Chamber’s Ireland Weekly Digest: 26th June 2017

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  1. Civil Society Prize 2017

The specific theme is Innovative projects to promote quality employment and entrepreneurship for the future of work. We would like to reward organisations that are addressing this important topic in different ways but with the same general purpose: a better Europe for all. The prize, which has a total value of EUR 50 000 and can be shared among up to five winners, will therefore reward initiatives carried out by civil society organisations and/or individuals, which aim at the labour market integration of newcomers and all the people who are distant from the labour market and require specific support.

Detailed information about the prize, as well as the contest rules – that were updated this year to an even better framework – and the application form, are available on the EESC website at following address: www.eesc.europa.eu/civilsocietyprize<http://www.eesc.europa.eu/civilsocietyprize>

The deadline for entries is 8 September 2017. The awards ceremony will take place on 7 December 2017.

  1. SEAI Smart Lighting Grant

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland is introducing  a new pilot SME support  – Smart Lighting grant scheme. The goal is to support energy efficient lighting that is more sustainable and cost-effective. Switching to energy efficient lighting can save your business up to 90% in annual lighting costs, but SEAI will cover up to 40% of the cost of replacing your existing lighting.

Eligible applicants must be SMEs with less than 50 employees, and be part of one of the following sectors:

  • Fitness Centres
  • Retailers
  • Small Hotels / Large B&Bs
  • Pharmacies
  • Nursing Homes
  • Jewellers

Other sectors will only be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applications must an entire building or facility, including service areas.

For more information and how to apply, please visit SEAI’s website

  1. EU-US Privacy Shield Framework – invitation for applications

This notice announces the opportunity to apply for inclusion on the list of arbitrators developed by the DOC and the European Commission. Under the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and the European Commission have committed to implement an arbitration mechanism to provide European individuals with the ability to invoke binding arbitration to determine, for residual claims, whether an organization has violated its obligations under the Privacy Shield Framework.

The DOC and the European Commission will work together to implement the arbitration mechanism, including by jointly developing a list of at least 20 arbitrators. To be eligible for inclusion on the list, applicants must be admitted to practice law in the United States and have expertise in both U.S. privacy law and EU data protection law. Parties to a binding arbitration under this Privacy Shield mechanism may only select arbitrators from this list.

Deadline for applications is July 14th 2017.

Further information and details about how to apply are available here

  1. European Commission Call for Evaluators/Experts in innovation or investment

European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Carlos Moedas, has launched a call for evaluators with expertise in innovation or investment. Evaluators will be asked to review proposals submitted by SMEs from across the EU for funding to support the development of breakthrough innovations. This is part of the pilot European Innovation Council. In a later stage, evaluators will also interview the applicants and select the top innovators that are to be funded.

From autumn 2017, the EU’s research and innovation programme Horizon 2020 will support innovation projects from innovators, researchers, corporates and SMEs active in any sector or technology as they look to support breakthrough innovations that have the potential to create new markets. The aim is to identify companies and entrepreneurs with the potential and ambition to grow internationally, as part of a pilot European Innovation Council. Applications for EIC funding will need to be evaluated by experts in innovation. And the best SME applicants will be interviewed by a panel of expert evaluators.

The Commission is therefore looking to expand its pool of expert evaluators to include:

  • entrepreneurs who have started up and scaled up innovative enterprises at European or global level;
  • investors (including those affiliated with banks, venture capitalists, business angels, crowd-funders etc.);
  • experts involved in the innovation ecosystem (business schools, universities, innovation hubs, accelerators, etc.).

Register your interest online here