EU funding for start-ups and SME’s
The European Union values innovation as a solution to the myriad challenges we face. With robust programs and equally substantial grant budgets, industries are encouraged to contribute. However, it is not easy for start-ups and SMEs in particular to access these funds. This can discourage them from putting effort into obtaining European funding, which not only kills promising innovations but also hinders the healthy development of start-ups and SMEs in general. Being able to show this group of smaller but promising companies the way in the complex European funding landscape represents a great added value in this market.
As part of PNO Group, PNO Consultants in Spain has access to a large European network and broad expertise. As such, there is already considerable experience with large-scale EU-funded projects. According to Ana Espert, deputy director of PNO in Spain, additional expertise and capacity in the area of smaller businesses is more than welcome. “Aristos is a valuable partner in the market of funding innovation consultancy focused on start-ups and SMEs. They have a solid track record based on a detailed analysis and scoping of the projects and perform an outstanding success rate. This is all very welcome for the many SMEs within our reach, whom we would like to be able to offer the same service, quality and, above all, results that we provide to large companies and international consortia.”
Aristos, on the other hand, sees ample opportunities to expand services to its own clients. Marcos González, founding partner of Aristos points out: “Providing further expertise in other EU programmes and other services, allows us to give our start-ups and SMEs a huge boost in their innovation strategies and development. For example, we see many opportunities for our clients to join projects and to cooperate with other companies, research organizations and academic institutions. Our partnership with PNO Consultants is therefore a logical extension of the strong development we have experienced ourselves over the years.”
About Aristos Innovation Funding
Aristos Innovation Funding was founded in 2011 and has been offering consulting services to clients across Europe from its headquarters in Barcelona. Through the years it raised more than EUR 175 million for over 95 projects in the framework programs FP7, Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, with a strong focus on SMEs and start-ups. In recent years, Aristos has been working on EIC funding instruments, such as Pathfinder, Transition and especially the Accelerator, which is the most sought-after program for SMEs and start-ups looking to develop and scale up “deep tech” innovations. The company is specialized in writing market-oriented R&D&I project proposals for various sectors such as renewable energy, health, agri-food, transport, environment, ICT, industrial, advanced materials and biotech.
