Objectives of this activity are:

• Increase the synergies among network partners through the provision of integrated services,
• Maintain and continually improve the access, proximity, quality and professionalism of the integrated services provided by the network,
• Raise awareness — in particular among SMEs — regarding Community policy issues and the services offered by the network,
• Consult businesses and obtain their opinions on Community policy options,
• Ensure that the network offers complementarities with other relevant services providers,
• Reduce the administrative burden for all parties.

Therefore the following services should be implemented:

• Information, feedback, business co-operation and internationalisation services,
• Services for innovation and for the transfer of both technology and knowledge,
• Services encouraging the participation of SMEs in the Community framework programme for RTD.

The Commission will provide a co-financing of up to 60% of eligible costs.

Applicants should provide in their proposal a detailed description of coherent,
accessible and integrated services to be offered within a clearly delimited geographical area. The geographical area covered by the proposal should therefore be sufficiently large to demonstrate that quality services will be provided to a significant target population.
For most countries, it is expected that the typical size of geographical area will more or less correspond to the NUTS1 nomenclature. Applying consortia may assign the responsibility for serving smaller areas within these geographical areas to particular host organisations within a consortium (NUTS2).
Where the NUTS1 level does not correspond to domestic structures, alternative geographical area of comparable size may be considered.

The Commission seeks a complete geographical coverage of these services, without duplication of activities in any geographic area.

This call is also open to Third countries (except for Armenia, Chile, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Israel, Norway, Switzerland, and the following regions in Turkey: Istanbul, Bati Marmara, EGE, Bati Anadolu, Orta Anadolu, Kuzydogu Anadolu - because there were already proposals submitted for these areas in the first call).

Applicants must be legal entities established in EU 27, Candidate countries, EEA member countries, the Western Balkan countries and other Third countries as defined in Article 4 of the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme and explained in V.1 of the Submission set.

Scheduled start date for the action: January 2008.

Call text and Proposal submission set
are available from /doc/693.html.

The submission set can be downloaded from the CIP call website
/link/2323.html.