1. Application, cost calculation, submission

What is the following question in the TTX proposal referring to: Have you submitted a TTX proposal to any TETRAMAX open call in the past?"NEW

This question is referring to a TTX to be submitted based on a previous one successfully selected and granted. In that case the third party group may change. If a TTX proposal will be submitted without referring to a granted TTX in the past then, this question cannot be answered.

Is UK still a country eligible for cascade funding and hence, can UK-based organisations still participate in the TETRAMAX open calls?

Yes. As of January 30, 2020 the EC stated the following: For the moment, in our unit, we got the mandate of business as usual.

What are the reimbursement rates?

For non-profit organisations, the reimbursement rate is: 100% For for-profit organisations, the reimbursement rate is: 70%

I am employed at a TETRAMAX consortium member organization. Can I apply for a TTX via open calls though?

No. TETRAMAX consortium member organizations must not apply for a TTX via open calls and cannot become third parties to receive financial support. This would result in a conflict of interest for reasons involving economic interest, political or national affinity, family or emotional ties or any other shared interest. TETRAMAX ensures that the evaluation process is completely independent and that none of the above situations will occur. Entities (e.g. university institutes or departments) directly linked to the TETRAMAX consortium partners and interested in the implementation of a TTX may contact the local principle investigator within the TETRAMAX consortium (e.g. Jari Nurmi being the principal investigator in TETRAMAX representing the Tampere University of Technology).

Can we apply for an entrepreneurial TTX even though the start-up has already been founded?

No. Once a spin-off is already created, one cannot apply for an entrepreneurial TTX anymore. TETRAMAX financially supports activities only to analyse potential business models and markets prior to the formal start-up foundation in the future. Nevertheless, it is possible to start the foundation process during the implementation phase of the entrepreneurial TTX. The need and the benefits of the TTX for the planned spin-off creation needs to be well justified in the TTX proposal.

How do we calculate the TTX budget?

It is highly recommended to calcuate the TTX-related costs carefully because the external evaluators check your work plan and tasks and compare it with the planned man-power and other costs really needed for your experiment. Equipment costs have to be calculated based on your organisation’s depreciation regulations (depreciation rate, period, percentage of the use of the equipment within the TTX). For any questions on the calculation of equipment (depreciation) costs please contact the purchase department of your organisation.
For an entrepreneurial TTX, equipment/consumables are in general not necessarily needed; nevertheless, it may be possible but has to be well explained in the proposal.

Equipment: Who can use it, and what happens with the purchased equipment after the end of the TTX?

The equipment will be used by the organisation that has purchased it and that needs it for the successful implementation of the TTX. The organisation and/or the TTX team decide what to do with the equipment. TETRAMAX does not influence this decision. The equipment remains property of the organisation which purchased it. The organisation solely decides on the use of it. TETRAMAX does not influence this decision.

What do the terms cascade funding, beneficiary, third parties, and financial support mean?

Cascade funding
Financial support to third parties will be provided to legal entities only which are not associated to the TETRAMAX consortium partners.

TETRAMAX beneficiaries
Organisations (=legal entities) fully associated to the consortium of the EU-funded project TETRAMAX (=consortium member organisations = participants in the TETRAMAX consortium).

Third Parties
Third Parties are legal entities and recipients of EU financial support provided by TETRAMAX.

Financial support
One single fixed grant (lump sum) to cover all costs specifically needed for the TTX.

Who will receive the evaluation results and the rejection/acceptance of a TTX proposal?

The applicant of a TTX proposal will receive it by email.

2. Establishment of a TTX partnership

How many partner organisations are needed to form the partnership of a Value Chain Oriented and Interdisciplinary TTX?

The partnership has to consist of three partners based in at least two different EU member states and/or in H2020 associated countries.

• The technology provider has to be a non-profit academic partner (publicly funded: university/polytechnics, academic/applied research organisation).
• The technology receiver has to be a for-profit industry partner (privately funded; preferably SMEs, or other for-profit company (mid-cap, large industry);
• The catalyst is also a for-profit industry partner (for-profit company (mid-cap, large industry), preferably SME);
• In addition, up to three auxiliary partners (from academia or industry) may be included to the TTX consortium in case an interdisciplinary cooperation is required for a successful TTX.

Can I build my TTX partnership with an organisation located outside Europe?

No. Partners involved in a TTX have to be located in an EU member state or in an H2020 associated country. The aim is that they will benefit from Europe’s research and innovation capacity entitled to receive financial support from the European Commission.

I would like to submit a TTX proposal but I don't have enough partners. Can TETRAMAX help me to find suitable partner(s)?

Yes. Visit the TETRAMAX online technology brokerage portal, join TETRAMAX workshops and matchmaking events or directly contact the TETRAMAX Chief Technology Broker Wei Jan Wang by emailing to: weijan.wang@chalmers.se

Can partners based in Switzerland apply for TTX financial support?

Yes. Switzerland is a country associated to Horizon 2020. Legal entities from Associated Countries can participate under the same conditions as legal entities from the EU Member States. The list of associated countries can be found here.

3. Contracts

Is there a contractual agreement foreseen?

Yes. A TTX funding agreement between TETRAMAX and the TTX partners will be concluded and signed. The agreement is provided in the relevant TETRAMAX open call webpage. Note that the rights and obligations contained in this agreement have derived from the TETRAMAX Grant Agreement and Consortium Agreement and hence, are not negotiable.

My Entrepreneurial TTX got selected for financial support. Which parties have to sign the TTX funding agreement?

The applicant is the sole recipient of the TTX financial support. The TTX funding agreement is the contract regulating all TTX-specific cost, funding and reporting issues. Therefore, it will be signed by TETRAMAX and the TTX applicant organisation only.

Note: The applicant may decide to set up and sign a legal agreement between himself and all persons/parties involved in the TTX team (e.g. with the mentor being an individual private person, or coming from another legal entity, etc.). TETRAMAX does not influence this agreement and does not sign it. In that case, TETRAMAX requires a scanned version of it.

How do we deal with IPR?

Regulations of specific Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) within the TTX are in the TTX consortium partners' sole responsibility. The partners intending to collaborate within a TTX are obliged to close a TTX-related legal agreement describing the rights and duties of each partner, in particular clarifying all related IPR at the earliest possible date and no later than 1 month after the TTX start.

How do we design the legal agreement between the TTX partners?

The design of the legal agreement remains completely in the TTX partners’ hands (e.g. structure, contents, length, etc.). TETRAMAX does not influence the design and the contents and does not sign it. TETRAMAX requests a scanned version of the signed agreement to be able to verify the existence.

Are any types of digital/electronical/scanned signatures accepted?

No. TETRAMAX requires originally-signed documents on paper.

Our TTX proposal got selected for financial support. During the formal decision phase and the conclusion of the contract, a TTX partner withdraws the participation in the TTX selected for financial support. Can the TTX applicant replace this partner by another organisation?

No. Formal decision of the financial support is subject to signing the TTX funding agreement. In case a TTX partner refuses to sign this agreement, the TTX proposal will be excluded from financial support. Instead, the first proposal, taken from the list of the top ranked proposals initially rejected, will replace the excluded one.

4. Reporting

How do we have to prepare the TTX final report?

The TTX final report consists of the following:

Publishable TTX abstract results; TTX-related specifications; TTX-related cost report and cost specifications per third party involved in the TTX; Impact indicators’ data. TETRAMAX provides specific templates.

Why do we need to deliver data on a variety of impact indicators after the end of our TTX?

The European Commission (EC) requires measurable and textual data on impact generated by a TTX financially supported with its funding money (societal, economic, and sustainable advancements). The EC is particularly interested in the benefits of its funding in a long-term / sustainable way for SMEs, for strengthening their competitiveness, and for the European market. Therefore, TETRAMAX has to ask all granted TTX for the long-term impact.

5. Financial support

The organization I am employed at has participated in several open calls of different EU projects within the ICT Horizon 2020 programme. Do I have to consider any specific regulations?

Yes. Financial support will not be awarded to individual legal entities that have already received more than €100.000 via open calls (Financial Support to Third Parties = cascading funding) from H2020 I4MS and SAE projects. For clarification, please contact the relevant department in your organisation (e.g. third party funding department).

How much financial support can a TTX partner organisation receive?

• The financial support per TTX partner organisation is limited.
• The parties involved in a TTX need to negotiate the budget breakdown per partner organisation internally, based on the TTX work plan and tasks described in the TTX proposal.
• A TTX partner may participate in and receive financial support via several TETRAMAX open calls and can receive a maximum of €60,000 financial support only. Only for specific follow-up TTX to address a broader market and to fully unleash the desired impact, the total financial support of €60,000 per third party might be exceeded. However, the limit of €100,000 will never be exceeded.

Will the auxiliary partners within a Value Chain applcation experiment also receive financial support?

Yes, they will also receive financial support.

Why are there several payment instalments defined in the TTX funding agreement?

Based on the European Commission’s regulations (EC), third parties receiving financial support from the EC are formally bound to the payments defined within TETRAMAX. It is highly recommended to become aware of the payment regulations during the TTX proposal writing phase.

I have a question that is not addressed in the FAQ. What can I do?

Please send your question to: opencalls@tetramax.eu