ICAERUS PUSH 2

1) In which part of the Applicants' Guide can I find the precise requirements for the project you mentioned in your previous e-mail ? Also, is it possible for this project to present several themes to which our solution responds, such as : - Surveillance of sensitive sites : such as airports, power stations/nuclear power plants. - Animal monitoring and counting - Plant disease monitoring and detection Or do we only need to respond to one of the topics listed above ?

All necessary requirements to apply to the ICAERUS PUSH 2 Open Call you may find in the Applicants guide and Open Call kit: https://icaerus.eu/open-calls/

As for the multiple problems, It is up to the applicant to decide the scope and the orientation of their proposal. However, according to our experience and to the best of our knowledge, evaluators usually appreciate proposals with concrete and focused objectives and impacts. 

2) Is a VSE (very small enterprise) an SME ?

Dear team,

For exact definition of SME, we are following the guideline of the European Commission, please check here: https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/42921/attachments/1/translations/en/renditions/native

3) Is it possible to make a proposal with several issues? For example : - animal counting - plant disease detection, monitoring crop growth and health - monitoring large industrial sites (airports, nuclear power plants, etc.) These are just some of the issues our drone solution can address. Do these issues fall within the scope of your open call PUSH 2 ?

All necessary requirements to apply to the ICAERUS PUSH 2 Open Call you may find in the Applicants guide and Open Call kit: https://icaerus.eu/open-calls/

As for the multiple problems, it is up to the applicant to decide the scope and the orientation of their proposal. However, according to our experience and to the best of our knowledge, evaluators usually appreciate proposals with concrete and focused objectives and impacts. 

Proposals addressing several challenges are eligible within ICAERUS PUSH 2 Open Call. Please make sure you elaborate on how your business model will address these challenges within the given page limit. In addition, please make sure all suggested challenges are within PUSH 2 scope and addressing rural areas, but also in line with other eligibility criteria.

4) Can you tell me if the ICAERUS PUSH 2 project only concerns problems in rural areas ? Or can we also meet the need for drones in airports and seaports ? Thank you

In case you plan to address other sectors and not agrifood in your proposal, you should explain in your proposal which sector(s) you are addressing and how the proposal addresses the sustainability impact and the multi-actor involvement in the selected sector(s).

5) Is kite-balloon technology eligible for PUSH Open Calls for Innovation Development?

Unfortunately, kite-balloons are not eligible for ICAERUS Open Calls.

6) In part 6.1 (sustainability impact) of the proposal template, it says "sustainability impacts of innovation development in the agri-food sector" and in part 6.4 (multi-actors involvement), it says "the different actors of the agri-food chain". But I don't see the link between agrifood and our ICAERUS Push 2 open call on drone innovation? Could you please explain? What should we indicate in these sections?

Thank you for your email and interest in ICAERUS PUSH 2 Open Call.

In case you plan to address other sectors and not agrifood in your proposal, you should explain in your proposal which sector(s) you are addressing and how the proposal addresses the sustainability impact and the multi-actor involvement in the selected sector(s).

7) 1) In the point 7.1 Deliverables list should we only fill in the column ''Overall cost'', without further explanations of those costs in the space below/above the table? 2) In the point 7.2 Budget and cost justification should we write an explanation/justification for every item in the table in the space below the table? Maybe it's a strange question, but for other points is clearly stated ''Describe'' when we need to write about some topic, but in points 7.1 and 7.2 there are just tables without instructions to write a justification for costs. 3) In the point 7.2 Budget and cost justification in the row ''Personnel cost'' should we put just the salary of people employed full time within the company that would work on this project, or we can also put salaries of people that work in a startup as an additional job? For example, some of cofounders of our startup also work in other companies, but work for our startup as an additional job. Thank you for your help.

For the personnel, you need to calculate the cost of the personnel that would be involved in the project, the ones that will be executing the project. This personnel can be either full-time or part-time (per project) basis as long as they are hired according to your national legislation. 

8) This is to kindly inquire whether participants from the American University of Beirut, registered in Lebanon, are considered eligible to submit a proposal under the upcoming PUSH Open Calls for Innovation Development due May 7, 2024.

Based on the official document of the EU (EU Grants: List of participating countries (HE): V2.9 – 21.03.2024), Lebanon is among the countries eligible for Horizon Europe funding: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/list-3rd-country-participation_horizon-euratom_en.pdf

However, please keep in mind that the proposal will be evaluated on the basis of the added value/ benefits it can bring to European rural areas.

9) What can we do if our solution exceeds the €60,000 budget ?

For ICAERUSH PUSH 2 call, 60,000 EUR is maximum funding amount an applicant can opt for. If applicant wants, the remaining amount could be secured via own funding.

10) So, if the cost of my solution is over €60,000, do I fill in the budget justification table with the total cost as €60,000 (since that's the maximum amount) or do I put in the actual amount (what it's really costing us, even though we'll have to pay the difference) ?

It's important to accurately reflect the actual cost of your solution in the budget justification table. However, if your total cost exceeds €60,000, you should still enter the full amount. Please clarify that while the project's total cost surpasses the funding limit, you're requesting €60,000 from this particular funding source. Providing this transparency ensures clarity for reviewers regarding your budget allocation strategy.