Since the CIP programme is centrally managed by the European Commission, the Regional administrations are not involved in the management of the CIP as they are for other EU programmes (ex. Structural Funds).

At a regional level, additional information on the CIP and other EU funding opportunities can be obtained from the Enterprise Europe Network which exists in all Member States.

There are also CIP National Contact Points specialized on ICT and on Intelligent Energy Europe Programme.

In addition to the Contact Points, the Intelligent Energy programme has contributed to set up a network of Local and Regional Energy Agencies. These energy agencies support the transition to more sustainable energy systems. They spread management practices, provide information guidance and offer a range of services based on specific local needs.

The IPR Helpdesk is a CIP initiative.

It provides free of charge assistance on Intellectual Property Rights related issues in EU-funded projects.

You can send an email and get personalised advice within 3 working days.

No. The CIP supports innovation related activities.

The research initiatives are covered by the EU 7th Research Framework Programme.

Through the Structural Funds, research activities are supported at national level.

The European Commission does not usually deliver CIP presentations outside Brussels.

As an alternative you can find a CIP PowerPoint presentation and other information materials on the CIP website. Under certain conditions a video-conference can be arranged.

Depending on your CIP area of interest, please contact one of the following addresses to get more information:

• General question/presentation about CIP
• The EIP programme or its specific initiatives
• The ICT-PSP programme
• The IEE programme

The general objectives of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) as described in article 2 of the CIP legal base are the following:

• to foster the competitiveness of enterprises, in particular of SMEs;
• to promote all forms of innovation including eco-innovation;
• to accelerate the development of a sustainable, competitive, innovative and inclusive information society;
• to promote energy efficiency and new and renewable energy sources in all sectors, including transport.

The CIP is composed of three specific programmes which have their own specific objectives:

• the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP)
• the ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT-PSP)
• the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme (IEE)

More information can be found by reading the complete text of the CIP legal base [165 KB]

The CIP supports pilot and market replication projects on the area of eco-innovation and ICT based services.

The objectives of the projects should be to text in real conditions first applications or market replications of techniques, products or practices which have been technically demonstrated with success, but owing to residual risk, have not yet significantly penetrated the market and support to interoperability.

The Commission is advised by a Strategic Advisory Board on Competitiveness and Innovation (STRABO) composed of 20 representatives of industry and business associations, including those representing SMEs, and other experts.

The expertise of its members is related to the sectors and issues addressed by the Framework Programme, including financing, ICT, energy and eco-innovation.

To ensure synergies with the 7th Framework programme on Research (FP7), members of the European Research Area Board (ERAB) are invited to attend to the annual meeting of the STRABO.

The European Commission has set up the Executive Agency for Competitiveness & Innovation (EACI) to manage on its behalf the following EU programmes and initiatives:

• The Marco Polo Programme

Under CIP:

• The Intelligent Energy Europe Programme
• The grants supporting eco-innovation pilots and market replication projects
• The Enterprise Europe Network

You can find more information on the EACI website.

For any details on the budget related to a specific measure, please consult the annual work programme of each CIP programme.

The CIP consists of three specific programmes:

• Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP)
• ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT-PSP)
• Intelligent Energy Europe Programme (IEE)

Each one of these pillars has a separate annual work programme which is managed by the European Commission, assisted by separate committees (consisting of representatives from the Member States).

After receiving a favourable opinion of the respective committee, the work programme needs to be adopted by the European Commission.

After this, the relevant European Commission department(s) will manage the activities as foreseen in the work programme.

In the work programme all activities to be carried during the year are specified. These documents are public and published on the website of the three CIP programmes.

The European Commission sets up the CIP priorities for each year by adopting annually the work programme for each of the three CIP specific programmes.

In addition to these three work programmes, the Commission adopts also every year a group of support measures under the EIP programme.

The work programme and the support measures include all the initiatives to be implemented during the year, as approved by the respective management committees. Potential beneficiaries could know in advance the themes to be supported before the call is published by consulting these documents. Support measures are actions that cover areas such as analysis, studies, conferences and communication. These measures, as stated in Article 25 of Decision 1639/2006, are not covered by the annual work programme and do not involve the procedure referred to in Article 46(2) of the same Decision [Comitology].

If you want to check the work programmes and support measures, please consult the section of Reference documents on this website.

The CIP framework programme runs from 2007 to 2013.

Each of the three CIP pillars has a specific annual work programme and support measures.

By consulting the work programmes and the support measures you can have a clear idea about the actions covered by the CIP every year.

The CIP provides the following kind of support:

• Better access to finance, through the financial instruments
• Services to companies through the centers under the Enterprise Europe Network
• Grants to pilot and market replication projects on the area of ICT or eco-innovation
• Grants for policy makers to networking and exchange best practices on innovation policy
• Support to the elaboration of studies to analyse last trends in different industrial sectors at European or global level, or SME or innovation policies in EU member States.

The calls for proposals are published on the CIP website (news area) and on the web pages of each CIP programmes.

There is no specific deadline for publication of proposals.

Each of the three CIP pillars has a separate work programme. By consulting the three work programmes you can have a clearer idea about the details of the actions covered by the calls for proposals to be published each year.

The website of each CIP programme also host a list of projects funded so far.

Further information on CIP and other EU funding opportunities can be obtained from the Enterprise Europe Network which has its offices in all Member States and certain third countries.

The Enterprise Europe Network provides not only information but also qualified services on:

• internationalisation;
• finding partner organisations abroad;
• technology transfer, etc.

You can find more about it by visiting the nearest Enterprise Europe Network office or simply by going to its website.

Different Commission departments deal with different CIP actions or programmes:

• Within the EIP programme, the financial instruments are managed by DG Economy and Finance (DG ECFIN) and the European Investment Fund (EIF).
  The Enterprise Europe Network is under the responsibility of DG Enterprise and Industry (DG ENTR) and managed by the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI).
  Eco-innovation pilot projects are under the responsibility of DG Environment (DG ENV) and managed by the EACI.
  All other EIP initiatives are managed by DG ENTR.
• The ICT-PSP programme is managed by DG Media and Information Society (DG INFSO)
• The IEE Programme is managed by DG Transport and Energy (DG TREN) and the EACI

The following non-EU-member countries are participating in the three specific CIP programmes:

• Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP): Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Turkey and Serbia fully participate in the EIP; Israel and Albania participate in certain parts.
  Further information can be found on the International affairs website.
• Intelligent Energy Europe Programme (IEE): Norway, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Croatia.
• ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT-PSP): Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Croatia, Montenegro, Turkey and Serbia.

For further information, please contact the CIP Secretariat.

In your country

• Information centers of the Enterprise Europe Network in your region
• National Contact Points on ICT-PSP or Intelligent Energy
• Local and regional Energy Agencies

At the European Commission

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme

E-mail: entr-cip@ec.europa.eu

Postal address:
European Commission
Enterprise & Industry Directorate General
B-1049 Brussels Belgium

Fax: +32 (0)2 299 80 16

ICT Policy Support Programme

E-mail: infso-ict-psp@ec.europa.eu

Postal address:
European Commission
Information Society and Media Directorate General
B-1049 Brussels Belgium

Fax: +32 (0)2 29 61740 or +32 (0)2 29 51071

Intelligent Energy-Europe Programme

Please refer to the IEE website.

IPR Helpdesk

For all questions dealing with intellectual property rights related to a research or innovation project funded by the EU, the IPR Helpdesk would provide you personalised advice.