The Annex to the Commission implementing decision COSME Work Programme 2020 describes the calls for proposal and tenders the European Commission foresees to launch during this year 2020.

Two upcoming Calls for Proposal relevant for Tourism to be published during this Q2 2020:

“Innovation uptake and digitalization in the tourism sector”

Directly targeting tourism (see p. 30 of the Annex)  

Goal: support the digital transformation of tourism entrepreneurs, particularly SMEs and start-ups, and boost innovation along the tourism value chain through the integration of tourism businesses and stakeholders in transnational and inter-regional innovation ecosystems as well as territorial partnerships and cooperation

Actions: provide support to tourism SMEs and start-ups through among others, capacity building, training, coaching, technical assistance, prototyping, business matchmaking, financial advice, awareness raising.

Budget: EUR 8,000,000 Rate of co-financing: 75%

NECSTouR Insights: Information and documentation to be considered while preparing your project proposal:

1. The COSME Work programme was approved in January 2020, prior to the COVID19 outbreak. The goals and actions of this call for proposal proposed in the Annex may remain unchanged, but the scope of the call may be now oriented towards the recovery of the EU tourism businesses through the digital and green transition.

2. The “Digital Age fits for Europe Strategy” aims also at contributing to the EU Green Deal, so even if “sustainability” is not specifically mentioned in the concept of this call, it will still be a priority

3. The European Commission Communication on Tourism and Transport (May 2020) drives the path of the EU priorities on Tourism, building a “Sustainable, innovative and resilient European tourism ecosystem”:

4. The NECSTouR assessment table matching the EC Communication Tourism and Transport (May 2020) priorities and the NECSTouR work programme 2020 provides tips on how to implement some of the Communication proposals at regional level (check the document)

5. The European Commission DG GROW released a study on Digitalisation in Tourism, In-depth analysis of challenges and opportunities” (2018)

6. The Skills Agenda for Europe and the Blueprint for sectoral cooperation on skills in Tourism https://nexttourismgeneration.eu/  set up the European Commission’s priorities on skills.

7. The SDGs will continue to be a priority for the European Commission, as they were before the COVID-19 outbreak, tourism has a key role in ensuring them.

8. The Terms of Reference of this call for proposal may be inspired from the former call for proposal, published last August 2019 by the European Commission on Boosting sustainability in Tourism  thought transnational cooperation and knowledge transfer  , check the summary  (add link) NECSTouR secretariat prepared at that time concerning the scope, consortium, budget, third parties, actions.

NECSTouR Tool: Activate the network! If you have a project idea, you are interested in building a consortium, you are willing to involve NECSTouR members: activate your contacts with the members of the network by using the NECSTouR online project tool!

“Strategic alliances for the uptake of advanced technologies by SMEs”

Being tourism identified as one of the strategic value chains (see p.31 of the Annex)

Advanced technologies are transforming our societies and a range of industries from healthcare, food, robotics, automotive, to transport and tourism. They enable all kinds of innovations for a competitive, but also clean, sustainable, zero-emissions industry.

Goal and Actions: To (1) build strategic alliances for the uptake by SMEs of advanced technologies in different strategic value chains; (2) identify appropriate industrial policy measures at Union, national and regional/local level; and (3) organise large scale promotion activities to support the adoption of advanced technologies by SMEs in particular sectors of the economy.

Budget: EUR 5,000,000 Rate of co-financing: 90%.

NECSTouR insights:

Information and documentation to be considered while preparing your project proposal:

- The first 7 points stated above are equally useful for this call for proposal

- The Digital Age fits for Europe includes a set of  Factsheets, some of them targeting advanced technologies

- The European industrial strategy drives the priorities of the European Union on the digitalization of SMEs

- The digital Innovation Hubs are identified in the  European Commission Communication on Tourism and Transport (May 2020)

- NECSTouR drives the only Tourism  European Smart Specialization Platform on Industrial Modernization “Digitalization and Safety for Tourism”  being at the core of the network’s strategy and having the Tourism of Tomorrow Lab (TOT LAB) as  its key investment project idea.

NECSTouR Tool: Activate the network!  If you have a project idea, you are interested in building a consortium, you are willing to involve NECSTouR members: activate your contacts with the members of the network by using the NECSTouR online project tool!

NECSTouR Secretariat is in close contact with the EC – Tourism unit to enquire further details. We will keep you updated.

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