View this email in your browser (https://mailchi.mp/insme.org/insme_newsletter_issue195_2021?e=2d8317fc53) ** ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Issue n. 195 ------------------------------------------------------------ News from INSME The new INSMEAcademy programme Building Entrepreneurial Ecosystems will launch on March 30th (https://www.insme.org/the-new-insmeacademy-programme-building-entrepreneuria...) Join the free webinar of the INSMEAcademy, on Tuesday March 30th at 2 PM CEST: Transforming Emerging Markets through Entrepreneurship New member in the INSME family: welcome onboard to the Lebanese Development Network- LDN (https://www.insme.org/new-member-in-the-insme-family-welcome-onboard-to-the-...) Since 2008, LDN works in the education, culture, economy, social and health fields in Lebanon, promoting new paradigms for SMEs and Social Entrepreneurship in collaboration with both the public and private sector. Welcome to INSME! XPRESS Project: promoting Green Public Procurement and a better involvement of SMEs in the UK (https://www.insme.org/xpress-project-promoting-green-public-procurement-and-...) INSME hosted on March 23rd the first Stakeholder Café, aimed at promoting dialogue between SMEs and public authorities in the renewable energy and green public procurement (GPP), promoting GPP and for lowering its barriers in the UK. INSME’s best practice: the public private partnership boosting Morocco’s international trade (https://www.insme.org/insmes-best-practice-the-public-private-partnership-bo...) INSME will hold in mid April the 4th Policy Lab, aimed at sharing experience on innovation in the Mediterranean area. Morocco’s foreign trade will be at the centre of the next discussion, as it will analyse PortNet: a national single-window platform for all Morocco’s trade actors. Updates and contributions from INSME Network https://tojoypodcast.buzzsprout.com/951613/7237135-business-development-of-e... Business development for European companies to China: a ToJoy podcast (https://www.insme.org/tojoy-podcast-business-development-of-european-compani...) Listen to the podcast TOJOY has released focusing on European and Chinese companies that want to develop their business together in China. ISPIM Annual Innovation Conference: join the event! (https://www.insme.org/ispim-annual-innovation-conference-join-the-event/) ISPIM will hold its Annual Innovation Conference on the 20th of June in Berlin. The event is set to revolve around two main topics: Entrepreneurship and innovation in start-ups and SMEs, and Impact measurements and sustainability assessment of start-ups. ============================================================ EU Project Spotlight ** A new strategy for funding the SME innovation – The EIC accelerator blended finance (https://www.insme.org/a-new-strategy-for-funding-the-sme-innovation-the-eic-...) The European Innovation Council (EIC) programme has been launched by the European Commission. A changing functioning approach which will provide blended finance, in order to tackle more effectively and encouragingly the challenges of innovation. Contents of the month ** The Financial Ombudsman Service: Australian Government appoints Bruce Billson, former Minister for SME, as new Ombudsman for SMEs (https://www.insme.org/the-financial-ombudsman-service-australian-government-...) Hon. Bruce Billson, has been appointed Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, a servicecreated to resolve disputes between the users of financial products and services and their providers. ** Horizon Europe’s first strategic plan 2021-2024: Commission sets research and innovation priorities for a sustainable future (https://www.insme.org/horizon-europes-first-strategic-plan-2021-2024-commiss...) The plan aims at empowering research and innovation in Europe, setting up orientations for meeting the most relevant EU priorities and it is going to be implemented through the Horizon Europe work programme. Calls and opportunities GenerationS Corporate Accellerator in cooperation with Sibur Submission deadline: 23 April 2021 Open to: Russian and foreign startups ** GenerationS, (https://en.generation-startup.ru/) INSME member, joins forces with the petrochemical company ** Sibur (https://www.sibur.ru/) for promoting the Company’s global digital transformation program. Applications should focus on internal processes automation and digital solution for employees’ daily activities, corporate education, and HR. Find all the information ** here (https://en.generation-startup.ru/media-center/news/59709/) . EUREKA Clusters AI Call 2021 Call opening: 1 March 2021 Submission deadline: 28 June 2021 Participating Eureka Clusters: CELTIC-NEXT, EUROGIA, ITEA, PENTA–EURIPIDES, and SMART Open to: Large enterprises, SMEs, Research & Technology Organisations (RTOs), and Academia More information available ** here (https://eureka-clusters-ai.eu/) . EU Call for Expression of Interest - Funding & Tenders Portal Expert Database 2021-2027 Call opening: 22 March 2021 Submission deadline: 31 December 2027 You can find more information ** here (https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/exper...) . Applications Open for the 2021 APEC Healthy Women Research Prize Issued by the Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy Washington D.C, United States, 3 March 2021 To submit your application form, ** click here (https://apec.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=659cda5df05da94188f4acaae&id=59e4149bd1&e=b9ad6cc895) . The deadline to submit applications is 31 May 2020. For more information, please visit the ** APEC Healthy Women, Healthy Economies (https://apec.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=659cda5df05da94188f4acaae&id=fc0326c8f1&e=b9ad6cc895) website or contact ** HWHE@crowell.com (mailto:HWHE@crowell.com) with any questions. Upcoming events Given the current situation, events' dates may vary. We invite you to check the dedicated websites. 1 April 2021 – Online Event CEI, Central European Initiative - ** Shaping the innovation ecosystem for the Bioeconomy (https://www.cei.int/events/celebio-webinar-shaping-the-innovation-ecosystem-...) 6-7 April 2021 – Online Event WEF, World Economic Forum - ** Global Technology Governance Summit (https://www.weforum.org/events/global-technology-governance-summit-2021/) 15 April 2021 – Online Event EC, European Commission - ** Self-assessment tool for the future of smart specialisation strategies (https://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/-/smart-specialisation-for-the-recovery-...) 20 April 2021 – Online Event ISBE, Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship - ** Women’s Enterprise policy (https://isbe.org.uk/womens_entrepreneurship/) 20 April 2021 – Online Event ADB, Asian Development Bank - ** Webinar on Creative Economy for Sustainable Development: Potential, Challenges, and Ways Forward (https://www.adb.org/news/events/creative-economy-sustainable-development) 21 April 2021 – Online Event EBAN, European Business Angel Network - ** GALACTICA – How to convert bright ideas into business. The role of co-creation methodologies and open innovation experiences (https://www.eban.org/event/galactica-how-to-convert-bright-ideas-into-busine...) 26 April 2021 – Online Event WIPO, World Intellectual Property Organization - ** World Intellectual Property day: IP & SMEs - Taking your ideas to market (https://www.wipo.int/ip-outreach/en/ipday/) 17 June 2021 – Online Event EPO, European Patent Office - ** European Inventor Award 2021 (https://www.epo.org/news-events/news/2021/20210311.html#:~:textThe%20Europea...) 18-19 June 2021 – Online Event EBAN, European Business Angel Network - ** 2021 Annual Congress (https://ebancongress.com/) 27 June 2021 – Online Event UN, United Nations - ** Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day (https://www.un.org/en/observances/micro-small-medium-businesses-day#:~:text=....) 28-30 September 2021 – Online Event IASP, IASP - International Association of Science Parks - ** 2021 38th IASP World Conference on Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (https://www.iasp.ws/activities/events/events-overview---old/38th-iasp-world-...) 28 October 2021 – Valencia Spain EURADA, European Association of Development Agencies - ** Agorada+2021: Sustainable Innovation Funding (https://www.eurada.org/events/calendar/default-title?tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=22&cHash=b3d8c6c7608737aa9faae8d51b5d79eb) ** Website (http://www.insme.org) ** Twitter (https://twitter.com/INSME_) ** Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/INSME-The-International-Network-for-Small-and-Mediu...) ** LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/insme---the-international-network-for-small...) 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