ICAERUS PULL 1

1) Can a non-for-profit entities apply to PULL 1 Open Call?

As stated in Section 3.2 Eligibility criteria of PULL 1 Applicants Guide, ICAERUS PULL 1 Open Call is aimed at (but not limited to) European agri-food producers, environmental monitoring entities and rural communities/cooperatives.

Based on this, your non-for-profit association is eligible for applying as long as you fulfill all the other requirements of the ICAERUS PULL 1 Open Call.

2) Can a single SME submit two applications for the PULL open call? I would like to clarify the funding model, specifically whether it is fully funded (100%) or if the companies are required to cover a portion of the costs.

According to the Section 3.2 Eligibility criteria of the ICAERUS PULL 1 Applicants guide (page 9):

Only one proposal per applicant can be selected for funding. SMEs that receive funding within one Open Call are not eligible to apply for additional funding in other ICAERUS Open Calls. In case an applicant submits more than one proposal and both (all) of them are shortlisted for funding, only the one with the highest score could be selected.

However, if multiple versions of the same application are submitted, only the last version will be evaluated.

With respect to the funding model, the whole requested budget (within limits set in the ICAERUS PULL 1 Open Call Kit) is fully covered by the ICAERUS Open Call, so there is no need for co-funding. However, the additional commitment of own funds (or other funds, public or private) is a positive signal of the commitment of the applicant towards the sustainability of project results and it will be assessed by evaluators.

3) In case an SME belongs to a group of companies owned by a mother company, are we still able to apply to PULL Open Call?

For the ICAERUS PULL 1 Open Call SMEs are eligible to apply, if they are in compliance with the Commission's recommendation concerning the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/79c0ce87-f4dc-11e6-8a35-01aa75ed71a1), regardless of the fact whether they are autonomous, partner or linked enterprises.

4) Are entities from Hungary, not affected by the EC directive, eligible to apply?

ICAERUS project follows the EC directive in its full capacity. As stated in the following link and FAQ (https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/faq/21511;type=0,1;categories=;tenders=;programme=null;keyword=;freeTextSearchKeyword=Hungarian%20university;matchWholeText=true;period=null;status=0;sortQuery=relevance;orderBy=desc;faqListKey=faqSearchTablePageState): Important to note that only public interest trusts established on the basis of the Hungarian Act IX of 2021 and entities maintained by them are concerned by the Council measures.

Based on this, if you do not follow under the affected public entities, you are eligible to apply.

5) We are a limited company established in the UK, but do not need to be VAT registered. Can we apply without having a VAT number?

Although having a valid VAT number is mandatory for applying, we are aware that in some cases and countries start-ups are exempted from VAT.

In this case, in order to secure that your application meets all mandatory requirements, we would kindly ask you to provide the following documents in order to prove the legal existence of your start-up:

1. An official document for proof of VAT registration exemption
2. An official document with your national registration number (e.g. from the business registry) 

Please merge these documents with the Declaration of conducting business and upload them as a single pdf document in the field dedicated to the Declaration of conducting business.

6) Can Latin American countries participate in the call?

In case a country from Latin America is eligible to apply to Horizon Europe programme, full list can be found on the following link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/list-3rd-country-participation_horizon-euratom_en.pdf, it is eligible to apply to the ICAERUS Open Call. However, please keep in mind that the proposal will be evaluated on the basis of the benefits it can bring about to European rural areas.