The DIH² project announces the second call for applications for grants to consortia of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Slightly Bigger Companies and Technology providers working in the field of technology transfer and production. Companies can also apply to participate in the Technology Transfer Program. The beneficiaries will receive financial support, training and other technical and business services to ensure rapid commercialisation of their solutions.

Publication Date: 01 April 2021, at 00:00 (CEST)

Deadline for Short Proposals submissions: 30 June 2021, at 17:00 (CEST)

Maximum funding request per consortia application: Up to EUR 248,000 EU Funds.
Who can apply?
Consortia composed of Manufacturing Companies as well as Technology Providers (in both cases, only SMEs or Slightly Bigger Companies) can apply to participate in the Second Open Call. The participation of, at least, one Manufacturing Company and one Technology Provider is compulsory. The Manufacturing Company should be clearly manufacturing at least one product that is addressed by the TTE.

Maximum number of consortium participants:

• 1 Manufacturing Company and 1 Technology Provider;
• 1 Manufacturing Company and 2 Technology Providers;
• 2 Manufacturing Companies and 1 Technology Provider.

The Second Open Call is divided in two selection process steps:

Phase 1 – Short Proposal Submission: In this step, consortia of Manufacturing SMEs or Slightly Bigger Companies and Technology Providers (either SMEs or slightly bigger companies) can apply by submitting a short proposal describing their proposed Technology Transfer Experiment (TTE). The proposals should be submitted via the FundingBox platform. The short proposals will focus on the technical aspects of the experiment and minimum 5 Technology Readiness Level (TRL).

Phase 2 – Full Proposal Submission: The approved consortia of the first phase will be invited from August 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021 to submit a full project proposal.

The DIH² network will select from the second phase up to 34 proposals from eligible countries to participate in Jury Day. Each of the invited consortia will receive a mini-grant of 3,500 euros. During the Jury day, 15 of these 34 will be selected as beneficiaries, who will receive up to 248,000 euros in funding and first-class technology transfer services.

About DIH2:

DIH² is a network of 26 DIHs, with a target to reach over 170 DIHs until 2022. The goal is establishing a sustainable network of robotics DIHs, endowed with tools and procedures, to facilitate the commercialisation and broad uptake of Agile Production by Manufacturing SMEs/Slightly Bigger Companies

Sofia Tech Park is a partner in the DIH2 project through the scientific units – Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Micronanolab, Cybersecurity Laboratory, 3D Lab and Rapid Prototyping.

DIH²’s goal is to create a sustainable network of hubs, provided with tools and procedures that support the commercialization and widespread deployment of flexible manufacturing in SMEs / Mid-Caps companies.

If you are a SME, a Slightly Bigger Company or a Technology provider in the manufacturing field or you are working on automation solutions for companies, apply now at:

https://dih-squared-2nd-oc.fundingbox.com/

Deadline: 30 June 2021

For more information and assistance regarding the application for the second call, you can contact eng. Hristina Bakardzhieva, chief expert in the Project Management Directorate, tel. +359 889 900 617, e-mail: h.bakardzhieva@sofiatech.bg