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EU offers millions for green ideas

The EU is offering €31.6 million to pre-start ups and companies looking to develop green products and technologies.

The forthcoming EU funded Eco Innovation call, which was discussed by UK academics and businesses last week at an information day held by Enterprise Europe Network North East, is open mid-May and forms a part of the EU’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP).

Providing an insight into the sorts of eco friendly projects the Commission will fund, Ewa Bloch, National Contact Point for the call, said ideas could range from recycling old television sets into furniture and flooring, to using CO2 to grow omega-3 rich algae; anything that promoted the uptake of environmental solutions for the prevention and recycling of waste.

Also speaking at the event was 2012 Eco-Innovation award winner, Gary Thompson, Director of C2M UK Ltd, who scored the highest of all applications submitted in Europe for his waste glass recycling project. His enthusiasm for the call and insight into the application process received great reviews from participants and he thanked Enterprise Europe Network North East for their invaluable assistance with the proposal submission.

“The support from Enterprise Europe Network is invaluable to North East SME’s looking for support in projects that will provide environmental impacts as an outcome and show strong innovative ECO solutions.” he said.

His revolutionary product will be launched later this year and is highly anticipated within the sustainable construction industry.

Eco Innovation, which has run since 2008, will fund 50% of project costs for those innovative ideas that can be developed into ‘marketable’ green products and services. The funding, which excludes research costs, gives priority to the following initiatives: materials recycling, sustainable building products, food and drink, water and greening businesses/smart purchasing.

If you have an idea for a project, are considering submitting a proposal or would like find out more details about Eco Innovation please contact Gillian Kears-Fricker (Gillian.kears-fricker@uk-cpi.com) at Enterprise Europe Network North East (www.een-northeast.co.uk) who be happy to discuss Eco Innovation with you in more detail.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Enterprise Europe Network North East .