Are you preparing your ECDI Open Call application?
To support applicants in preparing strong and compliant proposals, the European Cluster for Drone Innovation (ECDI) has published a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions.
The FAQ provides clarifications on key aspects of the Programme, including:
We strongly encourage all interested SMEs and start-ups to carefully review the FAQ before submitting their application. Addressing common questions in advance will help avoid errors and ensure that proposals fully meet the Programme’s expectations.
The FAQ will be updated when necessary to reflect additional clarifications.
A. Eligibility
1. Is my company eligible if we are a start-up or a young SME?
• Yes, it is.
2. Which countries are eligible?
• EU Member States
• Countries participating in the EU Single Market Programme/COSME Strand:
Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, Türkiye, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Ukraine.
3. Are service providers or software-only companies eligible?
• Not for this call, however in a future call in 2027, you’ll have the possibility,
let’s keep you updated.
• What can be eligible are onboard systems integrated into the drone and
necessary for its operation.
4. Is a prototype required, or can I apply with a concept?
• A prototype is mandatory.
5. What does TRL 6 mean in practice for this call?
• TRL 6 means that your technology was demonstrated in relevant environment
(industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)
and you need to at least reach TRL 7 after the 6-months period of the
programme which means that your system prototype is demonstrated in
operational environment.
6. Can I apply if my product is focused mainly on civil applications?
• Yes, you can, if a part only of your product is focused on defence that’s okay,
however you must demonstrate it.
7. Is internationalisation mandatory to participate in the Programme?
• No, it’s not. You will need to choose and justify if you want it during the
application process.
8. Can my company apply if we are part of a group or have shareholders?
• If you are part of a group, no you cannot participate. If you have shareholders
below 25% of shares, you can participate but otherwise no you cannot.
9. Can we apply if we temporarily exceed SME financial thresholds during the
Programme?
• The financial threshold is set at the application stage, if changes occur during
the 6-months period after the contract signature, there is no incidence on your
participation.
B. Application & platform
1. Can I save my application and come back to it later?
• Yes, you can, please think of saving it at each change.
2. Can I edit my application after submission?
• No, you cannot, or at least do it yourselves. Pending 2 working days before the
deadline (cut-off 1 or cut-off 2), you need to ask the team to re-open your
application. After these dates, you will not be able to do so.
3. What happens if I submit my application close to the deadline?
• If you are still within the timeframe there should be no issue. The team will be
available if problems to help you submit (outside of re-opening your
submission).
4. Can I withdraw my application after submission?
• Yes, you can.
5. What documents must be uploaded on the platform?
• Declaration of Honour,
• SME self-assessment,
• Ethics Questionnaire,
• The Declaration of Honour and the Ethics Questionnaire are present in the
Application part called “Annexes Templates”. The SME self-assessment needs
to be filled in the European Commission Platform, the link is available in the
Application Form.
6. Can we submit more than one application?
• No, you cannot.
C. Funding & budget
1. What is the maximum amount of financial support per SME?
• EUR 50.000 maximum.
2. Is co-funding required?
• Yes, it is. A minimum of 20% of the budget must be co-funded. It can be your
own financial resources, but your personnel costs cannot be used as co
funding.
3. Which costs are eligible under the Programme?
• External services and procurement (e.g. testing, certification, consulting,
specialised technical services),
• Equipment, components and consumables,
• Personnel costs of staff directly involved in the project,
• Prototype development, pilot testing and validation activities,
• Travel costs, only when directly linked to approved internationalisation
activities.
4. Is subcontracting allowed? If yes, under which conditions?
• Yes, it is. However, it is capped to 10% of the total project budget, subject to
justification and approval.
5. Are travel costs eligible?
• Yes, they are.
6. Can we modify the budget during the Programme?
• It’s a case by case question. Amendments are feasible in theory but need to be
discussed and validated by the entire consortium of the project.
D. Programme content & support
1. What is the difference between mentorship, tailored services and training?
• Mentorship is a monthly follow-up be a designated Consortium Member to
help you implement your Innovation Plan.
• Tailored Services are services free-of-charge delivered by the Consortium
Members that can relate and help solve problematics you have in your
company (technology, up-to-market, innovation etc).
• Trainings are learning sessions for anyone in your company that wish to gain
knowledge on specific themes (that will be defined and explained during the
implementation).
2. Who are the mentors and consortium experts?
• They are staff members or affiliated experts from the consortium organisations
and bring proven expertise in drone technologies, innovation, regulation,
business development and market access.
3. Are all services mandatory?
• No, they aren’t. The exact list is provided in the Guide for Applicants.
4. How will the Innovation Plan be used during the Programme?
• The Innovation Plan is your project that you will implement during the
Programme. The Programme is all that is outside of your plan to improve your
product.
5. How long does the Programme last?
• It has a 6-months duration.
6. Is participation in international activities mandatory?
• As said above, not it is not.
E. Evaluation & selection
1. How are applications evaluated?
• They are evaluated by two people based on the following criteria: Excellence
and Innovation, Impact and Quality and Implementation.
2. Is there a minimum score to be selected?
• Yes, there is. Your application must achieve a minimum overall score of 50
points out of 100, and score at least: criterion 1- 16/30, criterion 2 - 16/30 and
criterion 3 - 21/40.
3. What happens if my application is not selected at the first cut-off?
• If you achieve the minimum overall score of 50 points out of 100, you will
have two options: you can integrate the reserve list and then be re-integrated in
the selection process in the 2nd cut-off, or you can re-apply to this 2nd cut-off if
you want to make some changes and improve your application based on the
feedback given.
• If you are eligible and don’t achieve the overall score and want to re-apply,
you have to re-submit your application for the second cut-off, provided that the
application is updated and improved based on the feedback received.
4. Is feedback provided to non-selected applicants?
• Yes, unsuccessful applicants will receive feedback on the strengths and
weaknesses of their application.
5. How many SMEs will be selected per cut-off?
• Around 13 SMEs will be selected during the 1st cut-off, and around 12 during
the 2nd cut-off. Depending on the quality of the applications the consortium
may decide to select more applications than foreseen for the first cut-off of the
Open Call.
F. Legal & IP
1. Who retains the intellectual property of the developed results?
• Intellectual property generated in the framework of the Programme remains
with the SME, in line with applicable EU rules and contractual conditions.
Participation in the Programme does not imply any transfer of ownership of
foreground intellectual property to the consortium.
2. Will my application be treated confidentially?
• Yes, the evaluators will be required to comply with confidentiality and conflict
of interest rules.
3. Can we apply if we are involved in another EU-funded project?
• Double-funding is not allowed. You can’t apply if another project funds the
same expenses and the same technology as the Programme.
This project has received funding from the European Union's Single Market Programme (call: SMP-COSME-2024-CLUSTER-01) under Grant Agreement no. 101236201.
This project is implemented under the Euroclusters programme and complies with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR). Any personal data collected within the framework of the project are processed solely for the purposes of project implementation, communication, dissemination activities and reporting to the European Commission. The project coordinator acts as the data controller. Personal data are processed lawfully, fairly and transparently, and are protected by appropriate technical and organisational measures. Personal data will not be shared with third parties outside the project consortium, unless required by law or by the funding authority. Data subjects have the right to access, rectify or erase their personal data in accordance with GDPR.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.