4. Proposal definition and submission

Posted September 11, 2014

4.1 How is a Call organised, how long does it take to start a project?
In CELTIC-NEXT there will be two full proposal calls per year; one in Spring and another in Autumn. Differently to earlier Celtic calls there will be no proposal outline phase anymore in CELTIC-NEXT and all calls will be run in a single phase only. It is expected that this new short-call process will also speed up the launch of newly labelled projects and the time from starting the call to starting a project should be around 6 to 9 months.

4.2 What should be observed when building a consortium?
As for any EUREKA project the minimum requirements for a consortium are at least two different partners from two different countries. Celtic projects, generally, have from 3 to even 23 different partners. Ideally, the number of partners should be limited to a manageable size. The number of different countries should, preferably, not exceed 6 countries as the funding agreements become more complicate with increasing number of countries.
It is also important that strong partners from larger industry, TelCos and SMEs are included. In addition partners from academia or research institutes may complement the consortium.

4.3 How do I find interested experts/ companies for a project?
A very good opportunity is the participation at the CELTIC-NEXT Proposers Day where project ideas will be presented and discussed and first contacts with potential partners may be established. The next Proposers Day is announced on our homepage.
You can also contact the Celtic Office for direct assistance.

4.4 How can I improve the success rate of my proposal?
a) Your objectives have to be in line with the CELTIC-NEXT – Scope and Research Areas 2021/2025; b) Follow the instructions and recommendations given in the Guide for Proposers; c) Take care that your proposal outline provides already a good picture of your intended project. If your ideas become not clear or if your current consortium or project plan appears too weak you may loose the opportunity to be invited for full project proposal; d) Have a good balance of your consortium that complies with EUREKA rules.

4.5 Can I submit a proposal if the consortium is not (yet) complete?
Since all proposals in CELTIC-NEXT are now only full proposals the consortium needs to be fully defined. Open areas where partner still needs to be found bear a significant risk that such a proposal may not be labelled. It may, however, still be possible to modify the consortium after labelling by submitting a project change request.

4.6 What is the typical size and composition of a Celtic project?
As a guideline for composing your proposal the average size and composition of a typical Celtic proposal may be interesting. In case of significant difference it is recommended to check with the Celtic Office first before submitting your proposal.
Typical numbers for Celtic project (as orientation) are:

number of partners: 5-15
number of countries: 3-8 (minimum 2)
total budget: 3 – 15 MEuro
total effort: 20 – 110 PY
duration: 24 – 30 months

4.7 How to assure confidentiality during proposal submission/ definition phase?
It is recommended to settle a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) as soon as possible when discussing a proposal with other (potential) cooperation partners. The NDA should remain valid until a PCA has been signed. In case the proposal fails to be accepted the NDA may remain valid up to a certain duration (e.g. 2-3 years). The NDA has to be defined and agreed with the cooperation partners. Celtic provides a model NDA that could be used as a starting point.

4.8 How are SME (Small-Medium Enterprises) defined ?
An organisation is considered a SME if it meets the following criteria:

< 250 employees
< 50 MEuro annual turnover
< 25% participation of large stakeholder company

The following definition as used by the commission applies also: