FAQs & Glossary

You can get more detailed information on our About Page.

1.    What is ACQUEAU?

ACQUEAU is the first EUREKA Cluster dedicated to environmental and water related technologies.

It aims at promoting innovation and market driven solutions to develop new technologies in the water sector.

The ultimate aim of a EUREKA Cluster is to facilitate the generation of market-driven, pan-European collaborative water research and technological development R&D projects for the benefit of the European industry.

Visit our About page for more details.

2.    What is a EUREKA Cluster?

EUREKA ‘Clusters’are long-term, strategically significant industrial initiatives. They usually have a large number of participants, and aim to develop generic technologies of key importance for European competitiveness mainly in ICT, energy and more recently in the biotechnology sector.
 

Clusters bring together large companies, often competitors, along with SMEs, research institutes and universities, sharing both the risk and benefits of innovation. They focus on developing and commercially exploiting new technologies. Their goal is to ensure that Europe retains its leading position in the world market.
www.eurekanetwork.org

3.    What is the core added value of ACQUEAU?

•   It strengthens the competitiveness of the European water industry.
•   It has a strategic research agenda and initiative for water innovation and applied research.
•   It encourages collaboration to unleash the expertise of the water sector.
•   It boosts the competitiveness of SMEs through co-operation.
•   It is a flexible, efficient and transparent initiative.
 

4.    Why join ACQUEAU?

Membership with ACQUEAU provides wide ranging and highly unique benefits.  You will be at the centre of European innovation and reinvention.  You will gain exposure to specialised areas of the sector -  and  to EU water policy.  You will be a key player in taking on the role and responsibility of improving and enhancing collaboration, to make Europe a stronger competitor in the global market.  On top of these benefits, you also have the chance to be part of our Calls and Projects.

5.    How much does it cost to join ACQUEAU?

The membership fee is €1,100 for 2011. It will be revaluated every year.

6.    How many calls does ACQUEAU publish every year?

ACQUEAU publishes two calls per year: one in January / February and one in June / July.

7.    Are calls open to everybody?

Yes.

ACQUEAU is an open programme that welcomes the participation of all interested parties that wish to develop joint projects in order to encourage knowledge and expertise sharing.

- Large enterprise
- Small and medium  sized enterprise
- Universities
- Research institutes (public/ private)

8.    Do you have to be a member to submit a call?

It depends. 

Large enterprises should be members on submission of a proposal (for the year inwhich the proposal is submitted), regardless of the success of the proposal.

SMEs and Institutions should be members for the year in which the proposal is submitted, if the proposal is labelled.

Membership fees for proposals are therefore outlined either on receipt of the proposal (large enterprises) or on label award (SMEs and Institutes) for the year in which the proposal was submitted (even if the year has passed or predominantly passed).

Note that this applies to all named partners, not just lead partners. It does not apply to subcontractors to the partners.

9.    What is the definition of an SME?

Enterprises qualify as micro, small or medium if they meet the criteria set out by Recommendation 2003/361/EC adopted by the European Commission on 6th May 2003. The criteria are shown in the table below:
 

10.    How much does it cost to submit a proposal?

Large Enterprises are required to become members of ACQUEAU to submit a proposal, SMEs and Universities / Research centers have a special status, please refer to question 7. When a proposal is labeled in 2011, ACQUEAU will apply a fee of 1.1% from the total budget amount. Consortium should take it into account in their financial proposal.

11.    Does ACQUEAU accept a non- solicited proposal ?

For 2010, ACQUEAU won’t accept unsolicited proposals. Proposals must be relevant to the scope of the two first calls on “Membrane Technologies” and “Real-Time System Management”.
Starting 2011, ACQUEAU will accept unsolicited proposals under two conditions:
1.    Proposal must follow the agenda of calls of ACQUEAU (please refer to question 5)
2.    Unsolicited proposed must comply with the specifications in Blue Books 1 and 2.

12.    Who are the important persons to contact?

For networking, support to your proposal, information, please contact ACQUEAU Offices, and refer to contact us.
For a better coordination of funding, please contact your National Project Officer.

13.    Can partners from countries that don’t support ACQUEAU make a proposal?

At least one partner from each consortium should be from a supporting country of ACQUEAU.
Partners are invited to contact their NPO to apply for funding even if their country doesn’t officially support ACQUEAU: EUREKA Clusters are funded upon national funding and some funding scheme might be available for your project.
If a partner from a non-supporting country decides to apply to the ACQUEAU Label, the following rules apply:
-    They won’t be able to claim the EUREKA Label as member of ACQUEAU but only acting as a partner.
-    They might acknowledge it clearly in the PCA signed by all partners.
-    They must provide the formal proof of their financial capacity to run the project.

14.  What is meant by 'labelling'?

When a Full Proposal is approved by both the Scientific Committee and the Board Members of ACQUEAU, then it will receive the ACQUEAU label.

15. Does ACQUEAU have funds?

No. ACQUEAU is a non- profit association. As a EUREKA Cluster, ACQUEAU delivers a EUREKA Label for water innovation projects. ACQUEAU acts as a facilitator to obtain national funds attributed under the EUREKA programme. ACQUEAU does not hold any funds and cannot guarantee the availability of funds through the EUREKA Label at the national level.

16. What is the expected level of funding for ACQUEAU projects per year?

With 18 supporting countries, ACQUEAU is the first cluster starting with such a strong support from national governments. ACQUEAU expects to label 10-20 projects for 20 million euros per year from national funds. The involvement of governments is highly variable and depends on the national context, that is why projects and consortia are encouraged to contact their NPC directly.

 

Glossary

Cluster: EUREKA ‘Clusters’ are long-term, strategically significant industrial initiatives. They usually have a large number of participants, and aim to develop generic technologies of key importance for European competitiveness mainly in ICT, energy and more recently in the biotechnology sector.

Eurostars: the EUREKA Eurostars project is a European funding and support programme dedicated to research- performing small and medium enterprises.

ERA-NET: aims to improve the cooperation and coordination of research activities of research activities carried out at national or regional level in the member states and associated states through the networking of research activities conducted at national and regional levels and the mutual opening of national and regional research programmes.

ETPs (European Technology Platforms): provide a framework for stakeholders led by industry, to define research and development priorities, timeframes and action plans on a number of strategically important issues where achieving Europe’s future growth, competitiveness and sustainability objectives is dependent upon major research and technological advances in the medium to long term.

FPP (Full Project Proposal): the Full Project Proposal is an extended version of the Project Outline and should be a maximum of 30 pages. It is to be filled in by a consortium if their Project Outline is approved.

HLG (High-Level Group): the key decision- making body of EUREKA.

HLR (High Level Representative): the Ministry responsible for EUREKA in each member country names its HLR which in turn endorses new EUREKA projects, makes decisions on the management of EUREKA and prepares new EUREKA policy discussions.

JPI (Joint Programming Initiative): EU projects designed to address ‘grand challenges’ which cannot be tackled effectively and efficiently by any one member state alone. Common challenges are confronted by publicly funded research.

JTI (Joint Technology Initiatives): proposed as a means to implement the Strategic Research Agendas of a limited number of European Technology Platforms.

NPC (National Project Coordinator): is the direct contact with project participants facilitating the setting- up and running of a project in the EUREKA programme.

NPO (National Project Officer): is the direct contact with project participants facilitating the setting- up and running of a project for ACQUEAU.

PO (Project Outline): the template booklet of 3- 10 pages to be filled in by a consortium in the first step of submitting a proposal to an ACQUEAU Call. The Project Outline should be quantified as much as possible.

PPP (Private Public Partnership): describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies.

SC (Scientific Committee): the Scientific Committee is a group of between 5- 15 members nominated by the Board Members of ACQUEAU. The Scientific Committee is dedicated to provide expertise to help ACQUEAU from a technical point of view. In particular, the Scientific Committee will contribute to “Blue Book” updates when necessary. It will help the Executive Committee to prepare calls for proposals. It will review the proposals in the assessment phase, and provide advice and comments to the Executive Committee. It will act as a support to the Executive Office for the follow- up of ongoing projects.

SME (Small and Medium- sized Enterprise):  Enterprises qualify as micro, small and medium- sized enterprises if they have a headcount of 250 or less, a turnover of €50 million or less or a balance sheet total of €43 million or less.

Umbrella: Umbrellas are thematic networks within the EUREKA framework which focus on a specific technology area or business sector. The main goal of an umbrella is to facilitate the generation of EUREKA projects in its own target area.