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Open Call

Financial support for Social Economy small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the energy-intensive industries with the aim of supporting their green and digital transition.

Apply Now!

We are excited about the number of applications received so far under this Call! In response to many requests, we are extending the deadline for submissions until 09 October 2024 (17:00 CET). This would enable more interested SMEs to apply. The other conditions of the Open Call do not change.

The Call is now open from 01 July 2024 to 09 October 2024, 05:00 PM CET. Applicants must be based in an EU Member State, in a country that is part of the European Economic Area (EEA) or in an EU Associated country. The application must be submitted in English through the F6S platform. 

Before submitting, consult the Guidelines for Applicants. 

Are you a Social Economy SME or a startup in the energy intensive industries or operating in the value chains in the energy-intensive industry ecosystem? Are you trying to achieve your green or digital transition, or to adapt to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) legislation?  

A grant of up to 8,000 EUR is available through the SEE BRIDGE project to implement your plans! 

1 Open Call

Open from 01 July 2024 to 01 Oct 2024 at 17:00 CET 

at least 60 awarded grants

480,000 EUR funding

4,000 – 8,000 EUR per awarded SME 

6-month implementation period

WHAT WE OFFER?

A grant (between 4,000 and 8,000 EUR)

You can receive financial support for different activities to support your transition to greener and more digital operations, and thus also your overall competitiveness and impact. The funded activities can include a combination of business support services, consulting, in-company trainings and attendance of relevant events. 

SEE BRIDGE Acceleration Program for SE SMEs

The SEE BRIDGE partners will offer a tailored Acceleration Program for SE SMEs that have applied for the SEE BRIDGE Open Call, with a focus on Project Management, networking, business plan development and market research. This program is designed to support your operational efficiency and sustainable practices. It will be running in parallel with the implementation of the activities funded by the SEE BRIDGE Open Call grant.  

Networking during project events

After joining the SEE BRIDGE Open Call Program, you can get in touch with experts and meet professionals by joining SEE BRIDGE events. 

WHO CAN APPLY? 

Social Economy SMEs (including startups) operating in the energy intensive industries or in sectors that are part of upstream or downstream value chains in the energy-intensive industry ecosystem, such as chemicals, steel & aluminium, paper, plastics, mining, extraction and quarrying, refineries, cement, wood, rubber, non-ferrous metals, glass and ceramics, construction, waste management,  digital and tech, transportation, etc. 

Eligible applicants must be based in: 

  • EU Member States 
  • Countries which are part of the European Economic Area (EEA): Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein.   
  • EU Associated countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye.  

For a SME or startup to be considered a Social Economy SME/startup, it has to share the main common principles and features:   

  • primacy of people as well as social and/or environmental purpose over profit 
  • reinvestment of most of the profits and surpluses to carry out activities in the interest of members/users (“collective interest”) or society at large (“general interest”)  
  • democratic and/ or participatory governance. 

ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE FUNDED 

The following activities are eligible to receive funding under the SEE BRIDGE Open Call. You can choose one or more of these activities, within the funding limit (i.e. between 4,000 and 8,000 EUR). 
  • Business support services 
  • Consulting services for certification or labelling assets, including Intellectual Property rights 
  • Events attendance on CBAM, digital and green transition topics 
  • In-company training(s) on CBAM, and digital and green transition topics 

If your proposal is successful, you will receive the requested financial contribution in the form of a lump sum to implement the eligible activities that you have selected in your application.   

HOW TO APPLY?

$

get information

$

Register

Create an F6S account

Submit

Submit your application through the F6S platform

TIMELINE

Submissions

01.07.2024 - 01.10.2024

Apply by 1 October, 17:00 CET

Z

Evaluation

October-November 2024

Eligibility check, evaluation by external experts, interviews with applicants

Contracting

December 2024

Signing of Sub-Grant Agreements with selected applicants

Implementation of the funded activities

January – June 2025

Implementation of funded activities

SEE BRIDGE Acceleration Program for SE SMEs

January – June 2025

Tailored Acceleration Program for SE SMEs

FAQ  

Eligibility   

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We are a large enterprise but we are active in the social economy. Are we eligible to receive funding?

No, funding will be provided only to Social Economy SMEs.

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We are an NGO/foundation with a strong social purpose and mission. Are we eligible to receive funding?

No, funding can be provided only to Social Economy SMEs. It is not offered to nonprofits, informal youth groups, foundations and other civil sector organizations. It is also not offered to public institutions.

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We are a small company that is owned by a larger company. Are we an SME eligible to apply?

In case of partner enterprises and linked enterprises, a more complex calculation needs to be made to determine the company’s economic situation and to determine if it is a SME. A compulsory SME definition is provided in the SEE BRIDGE Guidelines for Applicants and we advise to carefully read it, as well as the Commission Regulation No 651/2014, art. 2.18 and the related SME definition Guide.Specifically, the latter Guide will provide ample information on how to ascertain your SME status. Only SMEs complying with the Commission Regulation are eligible for this Open Call. At the contracting stage, an SME Declaration will be signed and submitted by the applicants that are selected for funding.

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Which SME can be considered a Social Economy SME?

The social economy SME and entrepreneurs are the ones active in social economy sector, as defined in the Social Economy Action Plan (p. 5), adopted in December 2021.

In this Open Call, we do not have requirements for specific national registration for SMEs active in the social economy, as legislations and registration regimes vary based on jurisdiction of the eligible countries. We require the applicant to submit a self-declaration affirming that it qualifies as a Social Economy SME in accordance with the principles and features outlined in the Guidelines for Applicants, the Social Economy Action Plan and Regulation mentioned above. The self-declaration is done directly in the application form.

Please refer to the European Commission’s Social Economy Action Plan 2021 (p. 5) and Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 establishing the European Social Fund Plus (Article 2 (1) (13)) for further detailed information regarding the social economy aspect that eligible applicants must fulfill. For your convenience, we cite here some of the relevant texts:

1. Тhe social enterprise has been defined in Regulation (EU) No 346/2013 on European social entrepreneurship funds and Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 establishing the European Social Fund Plus as “an undertaking, regardless of its legal form [...] which:

(a) in accordance with its articles of association, statutes or with any other legal document that may result in liability under the rules of the Member State where a social enterprise is located, has the achievement of measurable, positive social impacts, which may include environmental impacts, as its primary social objective rather than the generation of profit for other purposes, and which provides services or goods that generate a social return or employs methods of production of goods or services that embody social objectives;

(b) uses its profits first and foremost to achieve its primary social objective, and has predefined procedures and rules that ensure that the distribution of profits does not undermine the primary social objective;

(c) is managed in an entrepreneurial, participatory, accountable and transparent manner, in particular by involving workers, customers and stakeholders on whom its business activities have an impact;”

2. Within the framework of the Social Economy Action Plan:

“The social economy covers entities sharing the following main common principles and features: the primacy of people as well as social and/or environmental purpose over profit, the reinvestment of most of the profits and surpluses to carry out activities in the interest of members/users (“collective interest”) or society at large (“general interest”) and democratic and/ or participatory governance.”

Furthermore, “Social enterprises operate by providing goods and services for the market in an entrepreneurial and often innovative fashion, having social and/or environmental objectives as the reason for their commercial activity. Profits are mainly reinvested with a view to achieving their societal objective. Their method of organisation and ownership also follow democratic or participatory principles or focus on social progress. Social enterprises adopt a variety of legal forms depending on the national context.”

Proposal and application 

Implementation 

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Will I have any contractual obligations if I receive funding?

Yes, applicants are advised to consult the model Sub-Grant Agreement that they will sign before receiving the grant.

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What is the allowed period of implementation of the funded activities?

The implementation period is strictly limited to 6 months. The funded activities need to be implemented in full (and paid out to any external service providers) within this period.

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Are you sharing any information about my proposal or about me as an applicant?

Yes. A summary of the proposals and the applicants will be shared with the European Commission.The SEE BRIDGE project will also publish a list with the beneficiaries of the Open Call including basic information about them and the amount of funding received.

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What are the requirements about reporting on implementation?

Within 14 days after the end of the implementation period of the funded activities each beneficiary must elaborate and submit a Final Technical Report to the SEE BRIDGE Coordinator. The report should include, among others, a description of the technical work carried out towards the achievement of the previously defined objectives, milestones, and KPIs, any issues with the implementation, delays, costs and plans for the post-project phase. The following specific sections will be included in the report:

  • Detailed specific objectives and achieved outcomes/ results. Specific KPIs will be defined by the applicant during the contracting phase and the final report should provide information, preferably quantified, on their achievement.
  • Details on the implementation of the funded activities (including photos and/or audio-visual material).
  • Challenges and barriers encountered.
  • Impact of the funded activities.
  • Answers to surveys provided by the Open Call team.
  • Promotion & dissemination activities and plans for the post-project phase.

            The report (which should not exceed 6 pages, excluding photos and audio-visual material) will follow а template provided by the SEE BRIDGE Open Call program.

            In addition to the narrative report, supporting documents will be requested:

            • For services provided by external service providers:
              • Copies of duly signed contract(s),
              • Acceptance Protocol or another final protocol demonstrating successful implementation of the contract,

            Invoices and/or receipts should be kept by the benefiriaries at least 5 (five) years after the end of the project.

                • For attendance of events:
                  • Documents demonstrating the actual attendance of the specified number of persons at the event, such as travel documents from the home organization to the venue, boarding passes, entrance tickets.
                • For in-company training(s):
                  • Signed attendance sheet(s),
                  • Training materials used,
                  • Photos or videos of the sessions

                    In case of doubt or in specific circumstances, additional documents may be requested, depending on the type of activities.

                    The purpose of these documents is solely to provide evidence for the technical implementation. A financial audit will not be carried out by the SEE BRIDGE Open Call program. The beneficiaries, however, are required to ensure that the costs made during the project are eligible and justifiable, as well as properly documented, including in the beneficiary’s accounting system, as per national regulations and legislation. The following requirements about costs are mandatory:

                    • The costs should be made in the time period of implementation of the project carried out by third parties (6 months) - costs made before the start of the implementation, or after the final day of the implementation period are not eligible.
                    • The costs should be directly related to the implemented activities.
                    • The costs should be recorded in the beneficiary's accounting system.
                    • Contracting and subcontracting should strictly comply with the national procurement regulations and requirements applicable to the beneficiary. It is the beneficiary’s responsibility to ensure compliance.
                    • All costs should be made in full compliance with other applicable national laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, Labor Code, tax legislation, social security legislation, laws intended to fight corruption, money laundering, etc.
                    • Specifically for contract payments and larger sums, beneficiaries are strongly advised to make payments through the banking system (bank transfer, cheque) and to avoid cash payments which are difficult to trace in the case of audit.

                              In case of financial audits by the national financial authorities or the EU, the beneficiaries will be asked to present all relevant financial documentation. To that end, beneficiaries are required to keep records of all supporting documents (both technical and financial) for at least 5 years after the day of approval of the final report. Cost declared during audits as ineligible or not in compliance with national regulations are subject to financial corrections.

                              Successful applicants might be invited to participate in an online review meeting in the last month of the implementation period to present results.

                              Guidance will be prepared and shared with the selected applicants with an overview of the monitoring and reporting process and of other support mechanisms of the SEE BRIDGE Acceleration Programme.

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                              Can I submit several proposals?

                              In the event of multiple submissions by the same applicant, only the last received submission (according to the timestamp from the F6S platform) will enter the evaluation process.

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                              Can I apply for funding to just some of the activities listed as eligible?

                              Yes, you can choose which activities you want to include in your proposal based on your needs, strategies, ambitions and the available resources for implementation. However, for the activities you request in your proposal you should request no less than 4,000 euro and no more than 8,000 EUR. Also consider that the requested budget for these activities should be reasonable, necessary and justified, and should reflect value for money and current market prices. The budget proposal is subject to evaluation as per the evaluation criteria stated in the Guidelines for Applicants.

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                              Can I submit a proposal by email?

                              No, proposals should be submitted through the online application form. Proposals submitted by other means will not be evaluated. Please be mindful of the deadline for applications, i.e. 01 October 2024, 17:00 CET. The platform will not accept submissions after that date and hour.

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                              Can I submit a proposal in my native language?

                              No, proposals should be submitted in English. Proposals submitted in other languages will not be evaluated. Please be mindful of the requirement that your key personnel involved should be comfortable communicating in English, as this is the only language for communication with the SEE BRIDGE consortium and during the SEE BRIDGE Acceleration Programme for SE SMEs.

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                              In question 27, should the answer include both the internal and the external staff (e.g. advisors, consultants) involved in the project? Should those who will receive the funding (e.g. consultant) be included, too?

                              The answer to question no. 27 should prioritize the description of the internal implementation team, that is, the team within the applicant SME that will be responsible for implementing the activities. The description should include, for each team member:
                              - position
                              - name (optional)
                              - brief description of expertise and responsibilities (including any responsibilities for managing, collaborating with or monitoring external service providers, or for implementing or exploiting the results of the external services).
                              The applicant should strive to show how each of these team members will contribute to achieving the SME’s sustainability goals (as per the evaluation criteria described in the SEE BRIDGE Open Call Guidelines for Applicants, p. 19)
                              However, if the applicant already has a detailed plan about the involvement of external service providers (consultants, advisors, etc.), it can be an added value to mention it, too, if there is enough space in Question 27. For example:
                              - the activities that will be allocated to external service providers
                              - how those activities are interconnected with the responsibilities of the internal project team
                              - the expertise of the external people (names are not required).
                              Information about the external service providers can be given also in the answers to other relevant questions in the application form – e.g. Question 19.

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                              If a company has an employee who is already involved in sustainability related tasks (energy manager), can this person receive the grant to implement the eligible activities or it should be an external provider?

                              In this Open Call, we provide eligible SMEs with grants to finance services in support of their green and digital transformation, e.g. lump sums for support services. Business support services and consulting services are intended to fund specialized services that the SMEs would otherwise not have access to. It is obviously an added value if the applicant SMEs would reach out to external experts/specialists/companies, either because the applicant itself does not have these experts or because it needs to complement the available internal expertise. If the desired results can be achieved with the available internal resources and expertise, it would be hard to justify the need for this grant, the added value and the impact of this funding.
                              It is up to the beneficiaries to choose the activities and to allocate funds towards activities, depending on their needs and requirements. This includes the organisation, implementation and follow-up of any tasks and actions related to the successful completion of those activities. The provided implementation plan, budget and justifications will be subject to thorough evaluation by external independent experts.

                              NEED MORE HELP? 

                              If you have reviewed the above information and the Guidelines for Applicants, but you still need help, we recommend: 

                              Q&A sessions  

                              There were two public webinars with Q&A sessions where applicants were able to ask questions about the SEE BRIDGE project, the Open Call and the process of application. 

                              The first webinar was held July 30, 2024. You can watch the recording here

                              The second webinar was held September 10, 2024 as part of the extensive project info day “New Reporting Requirements & SEE BRIDGE Open Call Opportunities for SMEs in Energy Intensive Sectors”. You can watch the recording here

                              Helpdesk 

                              Contact our helpdesk in the following email: seebridge.project@outlook.com

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