Growing Innovation Through a Sustainability Transition (GIST)

Together with lead partner Cleantech Flanders and the municipality of Rotterdam, Clean Tech Delta is partner of the Interreg project GIST. The project aims at reducing the ecological footprint of the process- and manufacturing industry in the border region Netherlands-Flanders. We do this by developing and co-financing FEED-feasibility studies for sustainable innovations which require investments. The aim of these feasibility studies is to bridge the ‘Valley of Death’ for technological innovations, which otherwise would not reach the market due to high development costs and (technological) risks.

 

2018-2020

The project runs from January 1 2018 till December 31 2020. In this period, companies in the proces- and manufacturing industry get five opportunities to hand in proposals for FEED-studies. In every call for proposals a different theme is highlighted such as, resources, energy, water, mobility and circular.

 

Co-financing 25 FEED-feasibility studies.

A lack of knowledge, high start-up costs and uncertain results ensure that innovative clean tech solutions do not scale up and a large potential remains unused. GIST wants to change this by supporting and co-financing feasibility studies for innovative companies.
Are you active in the process and manufacturing industry and are you about to launch an innovative product? It is possible that GIST can support you financially to map the feasibility of your project. You can submit your project application for the last time from 15 January 2020 to 15 March 2020.

Which projects are eligible?
GIST is looking for project proposals that contribute to a low-carbon economy based on innovative technology. Specifically, it concerns technologies or processes that significantly reduce energy or raw material consumption with a high upscaling potential. This is allowed at both industrial and consumer level, with a focus on the proces- and manufacturing industry.

Conditions for project proposals for GIST’s fifth and last call are:

  • Feasibility study in the Dutch provinces of South Holland, Zeeland, Noord-Brabant, Limburg, or the Flemish provinces
  • Study contributes to making the process and manufacturing industry more sustainable
  • Study aims to solve specific knowledge or technical questions in order to assess a business case
  • Project applications are assessed for their potential economic impact, ecological impact, competencies of the project partners, and quality of the project plan
  • The studies regard innovations in the TRL 6-8 phases
  • Size of the project is max. € 80k. 50% of this (€ 40k) can be subsidized through GIST, the rest is cofinanced by the applicant and/or consortium partner
  • The subsidy is 50% of the costs for the external expertise hired to carry out the feasibility study (may be more than 1 external expert)
  • Costs are eligible from the submission of the project proposal (for awarding the grant at your own risk).
  • The budget for this fifth GIST call is € 240k
  • In call four, 40% of the project proposals were approved.
  • Here you will find all documents from the GIST grant, including the format for a project plan
  • Deadline for applications in the fifth and final call is March 15, 2019.

Collaboration between the Netherlands and Flanders

GIST is made possible by financing trough Interreg. Interreg has the goal to make Europe stronger and to reduce economical differences between regions and member states by stimulating collaborative projects. The project is coordinated by VITO/Cleantech Flanders, Clean Tech Delta and the municipality of Rotterdam.

For Clean Tech Delta in specific this project offers a lot of opportunities for the players that are active in the process heavy  industries, often linked to the harbor. But also for companies that face challenges with the change towards using renewable energy and more circularity. Lastly Clean Tech Delta can link challenges with one of the knowledge institutions in our network.

Join the project!

Go to www.cleantechflanders.com for more information on the project, the conditions and coming events. 

 

For any questions regarding the project and how your organization could fit in, please contact Eli Prins: e.prins@cleantechdelta.nl