4. Eligibility to participate
Eligibility to participate
Nations eligible to participate
Make-up of the consortium
Exceptions and special features
Eligibility to participate
Every legal person with legal independence, and in exceptional cases natural persons, can take part in FP7.
Institutions eligible to participate are the following:
- Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences (formerly known as technical colleges or “Fachhochschulen“)
- Non-university research institutions
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)*
- Enterprises with aspirations for innovation (from industry, trade, etc.)
- Public institutions such as departments and official offices
- Consultation installations etc.
* SME-Definition of the EU:
Max. 250 employees and less than 50m euro annual revenue. At the same time, the SME may not have ownership of more than 25% in a non-SME.
Nations eligible to participate
- 27 EU member nations and associated nations (e.g. Israel, Liechtenstein etc.)
- Countries with accession-candidate status (Croatia, Turkey)
- EFTA-countries* (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland)
- Third nations: International Cooperation Partner Countries of the EU (ICPC-countries)*, including western Balkan countries, Mediterranean countries, eastern-European and central-Asian countries, African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and Latin-American countries
Further third countries only …
- …in case it is necessary for the success of the project, and justifiable
- …in case it is defined in the context of an R&D cooperation agreement
- … in case it is specially designated in the context of a Call
- …otherwise participation is only possible without financial funding (e.g. valid for Canada and the US)
* EFTA: European Free Trade Association
* ICPC-Staaten: International Cooperation Partner Countries
Make-up of the consortium
A consortium is typically made up of at least three different, legal persons (i.e. entities) together who are independent of one another (cooperation projects, excellence networks, coordination actions). The partners have to come from three separate EU member countries or associated countries (third countries do not count as a minimum partner). Own regulations are valid for projects from the specific programmes “Ideas” and “People”.
„Ideas“ and „people“.
Exceptions and special features
- In the programme “Ideas” of the ERC, individual persons and individual teams are eligible to apply.
- For support actions, individual applicants are (in part) also capable of receiving funding
- Marie-Curie-actions in the programme “People” (special arrangement)
- Special determinations pursuant definition in the respective work-programme (e.g. number and nature of the facilities, region, etc.) such as with the INCO Projects*
* INCO: International Cooperation
