HFDA Academy: New View | Episode 10.| Looking for opportunities: Tenders for the creative industry

In this difficult period, Hungarian fashion and design companies should take the time and pay attention to ongoing, available tenders to apply for, as they can easily find an opportunity which can be a solution to their problems. Tenders allow entrepreneurs to stabilize or develop their business in challenging economic situations, therefore orientation is now more important than ever. However, what kind of tenders can those working in the creative sector apply for at present?

SME Start Innovation Tender

This tender aims to support micro- and small enterprises whose activities involve the process of innovation and by doing so, new markets can be reached. Applications are only valid for enterprises that have not yet received support from the NKFI Fund and/or the GINOP or VEKOP resources. The amount of financial support that can be applied for is a minimum of HUF 10 million and a maximum of HUF 20 million. Hungarian fashion and design companies can apply for the grant with independently implemented innovation projects that are likely to yield good financial results and will pay off.

Market-driven RDI Tender

The call announced jointly by the National Research Development and Innovation Fund (hereinafter: NRDI Fund) and the National Office for Research, Development and Innovation (hereinafter: NRDI Office) aims to improve the competitiveness of enterprises by supporting market-oriented R&D and innovation projects. The criteria for participation is that the projects to be supported by and aimed at the development of a product, technology or service with significant scientific and/or technical novelty content, and it is also expected of the project for the final result to be able to be used commercially. Two sub-programmes have also been listed under the call:

The “A” sub-programme aims to support RDI projects with market potential, implemented by enterprises alone or in a consortium with the involvement of partners, which are likely to pay off. By successfully implementing their RDI projects, companies can lay down the foundation for new business opportunities.

The “B” sub-programme is intended to support RDI projects implemented in a consortium of companies, in which applicants may even involve higher education institutions and research and knowledge transfer organisations as consortium members. The results of financial support will be to help solve important economic and social problems.

The tender information can be viewed on the following link: https://nkfih.gov.hu/palyazoknak/nkfi-alap/piacvezerelt-kfi-projektek-2019-111-piaci-kfi/palyazati-csomag

Startup Factory Tender

The Startup Factory tender aims to provide an opportunity for technology incubators to continue their activities, taking into account the principles set out above, as well as the operational experience of the programme so far. The reason for this can be explained by the huge economic demand needed for boosting the Hungarian startup ecosystem. The economic situation of Hungary continues to justify state interventions affecting startups.

The continuation of the programme will allow for the knowledge and experience accumulated in technology incubators to not be lost, and instead, can even be utilized on the long run. The current call is therefore not intended to support new incubators, but rather to provide resources for incubators that have already been successful in building on co-financed investment activities and existing practices, in line with international practice.

Industrial Property Tender

The industrial property tender aims to support the novelty research, acquisition and maintenance regarding international industrial property rights, as well as the evaluation of intellectual property for the protection of Hungarian and/or international industrial and intellectual property rights. 

This is of paramount importance in the creative industry, as a sophisticated form makes the product appealing to customers. In many cases, the visual appeal of a product will be the deciding factor for a customer choosing between different products.

EIC Accelerator programme

Within the framework of the tender, SMEs can create a product/service that will be competitive and bring financial success on the international market, which is created from innovative developments that already exist at a prototype level. The winning applicants will receive EUR 0.5-2.5 million in development funding and can receive further investment to open to the market. This is a combined solution, as one part is made up of support and the other half is the investment itself. While the support is for prototype development, the investment will allow the product to reach the market.

EUREKA Programme

The EUREKA programme is open to applicants in all areas of technology. The programme’s creators had only one criteria: that the participating professional partners should jointly develop innovative products, services or processes and involve at least one company from another EUREKA member country in the implementation of the project. The domestic tender is expected to be published in May 2020, with a budget of HUF 500 million.

Further information on the already announced tender can be found on the website of the National Office for Research, Development and Innovation: https://nkfih.gov.hu/palyazoknak/palyazatok

A summary of the pro-publication in English is also available in a downloadable form here.