The National Centre for Research and Development

23.07.2021
 

Based on the decision of the Donor States to grant additional funds to List of projects funded within The IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals three projects from the reserve list of the IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals we present an updated list of projects which have received a positive decision of the Director of the National Center for Research and Development on the allocation of financial resources within The IdeaLab Call for Proposals.

15.07.2021
 

Based on the decision of the Donor States to grant additional funds to fund three projects from the reserve list of the IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals we present an updated ranking list of applications recommended for funding in this call.

4.12.2020

A list of projects which have received a positive decision of the Director of the National Center for Research and Development on the allocation of financial resources within The IdeaLab Call for Proposals is presented below:

21.10.2020 

Please find below a list of experts assessing proposals in the IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals:

15.10.2020

We would like to kindly inform you about the results of expert evaluation of applications submitted in the The IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals. Three applications received recommendation for funding. Three applications were placed on the reserve list.

Below are the ranking lists:

01.07.2020

We are pleased to inform you that 6 applications were submitted in the IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals.
As a result of formal assessment all 6 applications meet the formal requirements.

30.04.2020

I would like to kindly inform you, that the deadline for submitting proposals in the IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals has been postponed for 3 weeks, till 8.06.2020, 16.00 CET.
The change was introduced in answer to applicants’ requests caused by coronavirus epidemic.

We would like to kindly inform you about the results the IdeaLab workshop, that took place on 2-6 March 2020 in Otwock.

During the workshop 9 pre-proposals (project ideas) were created and submitted, from which 8 pre-proposals received recommendation for funding from the Panel of Experts.

All 8 consortia that received positive recommendation of the Panel of Experts are invited to submit full proposals in the IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals.

ANNOUNCESTHE IDEALAB CALL FOR FULL PROPOSALS

1. Objective of the Programme and objective of the Call

The main objective of the Programme ‘Applied Research’ implemented by The National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), is enhanced performance of Polish applied research in Poland through improved research cooperation between Poland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The Programme aims to enhance the quality of scientific outputs, upgrade the international visibility of Polish science, establish public-private partnerships, reinforce the links between innovation, research and education and boost innovation.

The IdeaLab is an innovative way of generating research projects coupled with real-time peer-review. The crucial element of the method is an interactive and intensive 5-day workshop involving approx. 30 participants from a range of disciplines and backgrounds and a team of external experts (mentors and the director) and stakeholders that is organised in order to drive new approaches to address research challenges on a specific topic.

The topic of the IdeaLab is: ‘Cities for the future: services and solutions’. A detailed description of topic is available in ‘Description of the call area’.

The full proposal submitted in this call should be developed based on the project idea created during the IdeaLab workshop and submitted on the project idea form during the IdeaLab workshop. The IdeaLab workshop took place on 2-6 March 2020 in Otwock and was organised by the National Centre for Research and Development.

2. Thematic area

‘Cities for the future: services and solutions’More detailed description of the thematic area of the IdeaLab Call for Proposals is presented in the document ‘Description of the call area’.

3. Types of entities eligible for funding

1. Eligible project promoter (applicant):
   • Research organisation as defined in the Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty, and as stipulated in Article 37 paragraph 1 of the Act on the National Centre for Research and Development, established as a legal person¹ in Poland.
   • Enterprise as defined in the Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty, established in Poland.
2. Eligible project partners:
   1. any public or private entity, commercial or non-commercial as well as non-governmental organisations, established as a legal person² in Poland or Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

4. Project Promoter, Project Partners and Principal Investigator

Projects have to be submitted by consortia comprising at least one Polish and one Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein entity.

For each proposal, the project partners designate a Project Promoter (PP) which has the formal administrative responsibility for the project, and has to submit the proposal on their behalf. Project Promoter must be duly authorized to represent all partners on behalf of which it submits the project proposal.

The Project Promoter is responsible for signing the partnership agreement with the project partners. The partnership agreement should be in English and should be submitted to the Programme Operator before the signing of the project contract with the NCBR.

The Project Promoter designate the Principal Investigator (PI), coming from one of the Polish institutions, who is the researcher having the scientific lead of the project on a daily basis.

5. Type of research

The IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals aims to support international, research projects, implemented by entities from Poland and Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. The following types of research/development are eligible:

• Fundamental/Basic research, as defined in Article 2(84) of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014,
• Industrial research, as defined in Article 2(85) of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014,
• Experimental development, as defined in Article 2(86) of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014. 

The costs of fundamental/basic research are eligible only if they are in direct relation to, and necessary for industrial or experimental research planned in the proposal. They may comprise a maximum of 10% of total eligible costs of the Project.

6. The amount of co-financing

Grants in the IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals may cover up to 100% of eligible costs for research organisations and other types of entities³ other than enterprises 4 (including NGOs, and municipalities). In the case of enterprises, funding quota will be decided on a case-by-case basis depending on the size of the company, type of research/development, under the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 25 February 2015 on criteria and rules on granting state aid and de minimis aid through the National Centre for Research and Development, (Journal of Laws of 2015 item 299).

The maximum state aid intensity for enterprises:

	Large Enterprises	Medium Enterprises	Small Enterprises
Fundamental/Basic Research	Up to 100%	Up to 100%	Up to 100%
Industrial Research	Up to 50+15 (max 65%)	Up to 50+10+15 (max 75%)	Up to 50+20+15 (max 80%)
Experimental development	Up to 25+15 (max 40%)	Up to 25+10+15 (max 50%)	Up to 25+20+15 (max 60%)

Only basic/industrial research and experimental development will be funded. Other type of activities (e.g. coordination, dissemination, management) may only be parts of research tasks.

The budgetary allocation to partners should reflect the actual contribution made by each party and should be the subject of negotiation between the Project Promoter and the project partner. It is expected that the eligible costs claimed by Liechtenstein, Icelandic, and Norwegian entities participating in the project will normally not exceed 40% of the total eligible costs of the project.

7. The budget of the IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals

The total budget for the IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals is EUR 6,651,016. The minimum grant amount is EUR 500,000, and the maximum amount is EUR 6,651,016. Please note that EUR 6,651,016 is the entire budget for funding research projects. A foreseen duration of projects is up to 36 months.

8. Eligible expenditures

1. Direct cost:
   • Staff
   • Consumables and supplies
   • Equipment
   • Travel
   • Other direct costs
   • Subcontracting
2. Indirect cost (overheads)

The description of the categories of costs listed above can be found in ‘Cost Eligibility Guide’.
The first and final dates of eligibility of each project will be stated in the project contract for that project.

Expenditures incurred after 30 April 2024 shall not be eligible.

9. The currency used for the project proposal’s budget and the settlement of costs in the project implementation

The currency used for completing the Project Budget, payments from the Programme Operator and settlements between the Project Promoter and settlements between the Project Partner(s) will be in the Polish zloty (PLN). The European Central Bank’s exchange rate from the date of the call launch will be used for calculating all cost related to the project application and implementation. The project contract will contain the maximum amount of the project grant in euro.

10. The eligibility criteria of the call

The following eligibility criteria apply to all proposals submitted under the call:

1. receipt of proposal by the Programme Operator before the deadline date and time established in the call and in compliance with p. 2.6 of the ‘Guide For Applicants IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals’,

2. positive assessment of the project pre-proposal (project idea) during the IdeaLab Workshop,

3. fulfilment of conditions related to:

1. composition of the project consortium as defined in ‘Guide For Applicants IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals’ p. 2.1,
2. Project Promoter and project partners eligibility as defined in ‘Guide For Applicants IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals’ p. 2.2 and 2.3,
3. minimum and maximum amount of grant assistance as defined in ‘Guide For Applicants IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals’ p. 2.5.1,
4. maximum project duration and final cost eligibility date as defined in ‘Guide For Applicants IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals’ p. 2.5.1,
5. types of activities as defined in ‘Guide For Applicants IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals’ p. 2.5.1,
6. currency as defined in ‘Guide For Applicants IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals’ p. 2.5.2,
7. cost categories as defined in ‘Guide For Applicants IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals’ p. 2.5.4,
8. intensity of state aid as defined in ‘Guide For Applicants IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals’ p. 2.5.5.

4. confirmation that Project Promoter and project partners:

1. comply with the principle of equal opportunities and non-discrimination, including accessibility for people with disabilities and the principle of equality between women and men,
2. are not excluded from the possibility of receiving funding as defined in ‘Guide For Applicants IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals’ p. 2.1.

5. completeness of the proposal as required in the ‘Proposal Manual’.

6. accordance with the scope of the call as stipulated in ‘Description of the call area’ - the content of the proposal must relate to the topics of the call; a proposal will only be deemed ineligible on grounds of 'scope' in clear-cut cases.

11. Evaluation process and selection criteria

Evaluation consists of formal (eligibility) assessment and scientific peer-review. Only the proposals that meet the eligibility criteria will be subject to scientific peer-review.

The formal appraisal is carried out by the Programme Operator. The scientific-peer review is carried out by international experts and consists of 2 stages:

• Individual assessment by experts,
• Consensus assessment by experts.

The proposals submitted in the IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals are assessed with usage of one criterion:

Criterion	Description
the consistency of the full proposal with the project idea	consistency of the full proposal with the project idea (pre-proposal) developed during the IdeaLab workshop and with the recommendations given by the Panel of Experts during the pre-proposal evaluation

Experts examine the consistency of the full proposal with the project idea using the following scale:

• YES – the proposal is consistent with the project idea developed during the workshop

or

• NO – the proposal is not consistent with the project idea developed during the workshop

To be recommended for funding, the full proposal must be assessed by at least two out of the three experts as consistent (score ‘YES’) with the project idea developed during the IdeaLab workshop.

The preparation of final ranking lists and recommendation of the proposals for funding are the tasks of the Programme Committee. The Director of the Programme Operator issues funding decisions for the proposals recommended for financing by the Programme Committee.

More detailed information on evaluation procedure is presented in the document ‘Guide for Evaluators’.

12. Payment system

Payments towards the projects are executed in the form of advance payments. The first advance instalment of maximum 30% of the total grant amount will be transferred within 30 days from the signature of the project contract to the Project Promoter through Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK). The Programme Operator places a payment order. Further advance instalment(s) will be transferred to the project in accordance with an individual schedule of payments and upon approval of the payment request(s), as stipulated in the project contract. These further instalments may be paid when at least 70% of the previous advance instalment(s) has been reported as incurred and not later than 15 days after the Programme Operator’s approval of payment requests.
In case of justified doubts as to the proper performance of the project and in exceptional cases, e.g. unclear financial status, previous irregularities, warning signals /suspicion of financial abuse, a payment model in the form of reimbursement of incurred expenditure may apply to a project, after the analysis (the analysis concerns in particular the situation of the Project Promotor or Project Partner/s as well as scientific and financial progress of the project).

13. Submission of proposals

Applications from Project Promoters for financial support under the IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals are made in the form of project proposals submitted to the Programme Operator.

Project Promoter must be duly authorized to represent all partners on behalf of which it submits the project proposal (at least a letter of intent should be signed).

Proposals shall be submitted electronically in English through the Programme Operator’s Electronic Proposal Submission Service (EPSS), available under the following address: https://lsi.ncbr.gov.pl/

The Project Promoter can edit and validate the proposal until the closing date of the call. Only proposals that have been completed fully and correctly may be submitted.

Proposals shall be submitted no later than 16:00 (CET) before the relevant submission deadline. Among the applicants in a proposed partnership, only the Project Promoter (identified by user id and password) is authorised to submit a proposal.

Detailed description of the application form and the instruction on how to submit the proposal are presented in ‘Proposal Manual’. Please be informed that the disclosure of any consultant involved in the preparation of the project application is required.

14. Duration of the IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals

Date of announcement of the IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals – 28 February 2020
The on-line submission system will be available for applicants as of 16 March 2020.
The deadline for submission of proposals is 18 May 2020 16:00 CET 8 June 2020 16:00 CET (extension of the deadline)..

15. Call documents

Documents needed at the stage of issuing funding decision:

c) Sprawozdania finansowe Wnioskodawcy za okres 3 ostatnich lat obrotowych, sporządzone zgodnie z przepisami o rachunkowości / Applicant's financial statements for the last 3 financial years, prepared in accordance with the accounting regulations

albo / or

W przypadku gdy przedsiębiorca nie istniał przez cały rok obrotowy oryginał albo kopia ostatniej deklaracji o wysokości osiągniętego dochodu/poniesionej straty / If the entrepreneur did not exist throughout the financial year, the original or a copy of the last declaration on the amount of income / loss suffered

albo / or

Mandatory for Polish medium and large enterprises applying for State aid

16. Legal acts

• Regulation on the implementation of the European Economic Area (EEA) 2014-2021, hereinafter referred to as ‘Regulation’;
• Regulation on the implementation of the Norwegian Financial Mechanisms 2014-2021;
• Guideline for Research Programmes – rules for the establishment and implementation of programmes falling under the Programme Area “Research”;
• Programme Agreement between the Financial Mechanism Committee and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Investment and Economic Development of the Republic of Poland for the financing of the Programme “Applied Research”;
• Act of 30 April 2010 on the National Centre for Research and Development (Journal of Laws item 1770, 2019);
• Act of 20 July 2018 on the Law of Higher Education and Science (Journal of Laws item 1668, 2018);
• Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 17 September 2010 on the detailed mode of performance of tasks of the National Centre for Research and Development (Journal of Laws No 178 item 1200);
• Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 25 February 2015 on criteria and rules on granting state aid and ‘de minimis’ aid through the National Centre for Research and Development (Journal of Laws item 299, 2015).

17. Question and queries to the Programme Operator

For additional information, please contact:

• Ewelina Wildner - office: +48 22 39 07 123

The following e-mail address should be used when contacting the NCBR on the matters concerning the IdeaLab Call for Full Proposals: idealab@ncbr.gov.pl

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¹ legal entity (person) under its national law, i.e. an entity that is capable of having and amend legal rights and obligations within a certain legal system, such as to enter into contracts, sue, and be sued, excluding natural persons.
² as defined in footnote 1.
³ as defined in footnote 1.
4 Enterprises as defined in the art. 1 of Annex I to Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty (Official Journal of the European Union, L 187,1).

Results of the participants selection of the IdeaLab workshop ‘Cities for the Future: Services and SolutionsWe would like to kindly inform you about the results of the selection of the IdeaLab workshop partcipants. Below you can find:

  

invites to propose candidates for participation in the IdeaLab workshop

‘Cities for the future: services and solutions’

The National Centre for Research and Development invites you to propose candidates for participation in the IdeaLab workshop financed from the European Economic Area and Norwegian Financial Mechanism, which will be held in Otwock, Mazovian Voivodeship (close to Warsaw), Poland from 2 to 6 March 2020. The goal of the workshop is to develop ground-breaking, interdisciplinary research project ideas for services and solutions for the cities in 2040. The IdeaLab workshop is part of the Programme &lsqn and blue city of tuo;Applied Research’ operated by the National Centre for Research and Development under the EEA and Norway Grants, and is prepared in cooperation with the Research Council of Norway.

What is the topic of the IdeaLab workshop?

Cities for the future: services and solutions

The objective of this workshop will be to encourage participants to think outside the box about solutions, services and technologies aimed at organising cities and urban areas as good places to live and work in 2040. The event will provide an unconventional space for experts from a variety of backgrounds to meet and develop new ideas that support cities of the future in addressing unforeseen challenges bound to arise.

Background

Half of humanity – 3.5 billion people – live in cities today and 5 billion people are projected to live in cities in the nearest future. There are numerous challenges awaiting the cities of tomorrow. Cities need to react to: demographic trends, social inequality, climate change, environmental pollution (including air pollution), increasing energy consumption, mobility issues, carbon emissions and many other challenges. In a globalised world the problems of cities have no borders and no nationality. Therefore, the multidisciplinary research solutions for future cities developed by participants from Poland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein will be supported within the Programme.

According to the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the nearest future the cities should become safe, inclusive, sustainable and resilient. How can our cities become smarter in addressing the needs of all citizens?

We believe that some of the challenges of the cities of tomorrow can be addressed by technologies of the future. To secure societal responsible solutions crucial for the future cities, technologies should be developed in interaction with inhabitants and users.

Research challenges

New solutions and services for a better quality of life of inhabitants of urban areas - examples of important perspectives:

• Human interaction with machines

Digital transformation and usage of key enabling technologies can reinforce the transition of cities. Inhabitants and users of the cities of tomorrow will need to use innovative technologies in their daily life and interact with them. How can we ensure that artificial intelligence is safe, user-driven and free from unintended discrimination? How can technologies of the future serve cities of the future?

• Independence from big ICT companies

IT services provided by global corporations (e.g. search engines, clouds, social networks) have become inevitable parts of our life. We can assume that cities of the future will be more and more dependent on ICT technologies (usage of big data, Internet of Things, etc.). What would happen if the global providers of IT services withdrew from Europe? How can we make the cities and inhabitants of the future cities less dependent on global corporations, IT monopolists? How can we ensure the security and safety of the data used by the smart city?

• Encouraging democratic engagement in the future city

The future city needs to be managed together with inhabitants and other stakeholders. How can the tools and solutions support the policy-making in an innovative city? What can be done to include various actors in the decision-making process and address needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and elderly people? How can information and communication solutions and other technologies help in encouraging democratic engagement of the future city?

• Green and blue city of the future

Currently, green buildings or hydroponic farming in cities is a trend. Is there in the city of tomorrow still place for green spaces available and accessible for all? How can we ensure urban biodiversity and sustainability of cities? Can modern tools and technologies help making urban areas greener and more liveable?
Nowadays, water scarcity is a serious problem and it will become even more essential in the future due to rising demand for water and insufficient supply. Cities of tomorrow need to adapt to climate change, such as altered weather-patterns (including droughts or floods). How can cities manage water resources effectively? How can they establish connection and interaction between blue and green assets?

The above-mentioned research challenges are examples of relevant project ideas to be developed in the workshop; they are not obligatory. Participants are also welcome to explore other important perspectives for addressing needs of inhabitants of the future cities.

• Intended results

In the workshop we would like to focus on Polish, Norwegian, Icelandic and/or Liechtenstein cities. Participants can develop ideas for one specific city or focus on more universal solutions for cities from the above-mentioned countries.

Projects ideas which generate new solutions, services, products or processes for the future cities and its inhabitants are very welcome. Projects may include, e.g., research aiming at gaining new knowledge and skills for developing new products, processes or services, prototyping, demonstrating, piloting, testing and validating new products, processes or services. However, as the time frame of the project ideas is 2040, we do not expect that the project outcomes will be ready to use (or commercialised) directly after the project end.

Please note that the project needs to include applied research and/or experimental development. Basic research (e.g. theoretical studies on the subject) may only be a minor part of the project.

Who can apply?

We invite legal entities (public or private entities, commercial or non-commercial as well as non-governmental organisations, including research organisation and enterprises) from Poland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein to propose candidates for the IdeaLab workshop.

Successful candidate should:

• have at least a master’s degree or equivalent;
• be proposed by a legal entity from Poland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein to participate in the workshop;
• is able to effectively communicate in English (similar level to B2 or higher), since the workshop will be held in English (we do not require a certificate);
• be ready to participate in the IdeaLab workshop in Poland for the whole week of 2-6 March 2020.

Additionally she/he should:

• be interested in carrying out an applied research project concerning solutions and services for cities of the future and involving specialists from various fields;
• be prepared to develop and implement a research project with individuals she/he may not know;
• enjoy stepping outside his/her area of expertise or interest, enjoy creative activity, think innovatively, be keen on team work and have good communication skills;
• be interested in the innovative formula of the IdeaLab workshop.

We invite specialists from various fields (e.g. urban planning & governance, ecology, ICT, social science, humanities, technologies and other) to participate in the workshop. The list of areas is open-ended. If your profession is not on the list, but you feel that your knowledge and experience can help to shape cities for the future, you are invited to submit your application!

What is the IdeaLab workshop?

The crucial element of the method is an interactive and intensive 5-day workshop involving approx. 30 participants from a range of disciplines and backgrounds and a team of external experts (mentors and the director) and stakeholders that is organised in order to drive new approaches to address research challenges on a specific topic.

The aim of the workshop is to prepare project pre-proposals by the participants. It should be noted that participation in the IdeaLab workshop does not guarantee the project funding. Research pre-proposals need to be elaborated after the IdeaLab workshop into full proposal and submitted during the call for full proposals in order to apply for funding. The call for full proposals will be opened for all eligible entities¹, however only research ideas developed during the IdeaLab workshop, that receive positive assessment of the Panel of Experts, can undergo successfully the eligibility check. The budget for funding projects in the call for full proposals is EUR 6,651,016. The minimum grant amount is EUR 500,000 and the maximum amount is EUR 6,651,016. NCBR aims to fund 3 to 6 research projects

Who will cover the costs?

The National Centre for Research and Development will cover the cost of the hotel accommodation with breakfasts, lunches and dinners during the workshop. Participation is free of charge for participants, since the workshop is co-financed from the EEA and Norway Grants.
Participants must arrange for financing from their institutions to cover the costs of travel from their country of origin/city of origin to the workshop venue and back.
The National Centre for Research and Development can reimburse the costs of travel and commuting (including the costs incurred from the place of residence and back) for participants selected by the Panel of Experts to take part in the workshop. Detailed information about the reimbursement of the costs of travel will be provided to the workshop participants.

How to apply?

To apply for participation in the IdeaLab workshop, please send:

a) the participant’s application form

b) the participant’s CV in English

c) the participant’s statement

d) the entity’s statement

The participant’s application is submitted only by e-mail to idealab@ncbr.gov.pl. The application deadline - 4 November 2019 to 30 November 2019 at 16.00 CET.

The entity can propose more than one candidate, however to ensure interdisciplinarity of participants applicants from the same institution/faculty/research unit /research team etc. will have lower chances to be selected for the IdeaLab workshop.

Participants will be selected by the international Panel of Experts based on their individual qualifications. Participants shall be selected and informed about the results in February 2020.

For more information please read:

We encourage you to read the training materials from the Info days:

video

Contact person:
The National Centre for Research and Development – Programme Operator

Ms Ewelina Wildner
Phone +48 22 39 07 123
e-mail address: ewelina.wildner@ncbr.gov.pl; idealab@ncbr.gov.pl

The timeframe for answering e-mail queries is 3 working days.

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¹ - Research organisations, as defined in the Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty and as stipulated in the Polish Law on Higher Education and Science and in the Act on the National Centre for Research and Development, established as a legal person in Poland
- Enterprises, as defined in the Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty, established in Poland