EISMEA launches procurement to run Next Generation Innovation Talents scheme, seeks platform, matchmaking and stipend management

Brussels, March 2nd 2023

Summary

›EISMEA published a prior information notice for a contract to operate the Next Generation Innovation Talents scheme.
›The contract covers IT platform development, lean matchmaking, stipend organisation, communications and programme coordination.
›The scheme will offer internships in EIC and EIT supported companies to participants from Horizon Europe programmes.
›Estimated contract value is EUR 4 million and the scheme is expected to cover about 600 internships over two years.

What EISMEA is procuring for the Next Generation Innovation Talents scheme

The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, EISMEA, published a prior information notice in February 2023 to prepare a public procurement for administrative and operational services to run the Next Generation Innovation Talents scheme. The procurement is framed under the EIC Work Programme 2023, Chapter VII 'Other Actions', action 7 'Next Generation Innovation Talents'. The agency expects the resulting contract to support roughly 600 internships over a two year period and has estimated the contract value at EUR 4,000,000 excluding VAT.

Programme aim, eligibility and internship streams

The scheme is designed to place participants into internships with companies supported by the European Innovation Council and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. It targets talent already funded through Horizon Europe instruments and related programmes.

Eligible original funding bodies:Participants will be drawn from programmes such as EIC Pathfinder, the European Research Council, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Horizon Europe Research Infrastructures and the EIT. The notice uses 'original funding bodies' to describe these sources.

Internship streams and durations:The scheme has two main streams. Deep tech talents provides placements of 3 to 6 months for highly specialised work or assistance to senior executives and is explicitly open to PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers. Aspiring innovators offers placements of up to 6 months for broader workplace experience and is open to the wider pool of eligible participants from the listed programmes.

Feature	Detail	Notes
Contracting authority	European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)	Based in Brussels
Estimated contract value	EUR 4,000,000	Value excluding VAT
Expected internships	Approximately 600 over two years	Estimate provided in the planning notice
Eligible applicants	Participants funded by EIC Pathfinder, ERC, MSCA, Research Infrastructures, EIT
Internship types	Deep tech talents and Aspiring innovators	Deep tech aimed at PhD and postdocs
Place of performance	Brussels NUTS code BE100	Administrative base for procurement
Procurement CPV codes	73000000, 79414000, 72000000	R&D services, HR management consultancy, IT services
Contract notice publication estimate	01/04/2023	Date stated in the planning notice

What services the contract must deliver

The procurement divides the contractor's responsibilities into five main categories. Each category includes a set of concrete tasks that EISMEA expects to be included in the tendered offer.

1. Development and management of an IT platform:The contractor must develop and deploy a matchmaking IT platform. That includes hosting, maintenance, user management using EU Login credentials, role based access, logging and analytics. Given the cross border nature of participants and companies the platform will have to comply with EU data protection rules and with the Commission's security requirements.

2. Lean and agile matchmaking services and scheme management:EISMEA anticipates an operational matchmaking service able to match applicants and host companies rapidly using lean methods. The service must handle recruitment flows, short listing, coordination between parties and difficult practical issues that arise when placing researchers and entrepreneurs into small firms.

3. Organisation of stipends:Where relevant the contractor must organise stipends to cover additional costs for interns. That includes administration, payment flows and record keeping. The notice does not specify stipend levels and leaves this to the implementation phase, but cross border payments and tax treatment will be operationally significant.

4. Communication and branding:The contract must cover information campaigns, dissemination and branding for the scheme. Outreach is expected across Horizon Europe networks and to relevant national and regional bodies to attract both interns and host companies.

5. Coordination, reporting and feedback:The contractor must provide regular reporting to the contracting authority and collect feedback on implementation and effectiveness. This implies monitoring and evaluation functions and systems for quality control.

Specific tasks listed in the notice

The notice lists concrete services the contractor must include in proposals. These are development and deployment of a matchmaking IT platform, provision of a lean and agile matchmaking service between interns and companies, organisation of stipends, guidance and support for applicants and companies including handling agreements, follow up on practical issues, organisation of information and dissemination campaigns and regular reporting and feedback to the contracting authority on implementation and effectiveness.

Procurement and administrative details

The planning notice on the Tenders Electronic Daily platform was issued under the legal basis of Directive 2014/24/EU. The main CPV code is 73000000 for research and development services and related consultancy. Additional CPV codes include 79414000 for human resources management consultancy services and 72000000 for IT services including software and support. The notice records the place of performance as Brussels and indicates the contract is not divided into lots.

Context in the EU innovation ecosystem

EISMEA manages the European Innovation Council and other SME and innovation programmes for the European Commission. This contract sits at the intersection of research mobility, talent retention and deep tech commercialisation objectives. The scheme seeks to create pathways for researchers funded under Horizon Europe to gain experience in industry and for companies supported by the EIC and EIT to access specialised talent.

Practical and policy issues to watch

The notice sets out a plausible operational blueprint but leaves many implementation questions open. Key issues for bidders and for policymakers include stipend levels and eligibility rules, data protection and the security of the planned IT platform, legal arrangements around intellectual property and contractual relationships between research institutions and host companies, mechanisms for inclusion of widening regions and the evaluation metrics that will determine whether placements translate into durable benefits for trainees and hosts.

Matching deep tech researchers and startups is challenging:Deep tech placements require careful matching of skills to company needs. Successful internships need clear objectives, supervision and often non trivial legal agreements on IP and confidentiality. Short 3 month placements in particular may be too brief for meaningful project contributions unless scope is tightly defined.

Stipend administration is operationally heavy:Managing cross border stipends involves compliance with tax, social security and employment rules across member states. The contractor will need processes to verify eligibility, make payments and document use of funds in line with audit requirements.

Data protection and platform security:The IT platform will process personal data from multiple countries and categories of users. Tenderers need to demonstrate GDPR compliance and technical measures aligned with Commission security policies, role based access and logging to prevent misuse of applicant data.

Timeline and next steps

The planning notice states an estimated contract notice publication date of 1 April 2023. The notice was dispatched on 21 February 2023. Interested bidders should monitor the EISMEA procurement channels and the EU tenders portal for the formal contract notice and tender documentation.

What this means for potential participants and host companies

For researchers and PhD candidates funded through Horizon Europe instruments this could create short term paid industry placements and potentially boost technology transfer. For EIC and EIT supported companies it offers a channel to access skilled early career researchers and trainees. The effectiveness of the scheme will depend on the quality of matchmaking, the adequacy of stipends and the legal and managerial support provided to small companies hosting interns.

Where to find the original notices and contact details

The planning notice was published on the Tenders Electronic Daily platform under reference 122702-2023 and EISMEA also issued a news item on 2 March 2023. EISMEA contact for procurement is EISMEA-PROCUREMENT@ec.europa.eu. The formal contract notice was expected to appear on or after 1 April 2023.

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