The Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) on Tuesday announced a new €6 million funding programme aimed at fostering collaboration between businesses and research organisations across Cyprus.
According to a RIF statement, the ‘Co-Develop’ call seeks to address critical needs in sectors such as information and communication technology (ICT), advanced materials, agri-food, health, and the environment.
The foundation explained that the programme’s primary objective is “to link the research community with industry in the fields of digital technologies, advanced agri-food materials, health, and the environment”.
“It also seeks to exploit existing know-how that will contribute to strengthening the economy’s competitiveness and improving the quality of life in Cyprus,” it added.
The maximum funding available per project is €600,000, with proposals for collaborative research and development being prioritised.
To qualify, projects must be carried out by consortia made up of at least one enterprise and one research organisation.
Additionally, selected organisations will have access to the foundation’s support services and knowledge transfer tools, provided through the Central Knowledge Transfer Office.
This initiative is supported by the Cohesion Policy Programme ‘Thalia 2021-2027’ and the European Regional Development Fund.
Proposals are to be submitted through the foundation’s IRIS platform, with the submission deadline set for November 22 at 13:00.
It should be noted that on Monday, the foundation also launched a €1.2 million pre-seed programme to support Cyprus’ startup ecosystem.
The programme offers up to €119,999 per project for early-stage activities like operational costs, prototype development, and marketing.
Further details and assistance are available from the Foundation’s Partner Service Centre.
