EuroTransBio is an initiative involving ministries and government agencies from various European Union countries and regions, aimed at coordinating funding programmes that support SMEs in the biotechnology sector. To this end, EuroTransBio issues joint calls for transnational research and development projects promoted by businesses.

The Ministry of Economic Development, through a ministerial decree dated 13 October 2016, has allocated 3 million euros for the twelfth ETB call. The call (download here), which has been registered with the Court of Auditors, is currently being published in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic.

The call aims to support experimental development and industrial research projects carried out by Italian companies in collaboration with other European businesses, including the involvement of research and knowledge-dissemination organisations. The support is provided in the form of subsidised loans and grants.

The subsidised loan is granted for a nominal percentage of the total eligible costs, structured according to company size as follows: 60% for SMEs; 50% for large enterprises. The grant is structured as follows: a supplementary grant equal to a nominal 10% of the recognised eligible costs; an additional grant equal to a nominal 5% of the recognised eligible costs, exclusively for SMEs.

Participation is open to consortia consisting of at least 2 companies from at least 2 countries participating in ETB (Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Russian Federation) and coordinated by an SME, which must undertake a significant portion of the activities.

Proposals may be submitted from the day following the publication of the call in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic and until 31 January 2017. By this date, the project proposal (in English) must be sent to the relevant transnational ETB office, and, at the same time, the application for funding (in Italian) must be submitted to the Ministry of Economic Development.

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