Brussels to fund €35m worth of green projects


13 Apr 2010

The European Commission has today announced a €35m call for eco-innovation projects, with priority given to SMEs, in the area of materials recycling, sustainable building products, the food and drink sector and green business practices.

The commission said that applications under the 2010 CIP Eco-innovation call are addressed particularly to SMEs that have developed a green product, process or service that is technically proven but is still struggling to find its place in the market.

The call offers direct co-financing with grants that cover up to 50pc of the total project cost.

Projects will be selected on the basis of their innovative approach, their market-replication potential and their contribution to European environmental policies, especially in terms of resource efficiency.

Some 44 projects are currently running under the scheme, and another 45 are set to launch in the course of this year. Some examples include converting used tyres into valuable insulation materials; using bamboo plantations to purify ‘grey’ water (water that has been used for household washing and bathing); and replacing conventional paper labels with innovative laser technologies.

The call opens today and runs until 9 September 2010. Some 50 projects could end up being chosen for funding, the commission said.

“This call for innovative projects is a tremendous opportunity for Europe’s entrepreneurial talent to showcase new ideas to reduce our ecological footprint. The CIP Eco-Innovation programme shows that helping the environment makes good business sense, with numerous products and services now demonstrating how competitive growth and environmental protection can go hand in hand,” said Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for the Environment.

All relevant call documentation can be found online.

Photo: Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for the Environment

Article courtesy of Businessandleadership.com

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