clause: Current PoliRuralPlus beneficiaries ineligible. Deliverables commitment: As outlined in Chapter 4 of the Guidelines for Applicants. Financial Support Funding: up to 5,000 EUR lump sum for successful proposals. Total allocation: 45,000 EUR, expected to fund 9 sub-projects. Subcontracting or transferring funds to third parties is not permitted. Key Dates Call opening: 3 June 2024 Proposal submission opening: 24 June 2024  Submission Deadline: 31 July 2024, 17:00 CEST Expected notification of results: 6 September 2024 Signature of Sub-Grant Agreement: September 2024 Expected implementation period: October - December 2024