Guide for applicants

1.1Recalling the Call Announcement for FITMAN Competitive Call scope

The project FITMAN currently active in the Seventh Framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities contributing to the creation of the European research area and to innovation (2007-2013) requires the participation of new partners to carry out certain tasks within the project. Please note that the Seventh Framework programme offers part-funding not full-funding of research activities.

We have a vacancy in our consortium for 3 consortia of up to 3 partners each (i.e. up to 9 new partners), established in an EU Member State or FP7 Associated State and having comprehensive expertise in the following research areas:

1. 
   ICT solutions for Smart Factories. Smart factories use simpler and more streamlined ICT for energy-efficient, reliable and cost-effective production. Future production sites for a large variety of sophisticated products will offer shorter cycle times and the ability to control variables in the manufacturing process. Owing to the increasing convergence of machine control and personal computer technology, important developments in robotics, automation, planning, simulation and optimisation technologies are also foreseen. (EFFRA 2014-2020 Research Roadmap, ICT-enabled Intelligent Manufacturing)
   
2. 
   ICT solutions for Digital Factories. Digital factories help to reduce the need for physical prototyping and the construction of pilot plants when designing future factories. Specialists in fields such as mechanical, software and materials engineering will use digitalised factories to enhance simulation, modelling and knowledge management. Research in this area will also cover the life-cycle management of products, from the design phase all the way through to production, maintenance, disassembly and recycling. (EFFRA 2014-2020 Research Roadmap, ICT-enabled Intelligent Manufacturing)
   
3. 
   ICT solutions for Virtual Factories. Virtual factories support the management of ever more complex supply chains between manufacturing plants around the world. They include a network of devices, such as, for example, the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) of work in progress, wireless sensor networks and machine-to-machine communication. These will contribute to the real-time monitoring of complex material flows and the more efficient use of resources. In addition, they will give rise to further services, such as advanced maintenance technologies for assets used in the manufacturing process. (EFFRA 2014-2020 Research Roadmap, ICT-enabled Intelligent Manufacturing)
   

For Smart Factories:

1. 
   SF monitoring and diagnosis (Advanced Intelligent Manufacturing), including dynamic and re-configurable filtering and processing of real world events, coming from sensor networks embedded in machinery and workplaces, shopfloor smart objects and tools, in-bound logistics of tagged products and materials, manual operations and workers wellbeing monitoring and control.
   
2. 
   SF next generation, attractive human-machine interaction (Human-centered Manufacturing), including devices and software components for an advanced automation of the shopfloor efficiency and safety as well as a user-friendly, ergonomic and intuitive interaction between workers and machines, including data access on the move.
   

3. 
   DF product data and knowledge in product life cycle (standard-based access to PLM and product-item data), including definition and adoption of standard metadata systems for Product Data and Knowledge representation, semantic interoperability transformation services from heterogeneous systems and/or available or de-facto standards, browse & query facilities and web-based modular intuitive decisional and collaboration environments for blue collar’s workers, managers and engineers.
   
4. 
   DF collaborative product data 3D visualisation (Collaborative and Mobile PLM), based on a collaborative multi-task project management environment and including devices and software components for a web enabled rendering and interaction with 2D-3D complex manufacturing objects, e.g. CAD solids, , points of clouds, large unstructured data-sets including real-time data repositories.
   

5. 
   VF manufacturing assets semantic discovery (Cloud Manufacturing, Manufacturing as a Service), including extension of existing business-oriented service description languages (such as USDL and LinkedUSDL) to encompass manufacturing tangible and intangible assets, their semi-automatic generation and clustering from unstructured and semi-structured enterprise resources (such as people CVs and products catalogues) and their dynamic discovery and composition in advanced business applications in the domains of “production network” and “project team” design.
   
6. 
   VF semantic interoperability (Product-Service Manufacturing Ecosystem), including platforms and software components for dynamic, semantic data formats transformations (e.g. unified interoperability form by means of a common model schema), in the view to achieve ERP (and other Enterprise Systems) compatibility in the supply chain.
   

2About the funding scheme

The selected proposal will be joining FITMAN that is regulated by the Large-scale Integrated Project (IP) scheme. General conditions for the IP scheme under which FITMAN is financed can be found in the Guide for Applicants for IPs under the call FP7-2012-ICT-FI¹.

In the present guide we provide specific details related to the competitive call “FITMAN Smart-Digital-Virtual Factories Open Call”.

2.1Eligible new beneficiaries

Participation as a beneficiary in an FP7 project is on a cost-shared basis, the Commission making only a partial contribution to the total cost of the work.

You may only receive funding via the FITMAN project if you are eligible to receive funding under the rules of the Seventh Framework Programme.

The following may receive EU funding in an FP7 project:

• 
  Any legal entity established in a Member State or an FP7 Associated country² (including the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre), or created under Community law (e.g. a European Economic Interest Grouping),
  
• 
  Any international European interest organisation
  
• 
  Any legal entity established in an FP7 International Cooperation Partner Country (ICPC). A complete list of these countries is given in annex 1 of the ICT Work Programme³, but in principle it includes the developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as those European countries which are not already Member states or Associated countries.
  

Organisations from certain other countries may also receive a Community financial contribution, as defined in the Rules of Participation in FP7.

Fuller details of the Commission's funding arrangements can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal in the document "Guide to Financial Issues”

2.2Resources

For Smart Factories Task, the maximum total of EU contribution for the successful consortium of up to three beneficiaries is: 450.000€

For Digital Factories Task, the maximum total of EU contribution for the successful consortium of up to four beneficiaries is: 700.000€

For Virtual Factories Task, the maximum total of EU contribution for the successful consortium of up to two beneficiaries is: 350.000€

2.3Duration

New beneficiaries will join the FITMAN project starting from 1^st April 2014 till its end planned on 31^st March 2015, for a total of 12 months.

2.4Activities and Cost Categories

The work should be clearly allocated to the activities and cost categories identified below. Possibly some resources from existing FITMAN beneficiaries’ allocation could be moved to the new partners (e.g. Trials selected by successful proposers and their relevant IT partners).

WP12 Smart-Digital-Virtual Factories Extensions Management (MGMT) coord by TXT

WP12.1 SFE Coordination and Management

WP12.2 DFE Coordination and Management

WP12.3 VFE Coordination and Management

WP13 Smart-Digital-Virtual Factories Extensions Dissemination (OTH) coord by IVLAB

WP13.1 SFE Dissemination

WP13.2 DFE Dissemination

WP13.3 VFE Dissemination

WP14 Smart Factories Extensions Implementation & Exploitation (RTD) coord by ATOS

WP14.1 SFE Solutions implementation and integration

WP14.2 SFE Solutions experimentation in FITMAN Trials

WP14.3 SFE Solutions lessons learned and evaluation in Trials

WP14.4 SFE Solutions Exploitation and Business Plan

WP15 Digital Factories Extensions Implementation & Exploitation (RTD) coord by INNOV

WP15.1 DFE Solutions implementation and integration

WP15.2 DFE Solutions experimentation in FITMAN Trials

WP15.3 DFE Solutions lessons learned and evaluation in Trials

WP15.4 DFE Solutions Exploitation and Business Plan

WP16 Smart Factories Extensions Implementation & Exploitation (RTD) coord by TXT

WP16.1 VFE Solutions implementation and integration

WP16.2 VFE Solutions experimentation in FITMAN Trials

WP16.3 VFE Solutions lessons learned and evaluation in Trials

WP16.4 VFE Solutions Exploitation and Business Plan

The definitive allocation to FITMAN work packages will be done after the proposal has been accepted. Any needed revision will be done during the negotiation phase.

The activities to be carried out by additional partners in FITMAN are grouped in the following categories:

1. 
   Development & Integration, WP14 WP15 and WP16. This group corresponds to FP7 RTD cost category.
   
2. 
   Management. Coordination of the administrative obligations. WP12. This group corresponds to FP7 MGT cost category.
   
3. 
   Dissemination, WP13. This group corresponds to FP7 OTH cost category.
   

Participants to the Open Call will need to use the following guiding rules regarding the application to categories mentioned above (and hence to activities):

1. 
   estimated 90% funding in RTD
   
2. 
   estimated 5% funding in MGT
   
3. 
   estimated 5% funding in OTH
   

The participants to the open call are entitled to include cost for the following categories:

• 
  Travel costs (in the RTD category): in this category applicants can include cost to participate to project meetings, FI-PPP events, and other dissemination activities. In the year we foresee the participation by partners to 4 projects meeting and 2 dissemination events.
  
• 
  Personnel costs: in this category applicants can include cost of personnel covering the activities described above.
  

The above percentage figures and cost figures are estimates. In the case of significant deviation from the estimates the proposers should duly justify the deviation.

2.5Activities to be included in the work plan

The FITMAN work plan is well established and is partitioned in several activities.

Your proposal should be organised in activities that directly correspond to the Workpackages and tasks identified below.

After successful evaluation, a negotiation phase will follow, through which your proposed activities will be integrated in the current work plan of the FITMAN project.

At proposal phase you do not need to worry about the work package allocation. At this stage you should clearly answer how you plan to contribute to these activities. The proposal template includes references to the activities described below. The timing is expressed in term of FITMAN schedule. New beneficiaries are planned to join from M13 to M24.

WP12 Smart-Digital-Virtual Factories Extensions Management (MGMT) M13-M24

WP13 Smart-Digital-Virtual Factories Extensions Dissemination (OTH) M13-M24

WP14 Smart Factories Extensions Implementation & Exploitation (RTD) M13-M24

WP14.1 SFE Solutions implementation and integration M13-M15

WP14.2 SFE Solutions experimentation in FITMAN Trials M15-M21

WP14.3 SFE Solutions lessons learned and evaluation in Trials M21-M24

WP14.4 SFE Solutions Exploitation and Business Plan M13-M24

WP15 Digital Factories Extensions Implementation & Exploitation (RTD) M13-M24

WP15.1 DFE Solutions implementation and integrationM13-M15

WP15.2 DFE Solutions experimentation in FITMAN TrialsM15-M21

WP15.3 DFE Solutions lessons learned and evaluation in TrialsM21-M24

WP15.4 DFE Solutions Exploitation and Business PlanM13-M24

WP16 Smart Factories Extensions Implementation & Exploitation (RTD) M13-M24

WP16.1 VFE Solutions implementation and integrationM13-M15

WP16.2 VFE Solutions experimentation in FITMAN TrialsM15-M21

WP16.3 VFE Solutions lessons learned and evaluation in TrialsM21-M24

WP16.4 VFE Solutions Exploitation and Business PlanM13-M24

3How to prepare and submit a proposal

3.1One stage submission

Proposals for selection as an additional beneficiary in FITMAN are submitted in a single stage, by submitting a complete proposal application.

Existing FITMAN participants may not respond to this call.

3.2Proposal must be submitted by a single legal entity

The proposal must be submitted by groupings of up to 3 legal entities. In case the proposal will be successfully selected the involved legal entities will become FITMAN partners.

3.3Proposal language

The proposal must be prepared in English.

3.4Helpdesk and Support during the submission preparation

Support during the proposal preparation stage can be found at the following contact details:

Web: www.fitman-fi.eu/open-call

Email address for further information: FITMANOpenCall@txtgroup.com

Telephone availability (business hours): +39 02 257711 – Claudia Guglielmina or Sergio Gusmeroli

3.5Submission of proposals

Proposals must be submitted electronically in PDF format to the address given in the call announcement (FITMANOpenCall@txtgroup.com) using the following subject “FITMAN open call submission – name of the main legal entity”.

If you discover an error in your proposal, and provided the call deadline has not passed, you may submit a new version. Only the last version received before the call deadline will be considered in the evaluation.

Proposals must be received by the closing time and date of the call. Late proposals, or proposals submitted to any other address or by any other means than email, will not be evaluated.

3.6Acknowledgement of receipt

You should request a delivery receipt for your email. As soon as possible after the close of call, an Acknowledgment of receipt will be emailed to you by FITMAN. The sending of an Acknowledgement of receipt does not imply that your proposal has been accepted as eligible for evaluation.

4Proposal evaluation and selection

4.1Evaluation criteria

The consortium will evaluate proposals received in the light of the criteria that governed the Commission’s original evaluation and selection of the project, using the attached form (see Annex 1) with the assistance of at least two experts who are independent of the organisations involved in your consortium and of any proposer. The experts will be individuals from the fields of science, industry and/or with experience in the field of innovation and also with the highest level of knowledge, and who are recognised authorities in the relevant specialist area.

The selected experts will sign a declaration of confidentiality concerning the contents of the proposals they read. The form which they use in the evaluation also carries a declaration of freedom from conflict of interest which they agree to by signing them.

4.2Evaluation procedure

Each independent expert will record his/her individual opinion of each proposal on the attached evaluation form. They will then communicate together to prepare a single “consensus” form for each proposal, representing opinions and scores on which both agree and which both will sign.

Using the overall scores for each proposal the experts will generate a ranked list, or several ranked lists if the call is in different parts. If two or more proposals are tied with the same overall score, the experts will rank them using the procedure described in the ICT Workprogramme, namely with priority to the proposal scoring highest on criterion 3 Impact, then if equal on criterion 3 by score on criterion 1 Scientific and technical excellence, then if equal on criterion 1 by any appropriate discriminating element related to the call.

4.3Proposal selection

Using the scores given on the consensus form, normally the highest scoring proposal (or proposals, if the Call text foresaw more than one successful proposer) for the call (or for the different part of the call if more than one) is selected.

However, the consortium is not obliged to select the highest scoring proposal where it has objective grounds for objecting to the participant, for example commercial competition. In this case the choice may pass, with the agreement of the Project Officer, to the next-ranked proposal.

In all cases, participation and funding of the new partner(s) is subject to the normal FP7 rules concerning for example eligibility for funding, IPR sharing and legal and financial verification. The new partner(s) also must accede to the consortium agreement.

The consortium may conclude that even the highest scoring proposal is of inadequate quality, in which case it will make no selection. This conclusion is obligatory if all the proposals fall below the threshold scores given on the attached evaluation form.

Proposal template

Front page

Full title of the existing project you wish to join: Future Internet Technologies for MANufacturing

Acronym of the existing project: FITMAN

Grant agreement number of existing project: 604674

Type of instrument (Integrated project/Network of excellence): Integrated project

Full title of your proposal:

Acronym of your proposal (optional):

Task Addressed: SF or DF or VF

Date of preparation of your proposal:

Version number (optional):

Your organisation name:

Your organisation address:

Name of the coordinating person:

Coordinator telephone number:

Coordinator email:

Email address to which the Acknowledgement of Receipt should be sent:

(insert)

Proposal abstract

(Minimum 400 words – maximum 800 words summary of your proposed work)

Contents page

(Show table of contents)

Cost and funding breakdown

Please show your figures in euros (not thousands of euros)

	RTD	MGT	OTH	Total
1. Personnel costs
2. Other direct costs
3. Total direct costs (Sum of row 1 and 2)
4. Indirect costs
5. Total costs (Sum of row 3 and 4)
6. Requested EC contribution

In row 1, insert your personnel costs for the work involved, differentiating between:

RTD: Activities directly aimed at creating new knowledge, new technology, and products including scientific coordination. NOTE most part of the activities will fall in this category.

OTH: Other activities are any specific activities not covered by the above mentioned types of activity such as training, coordination, networking and dissemination (including publications). These activities should be specified later in the proposal.

MGT: Management activities include the maintenance of the consortium agreement, if it is obligatory, the overall legal, ethical, financial and administrative management including for each of the participants obtaining the certificates on the financial statements or on the methodology, the implementation of competitive calls by the consortium for the participation of new participants and, any other management activities foreseen in the proposal except coordination of research and technological development activities.

In row 2, insert any other direct costs, for example equipment or travel costs.

In row 3, calculate the sum of your personnel and other direct costs.

In row 4, insert your indirect (overhead) costs.

Indirect costs are all those eligible costs which cannot be identified by the participant as being directly attributed to the project but which can be identified and justified by its accounting system as being incurred in direct relationship with the eligible direct costs attributed to the project.

You may use your actual overhead costs if this is possible within your organisation's accounting system. If not, you may use a calculated figure of 20% of the sum in row 3. If you are a non-profit public body, a research organisation, a secondary or higher education establishment or a small or medium enterprise, you may use a calculated figure of 60% of the sum in row 3.

In row 5, calculate the sum of your direct and indirect costs.

In row 6, insert your requested EC contribution.

RTD: you may request up to 50% of the total cost figure. If you are a non-profit public body, a research organisation, a secondary or higher education establishment or a small or medium enterprise, you may request up to 75% funding.

OTH, MGT: you may request up to 100% funding

Note: If you are successful in the evaluation, your final costs and funding estimates agreed with the ICT project will also be subject to legal and financial validation by the services of the European Commission.

Section 1. Scientific and/or technical quality, relevant to the topics addressed by the call

The total section 1 must not exceed 15 pages including all tables

1. 
   Concept and objectives
   

Describe in detail the objectives of your proposed action. Show how they relate to the topic(s) addressed by the competitive call. These objectives should be those achievable within your proposed action, not through subsequent development. They should be stated in a measurable and verifiable form.

Motivate why you want to join the FITMAN consortium. Please provide a clear indication why you propose to join the FITMAN project and the FI-PPP programme as a whole.

Please explain how you plan to provide feedback on how FITMAN could be improved.

Please do not forget to make statements about:

• 
  Add our constraints
  
• 
  fulfilment of technical criteria (to be indicated),
  
• 
  a commitment to integrate the FITMAN framework and solutions,
  
• 
  complementarity with respect to the current FITMAN offering,
  
• 
  capabilities and support for trials in the context of FITMAN SF-DF-VF Trials,
  
• 
  consideration of socio-economic and other relevant non-technical aspects,
  
• 
  degree of involvement of existing developer communities,
  
• 
  degree of involvement of existing user communities.
  

2. 
   S/T methodology and associated work plan
   

An activity plan should be presented, indicating the dependencies among the planned activities.

Please present your plans as follows:

1. 
   Provide a detailed activity description broken down into tasks if appropriate:
   

• 
  Activity list (please use table 1.2a);
  
• 
  Description of each activity (please use table 1.2b)
  

2. 
   Describe any significant risks, and associated contingency plans
   

Table 1.2a: Planned activities list

Activity No	Activity title	Type of activity (Cost related)	Person-months	Start month* (min 13)	End month* (max 24)
		RTD
		RTD
		RTD
		RTD
		MGT
		OTH
	TOTAL

*NOTE: Start and end months are stated in relation to the FITMAN schedule. Tentative start month for all additional partners (subject to approval by the EC) is M13 (April 2014) ending M24 (March 2015). Therefore the total expected duration is 12 months.

Table 1.2b: Planned activities description

You will join several activities. Depending on the nature of work you should describe your activities according to the activity type (RTD, MGT, OTH).

Activity description

Activity group	Development & Integration	Total planned PM
Activity type	RTD

Objectives

The objectives of this work items are to contribute to:

a

b

…

A description of this activity and expected resources is included in the previous chapters

Description of work (possibly broken down into tasks)

Activity description

Activity group	Management	Total planned PM
Activity type	MGT

Objectives

The objectives of this work items are to contribute to:

a

b

…

A description of this activity and expected resources is included in the previous chapters

Description of work (possibly broken down into tasks)

Activity description

Activity group	Dissemination	Total planned PM
Activity type	OTH

Objectives

The objectives of this work items are to contribute to:

a

b

…

A description of this activity and expected resources is included in the previous chapters

Description of work (possibly broken down into tasks)

Section 2. Implementation

The total section 2 must not exceed 2 pages.

2.1 Management structure

Should mention that you will adopt the FITMAN management structure

Should mention that you will sign the FI-PPP collaboration agreement

Should mention that you will sign the FITMAN consortium agreement

The agreements can be requested via mail at the address: FITMANOpenCall@txtgroup.com

2.2 Participant

Provide a brief description of your organisation, and your previous experience relevant to the tasks you will undertake in this action. Provide also a short profile of the main individuals who will be undertaking the work.

2.3 Complementarity to the FITMAN consortium

Show the complementarity to the FITMAN consortium.

2.4 Resources to be committed

Describe how the totality of the necessary resources will be mobilised, including any resources that will complement the EC contribution. Show how the resources will be integrated in a coherent way, and show how your overall financial plan for the action is adequate.

Please identify any major non-personnel direct costs and explain why they are necessary for the activity you propose.

Section 3. Impact

The total section 3 must not exceed 4 pages.

3.1 Expected impact

Describe how your activity will contribute towards the expected impact of the FITMAN project and the FI-PPP programme as a whole. Mention the steps that will be needed to bring about these impacts. Mention any assumptions and external factors that may determine whether the impacts will be achieved.

3.2 Dissemination and exploitation of results

As part of the work executed within FITMAN, the dissemination activities to be undertaken are briefly listed in “Activities to be included in the work plan”. Among others this may also include presentations and participation at FI-PPP events and other Future Internet related events (e.g. FIA)

Section 4. Ethical Issues

Describe any ethical issues that may arise in the action.

Section 5. Use of proposal information

Proposals are treated in a confidential way. Open calls previously organized by other projects were very successful and have revealed that many submitted non-funded proposals also contain valuable information that could be used for setting up collaborations or to extract ideas for further improving the FITMAN and FI-PPP results and impact. Therefore the FITMAN project would like to have the opportunity to further use this information, even if the proposal is not selected for funding. In any case, the consortium will treat all information of this proposal confidentially. Two types of information usage are envisaged:

• 
  Information which is part of the Proposal Abstract, and the motivation why you want to join the FITMAN and the FI-PPP programme as a whole. This information will be used in an anonymous way to create statistics and reports about this open call including statistics concerning budget, resources, and costs. All proposals submitted to this competitive open call must allow this form of information access and usage.
  
• 
  Information specified in proposal section 1.1 can be used within the FITMAN project as input for tasks related to impact and sustainability studies, etc. This information might be accessed by the FITMAN consortium if allowed by the proposer. Any use of such information will be discussed and agreed upon with the proposer. Proposals have the freedom to select if they wish to support this kind of information usage.
  

The proposers are therefore asked to include the following statements below in their proposal and tick the corresponding boxes.

I allow that information about my proposal can be used anonymously, for reporting and statistical purposes: the Proposal Abstract the motivation why I want to join the FITMAN and the FI-PPP programme as a whole statistics and reports about this open call statistics concerning budget, resources, and costs

YES 

I wish to be contacted if any information about my proposal may be used for the following purpose: Information specified in section 1.1 to be used within the FITMAN project as input for tasks related to impact reports, sustainability studies, etc. In any case, the consortium will treat all information of this proposal confidentially. Any use of this information will be discussed and agreed upon with the proposers.

YES 

NO 

Annex 1 – Evaluation form

Individual evaluation/Consensus (delete as appropriate)

Proposal No. :

Acronym :

1. Scientific and/or technological excellence (relevant to the topics addressed by the call) Note: when a proposal only partially addresses the topics, this condition will be reflected in the scoring of this criterion	Score: (Threshold 3/5; Weight 1)
2. Quality and efficiency of the implementation and the management	Score: (Threshold 3/5; Weight 1) For the purposes of any subsequent negotiation, an above-threshold score for this criterion is regarded as an indication that the proposer(s) has the operational capacity to carry out the work

3. Potential impact through the development, dissemination and use of project results	Score: (Threshold 3/5; Weight 1)
Remarks	Overall score: (Threshold 10/15)

Does this proposal contain ethical issues that may need further attention ?

NO 

YES 

1^ http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/page/cooperation?callIdentifier=FP7-2012-ICT-FI

2^ The FP7 Associated countries are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey.

3^ Obtainable at: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal

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