Collaborative projects: a lever for innovation

What is a collaborative project?

At least two partners decide to carry out a research and development project or a feasibility study by pooling their resources over a given period. A partnership agreement is put in place to define the governance of the project and the rules of intellectual property - confidentiality, prior knowledge and exploitation of results.

The collaborative project is synonymous with :

Successful cooperation between complementary partners
Sharing of experience, know-how and risks
Pooling of research and development expenses
Opportunity to develop a new activity and to reinforce the visibility of the project actors

The advantages of collaborative projects

Why participate in a collaborative project?

• To accelerate the innovation process within your company,
• To expand your network, to strengthen links with your partners,
• To create real synergies by sharing know-how and resources,
• To access specific expertise and a network of experts who will support your project,

Financial support for collaborative projects

A collaborative project can be a response to a dedicated call for projects and access financial support. Funding agencies may be regional, national or European, and operate specifically according to their priorities and specifications.

Support for the collaborative programme depends on the nature of the projects' activities - basic research, applied research, feasibility studies - and the type of partner - start-up, SME, large company, laboratory, etc. This aid can be provided in the form of grants and/or repayable advances and must have a real leverage effect on the development of the partner(s). Eligible expenses are those incurred for its realisation, i.e. staff time, consumables, travel costs, investments, services if the specifications allow it, etc.

Whatever your size or structure, possibilities will be offered to support the development of your innovations, taking into account your needs. The collaborative project could be a solution that will bring together complementary and motivated actors to respond together to the challenges of the circular economy.