LEVIATAD project - Second open call "Supporting the innovation and internationalisation of European small and medium-sized enterprises in the defence sector"
Basic information about the call
Following the activities carried out during the implementation phase of the project, such as the mapping of the ecosystems, reporting on SMEs needs and opportunities, LEVIATAD has identified specific investment priorities:
- autonomous ships and drones
- communication, cybersecurity and electronic warfare
- on-board equipment: development, performance improvement
- predictive maintenance
- weapon systems improvement
- decarbonization of ships
The general objective of the call for proposals is to financially support small scale projects involving SMEs and start-ups who can contribute to the abovementioned key areas. LEVIATAD’s second open call will select projects concurrently with the availability of funds. The total available budget is € 469.721,52, with a maximum grant amounting to €20.000 per project.
Here you can read the full text of the call.
Target companies
The call is dedicated to European small and medium-sized enterprises as defined in art. 2 of Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003 – C(2003) 1422, including start-ups operating as an enterprise for five years or less (registered before 01/01/2024). Eligible enterprises must be an existing member of an international or national organization (cluster, platform, chamber of commerce, guild or similar) that promotes naval and aero-naval defence industry as well as its value chains, and must be registered in one of the following countries:
- (EU-27): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
Main requirements for applicants
Other than the abovementioned requirements, applicants shall fulfil the following conditions:
- being not considered an undertaking in difficulty
- having a turnover from economic activity equal to the requested grant or higher
- having at least one person employed
- compiling the application in English
- submitting the application using the official documents and channels only
- completing the application in its entirety and with all requested annexes
- submitting only one project per enterprise
- including a mention to the Digital and sustainable innovation and digitalization plan
- respecting the call’s priorities
- requesting a grant above €10.000 and not exceeding €20.000
- developing a proposal which includes at least two project activities
Further requirements and details concerning the abovementioned conditions are laid down in the extended text of the call.
Objectives, investment priorities, eligible activities and financial support
The present call is intended to support innovation and internationalization activities as well as twin transition (green and digital transition) of SMEs. This call will finance projects that contribute to the following objectives:
- fostering innovation as well as green and digital transition of SMEs (innovation)
- increasing presence of European SMEs in the international value chains (internationalization)
Project applications and their outputs must fall into one (or more) of the priorities of the naval, aero-naval and defense sector listed above. To better understand the nature of the activities concerning each priority, please refer to the extended text of the call.
Project applications must be in line with the objectives of LEVIATAD’s call as well as its investment priorities.
Each project can address one or both objectives. In the latter case, applicants must undertake activities that will enable the submitted project to remain within the indicated funding limits.
The Application form shall indicate the project activities and must deliver a clear costs breakdown. Applicants can design their project with as many activities they need up to the maximum amount of €20.000, taking into consideration the financial thresholds and project activity timespan listed in the table below. The details concerning each project activity can be read in the extended text of the call.
Note: Each project application must have at least two project activities.
Objective 1: Fostering innovation, green and digital transition
- innovation activities leading to new products and/or services (€9.000)
- green and digital activities (€6.000)
- promoting innovation by integrating mature technologies (€5.000)
Objective 2: Internationalization
- market analysis (€5.000)
- access to finance and partnerships, consultancy to building consortium agreements; IPR protection, etc. (€5.000)
- visit to targeted market outside the country of origin (€10.000)
Project’s activities not included in the list above will not be considered eligible for financing.
The sums granted by the call for proposals cannot be combined, for the same investment expenses and costs, with measures deriving from other Euroclusters projects. More generally, expenses and costs foreseen in the project cannot be subject to double financing.
Project’s implementation period begins with the formal communication of awarding by the Consortium via the official e-mail address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; in any case, projects' activities must be completed no later than January 9th, 2025.
How to apply to LEVIATAD’s call for proposals
To apply to LEVIATAD’s call, download the "Application pack" or visit the project’s official webpage at https://www.navigotoscana.it/leviatad/.
The call is furtherly published in the Funding and Tenders Portal (SEDIA), and it is also available through the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP), the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), and LEVIATAD project’s members own websites.
Only proposals submitted to the official email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., containing all the mandatory documents and filed within the deadline will be accepted.
Mandatory documents contained in the Application pack are:
- Application form
- Annex I (Costs breakdown)
- Annex II (Declaration of Honour)
LEVIATAD’s call will be active from June 7th, 2024, until August 8th ,2024, @ 23.59 CET.
Upon receipt of each proposal, the applicant will receive a confirmation of submission to the email address communicated in the application form.
The results of the LEVIATAD call, including a description of SMEs actions, the date of the award, project’s duration, and final recipient’s legal names and countries will be published on LEVIATAD’s official web page https://www.navigotoscana.it/leviatad/ as well as on Euroclusters websites.
Evaluation of the proposals
Project applications will be assessed by the Evaluation Review Panel (ERP), composed of reviewers/evaluators from Consortium members. A three-step evaluation procedure will be followed, safeguarding the principles of transparency, conflict of interest and equal treatment as described below:
- eligibility check of the applicant;
- qualitative assessment of project proposals;
- evaluator consensus on the general outcomes of qualitative assessment of project proposals.
The assessment period shall take a maximum of 30 days starting from the closing date of the call. The applicant will receive an email attesting the outcome of the assessment once the evaluation procedure is finalized, together with the instructions for the next steps in case the applicant is awarded. Top ranked proposals will be granted until the budget for the respective support is exhausted.
Main evaluation criteria
The evaluation process is based on a set of criteria as indicated in the table below, and it is subsequent to the verification of applicants’ eligibility criteria and projects. For a full comprehension and details concerning evaluation criteria please see the extended text of the call.
Evaluation criteria |
Max. score |
Innovativeness of the project |
15 |
Green transition |
10 |
Digital transition and digitalization |
10 |
Internationalization |
15 |
Impact on LEVIATAD objectives and value chain formation in Europe |
20 |
Relevance to naval, aero-naval and Defense sector |
10 |
Maximum points to be awarded |
80 |
Evaluation scores will be awarded based on the criteria mentioned above. The maximum scores for each evaluation criterium is indicated in the last column of the table. The overall threshold, applying to the sum of the individual scores is 60% or 48 points. Proposals with a score below 48 points will not be funded. Proposals that receive 0-points score on criteria 5 or 6 will not be funded regardless of the points awarded on other criteria. The same evaluation criteria and scorings apply to all project applications.
The meaning of the scores with respect to the sub-criteria are as follows:
- 0 (not admissible) – the project proposal does not comply with the objectives of the call nor is relevant to the criteria ( only on evaluation criteria 5 and 6).
- 1 (poor) - the sub-criterion is addressed in an inadequate manner, or there are serious inherent weaknesses.
- 2 (fair) - while the proposal broadly addresses the sub-criterion, there are significant weaknesses.
- 3 (good) - the proposal addresses the sub-criterion well, but with at least one moderate weakness.
- 4 (very good) - the proposal addresses the sub-criterion very well, although with minor weaknesses.
- 5 (excellent) - the proposal successfully addresses all relevant aspects of the sub-criterion in question. Any shortcomings are minor.
Funding scheme and beneficiary obligations
Under the support scheme of the present call, payment will be done in two different phases. The first 40% of the grant will be given within 30 days after the signature of the Grant agreement. The other 60% of the grant will be given to SMEs after the approval of the final report. The final report template will be timely provided to all grant recipients.
- All amounts will be paid in euros.
- Payments will be carried out separately to each beneficiary.
- VAT is not considered an eligible cost.
- Only costs that occur during the project's period are eligible for funding.
- With the sole exception indicated in Art. 4.1 of the call, expenditures incurred before the formal communication of awarding, or after the indicated deadline are ineligible for remuneration.
- Costs incurred for the implementation of the project must be used for the sole purpose of achieving the objectives of the project and its expected results, in a transparent manner consistent with the principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
LEVIATAD support schemes rely on the lump sum mechanism for its grants. This simplified method of setting expenses in projects means that no accounting documents are required to prove the costs during the project. However, the applicant still have obligation to demonstrate through the final report that the implementation of the activities described in a project are in line with the listed activities and specified outcomes.
- The SME has to, for a period of five years after the payment of the balance, keep record and any documents proving that the action has been properly implemented.
- The beneficiaries of the project must ensure that the European Commission, the Anti-Fraud Office and the Court of Auditors will be able to exercise their power of control by accessing documents.
- Any documents proving the correct implementation of the project will have to be made available in case of audits or investigations.
Digital and sustainable innovation and internationalization plan (DSIIP)
Applicants are required to present some key information concerning their enterprise’ strategy, achievements and activities. To explain to LEVIATAD’s Consortium the main features of their DSIIP, applicants will only need to answer the inherent questions in the Application form.
Opportunities in naval and aeronaval defense. Learn about the webinars of the LEVIATAD project.
Do you have ambitions to expand your business or knowledge in the naval and aeronaval defense sector? Through a series of 3 webinars, the LEVIATAD project aims to support SMEs and start-ups aspiring to operate in the maritime defense industry.
PROGRAM
LEVIATAD's webinars are designed to support SMEs, large companies and start-ups in exploring opportunities in the naval defense industry. The events cover the following areas:
Cross-border collaboration in the naval defense industry: best practices and case studies
The webinar aims to showcase successful examples of cross-border collaboration in the naval defense industry, highlighting the benefits and challenges of collaboration. It also aims to provide practical guidance on how SMEs can identify and approach potential collaborators, negotiate contracts, and effectively manage international partnerships.
Digital transformation in the naval defense industry: opportunities for SMEs
The webinar explores how digital transformation is changing the naval defense industry and creating new opportunities for SMEs. The event will cover topics such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and robotics, and provide guidance on how SMEs can leverage these technologies to improve their competitiveness.
Access to funds and financing for SMEs in the naval defense industry
The webinar aims to provide an overview of funds and financing available to SMEs in the maritime defense industry, such as grants, loans, and venture capital. It also aims to provide tips for preparing effective applications and navigating the funding processes.
All events are conducted online and in English. A detailed program will be available soon!
SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Sept. 20, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Access to funds and financing
Wednesday, Sept. 27, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Digital transformation
Wednesday, Oct. 4, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Cross-border collaboration
Interested in participating in the webinars?
Then click here to register.
LEVIATAD project - Open call "Supporting the innovation and internationalisation of European small and medium-sized enterprises in the defence sector"
The project "Level 1 Accelerator for Defence Sector - LEVIATAD" gets into full swing! The call for proposals to support innovation and internationalization projects of European SMEs and start-ups operating in the naval and aero-naval defense sector is now open.
To learn about the funding opportunities offered by the LEVIATAD project read below or click here.
To get in touch with the LEVIATAD team write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Basic information about the call
Following the activities carried out during the implementation phase of the project, such as the mapping of the ecosystems, reporting on SMEs needs and opportunities, LEVIATAD has identified specific investment priorities:
- autonomous ships and drones
- communication, cybersecurity and electronic warfare
- on-board equipment: development, performance improvement
- predictive maintenance
- weapon systems improvement
- decarbonization of ships
The general objective of the call for proposals is to financially support small projects involving SMEs and start-ups who can contribute to the abovementioned key areas. LEVIATAD’s open call will select up to 50 projects (at least 40 project applications coming from LEVIATAD countries). The total available budget is €1.013.071,52, with a maximum grant amounting to €20.000 per project.
Here you can read the full text of the call or the application form.
Target companies
The call is dedicated to European small and medium-sized enterprises as defined in art. 2 of Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003 – C(2003) 1422, including start-ups operating as an enterprise for five years or less (registered before 01/05/2023). Eligible enterprises must be an existing member of an international or national organization (cluster, platform, chamber, guild or similar) that promotes naval and aero-naval defence industry as well as its value chains, and must be registered in one of the following groups of countries:
- LEVIATAD's partners country: Belgium, Croatia, France, Italy;
- EU-13 countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, malta, poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia
Main requirements for applicants
Other than the abovementioned requirements, applicants shall fulfil the following conditions:
- being not considered an undertaking in difficulty
- having a turnover from economic activity equal to the requested grant or higher
- having at least one person employed
- compiling the application in English
- submitting the application using the official documents and channels only
- completing the application in its entirety and with all requested annexes
- submitting only one project per enterprise
- including a mention to the Digital and sustainable innovation and digitalization plan
- respecting the call’s priorities
- requesting a grant above €10.000 and not exceeding €20.000
- developing a proposal which includes at least two project activities
Further requirements and details concerning the abovementioned conditions are laid down in the extended text of the call.
Objectives, investment priorities, eligible activities and financial support
The present call is intended to support innovation and internationalization activities as well as twin transition (green and digital transition) of SMEs. This call will finance projects that contribute to the following objectives:
- fostering innovation as well as green and digital transition of SMEs
- increasing presence of European SMEs in the international value chains (internationalization)
Project applications and their outputs must fall into one (or more) of the priorities of the naval, aero-naval and defense sector listed above. To better understand the nature of the activities concerning each priority, please refer to the extended text of the call.
Project applications must be in line with the objectives of LEVIATAD’s call as well as its investment priorities.
Each project can address one or both objectives. In the latter case, applicants must undertake activities that will enable the submitted project to remain within the indicated funding limits.
The Application form shall indicate the project activities and must deliver a clear costs breakdown. Applicants can design their project with as many activities they need up to the maximum amount of €20.000, taking into consideration the financial thresholds and project activity timespan listed in the table below. The details concerning each project activity can be read in the extended text of the call.
Note: Each project application must have at least two project activities.
Objective 1: Fostering innovation, green and digital transition
- innovation activities leading to new products and/or services (€9.000 - 8 months)
- green and digital activities (€6.000 - 8 months)
- promoting innovation by integrating mature technologies (€5.000 - 8 months)
Objective 2: Internationalization
- market analysis (€5.000 - 8 months)
- access to finance and partnerships, consultancy to building consortium agreements; IPR protection, etc. (€5.000 - 8 months)
- visit to targeted market outside EU (MENA and North America) (€10.000 - 8 months)
Project’s activities not included in the table above will not be considered eligible for financing.
The sums granted by the call for proposals cannot be combined, for the same investment expenses and costs, with measures deriving from other Euroclusters projects. More generally, expenses and costs foreseen in the project cannot be subject to double financing.
The duration of a project shall be maximum 8 months and not exceeding August 1st, 2024.
How to apply to LEVIATAD’s call for proposals
To apply to LEVIATAD’s call, visit the project’s official webpage at https://www.navigotoscana.it/leviatad/ and download the necessary documentation.
The call is furtherly published in the Funding and Tenders Portal (SEDIA), and it is also available through the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP), the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), and LEVIATAD project’s members own websites.
Only proposals submitted to the official email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., containing all the mandatory documents and filed within the deadline will be accepted.
Mandatory documents are:
LEVIATAD’s call will be open from July 3rd, 2023, until September 4th ,2023, @ 17.00 CET.
Upon receipt of each proposal, the applicant will receive a confirmation of submission to the email address communicated in the application form, indicating the date and time of the submission.
The results of the LEVIATAD call, including a description of SMEs actions, the date of the award, project’s duration, and final recipient’s legal names and countries will be published on LEVIATAD’s official web page https://www.navigotoscana.it/leviatad/ as well as on Euroclusters websites.
Evaluation of the proposals
Project applications will be assessed by the Evaluation Review Panel (ERP), composed of two independent reviewers/evaluators. A three-step evaluation procedure will be followed, safeguarding the principles of transparency, conflict of interest and equal treatment as described below:
- eligibility check of the Application form and annexes;
- individual evaluation of project proposals;
- evaluator consensus on the general outcomes of individual evaluation.
The assessment period shall take a maximum of 30 days starting from the closing date of the call. The applicant will receive an email attesting the outcome of the assessment once the evaluation procedure is finalized, together with the instructions for the next steps in case the applicant is awarded. Top ranked proposals will be granted until the budget for the respective support is exhausted.
Main evaluation criteria
The evaluation process is based on a set of criteria as indicated in the table below, and it is subsequent to the verification of applicants’ eligibility criteria and projects. For a full comprehension and details concerning evaluation criteria please see the extended text of the call.
Evaluation criteria |
Max. score |
Innovativeness of the project |
15 |
Green transition |
10 |
Digital transition and digitalization |
10 |
Internationalization |
15 |
Impact on LEVIATAD objectives and value chain formation in Europe |
20 |
Relevance to naval, aero-naval and Defense sector |
10 |
Maximum points to be awarded |
80 |
Evaluation scores will be awarded based on the criteria mentioned above. The maximum scores for each evaluation criterium is presented in the last column of the table. The overall threshold, applying to the sum of the individual scores will be 60% or 48 points. Proposals with a score below 48 points will not be funded. Proposals that receive 0-points score on criteria 5 or 6 will not be funded regardless of the points awarded on other criteria. The same evaluation criteria and scorings apply to all project applications.
The meaning of the scores with respect to the sub-criteria are as follows:
- 0 (not admissible) – the project proposal does not comply with the objectives of the call nor is relevant to the criteria ( only on evaluation criteria 5 and 6).
- 1 (poor) - the sub-criterion is addressed in an inadequate manner, or there are serious inherent weaknesses.
- 2 (fair) - while the proposal broadly addresses the sub-criterion, there are significant weaknesses.
- 3 (good) - the proposal addresses the sub-criterion well, but with at least one moderate weakness.
- 4 (very good) - the proposal addresses the sub-criterion very well, although with minor weaknesses.
- 5 (excellent) - the proposal successfully addresses all relevant aspects of the sub-criterion in question. Any shortcomings are minor.
Funding scheme and beneficiary obligations
Under the support scheme of the present call, payment will be done in two different phases. The first 40% of the grant will be given within 30 days after the signature of the Grant agreement. The other 60% of the grant will be given to SMEs after the approval of the final report. The final report template will be timely provided to all grant recipients.
- All amounts will be paid in euros.
- Payments will be carried out separately to each beneficiary.
- Only costs that occur during the project period are eligible for funding.
- Expenditures incurred before the signature of the Grant agreement, or after the project duration period are ineligible for remuneration.
- Costs incurred for the implementation of the project must be used for the sole purpose of achieving the objectives of the project and its expected results, in a transparent manner consistent with the principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
LEVIATAD support schemes rely on the lump sum mechanism for its grants. This simplified method of setting expenses in projects means that no accounting documents are required to prove the costs during the project. However, the applicant still have obligation to demonstrate through the final report that the implementation of the activities described in a project are in line with the listed activities and specified outcomes.
- The SME has to, for a period of five years after the payment of the balance, keep record and any documents proving that the action has been properly implemented.
- The beneficiaries of the project must ensure that the European Commission, the Anti-Fraud Office and the Court of Auditors will be able to exercise their power of control by accessing documents.
- Any documents proving the correct implementation of the project will have to be made available in case of audits or investigations.
Digital and sustainable innovation and internationalization plan (DSIIP)
Applicants are required to present some key information concerning their enterprise’ strategy, achievements and activities. To explain to LEVIATAD’s Consortium the main features of their DSIIP, applicants will only need to answer the inherent questions in the Application form.
LEVIATAD project - Co-creation session reserved to SMEs
Are you a small or medium-sized enterprise interested in carrying out activities in the naval and aero-naval defense sector?
Then take part in the virtual co-creation session organized as part of the European project "Level 1 Accelerator for Defense Sector" to be held on Thursday, June 29, 2023, from 10.00 AM to 12.00 PM.
The purpose of the session, reserved for European small and medium-sized enterprises, will be to bring out synergies among participants and identify possible collaborations.
The workshop is the first in a series of actions reserved for SMEs, to which a specific call for proposals will be dedicated to financially support their innovation and internationalization activities.
The event will also be an opportunity to announce the guidelines of the call and explain its procedures for participation.
LEVIATAD is a partnership between 6 organizations from 4 European countries willing to set-up the first European cluster of excellence in the naval and aero-naval defence sector.
The project's partners aim is to help SMEs and start-ups in the defence sector to become more innovative and access new markets.
Are members of LEVIATAD's consortium:
- Ligurian Cluster of Marine Technologies (Italy)
- Na.Vi.Go (Italy)
- Special agency Riviere di Liguria (Italy)
- Blue Cluster (Belgium)
- Toulon Var Technologies (France)
- Croatian Cluster for the Competitiveness of Defence Industry (Croatia)
For more information on the cooperative creation session and the thematic workshop series you can visit the following link.
Alternatively, you can directly register for the workshop by clicking here.
To learn more about the LEVIATAD project and the funding call dedicated to SME innovation and internationalization projects click here.
To receive news about the opening of the call for proposals you can register your email address here.
For more information about the project or simply forward your questions write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
DLTM POLE AT #ILPOSTOGIUSTO ON RAI3
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Click here to see the full episode on Rai Play
MASTER IN SYSTEM ENGINEERING FOR MARITIME TECHNOLOGIES – FORTEMARE
REGISTRATION FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL MASTER'S IN SYSTEM ENGINEERING FOR MARITIME TECHNOLOGIES - FORTEMARE
Click here to access UNIGE'S site, including details of the master's and registration details
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FINAL RANKING (xls - 27.5 Kb )
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Attachment (pdf - 5.04 Mb pdf - 6.44 Mb pdf - 183.98 Kb )