Following a Cabinet decision in late 2007, MIMCOL was entrusted with the responsibility to act as the Malta National Contact Point (NCP) for the European Union’s Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) and endeavour to create synergies across its 3 sub-programmes, namely the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP), the Information Communication Technologies Policy Support Programme (ICTPSP) and the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme (IEE). To this end, a new unit referred to as CIP Malta was set up within MIMCOL.

What is CIP?
The EU’s Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme brings together, into a common framework, specific Community support programmes and relevant parts of other Community programmes in fields critical to boosting European productivity, innovation capacity and sustainable growth, whilst simultaneously addressing complementary environmental concerns. The CIP is a centralized funding programme, thus providing financial support through an EU wide competitive process, for boosting competitiveness and innovation capacity in the EU, for advancing knowledge society and for ensuring secure, sustainable energy for Europe.

With a total budget of €3.6 billion covering the years 2007-2013, the CIP lays down the rules for European innovation and entrepreneurial spending. It is organised in three operational sub-programmes, namely

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP) with a budget of €2.166 billion, of which €430 million will be used for the promotion of eco-innovation and €1.130 billion for financial instruments to be managed by the European Investment Fund (EIF).

This Programme brings together activities that were previously dispersed over the Multi-Annual Programme for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (MAP), activities for Industrial Competitiveness and elements of the existing LIFE-Environment Programme. CIP also builds on innovation activities that have been successfully tested and developed under previous Research Framework Programmes such as FP6 and FP7.
The EIP Programme aims to:

• Facilitate access to finance for SMEs, sharing risks and reward with private equity investors and providing counter or co-guarantees to national guarantee schemes together with a risk capital initiative for high growth and innovative companies;
• Foster better integration of existing business support networks (ex: through the Enterprise Europe Network which has taken over the roles of the Euro Info Centres & Innovation Relay Centres);
• Finance innovation actions and activities, including exchanges of best practices between Member States.

The ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT-PSP), with a budget of €728 million. This programme builds on the aims of the previous e-TEN, Modinis and e-Content programmes and supports the aims of the new integrated strategy i2010 - European Information Society 2010.

The objectives of the ICT-PSP Programme are the:

• development of the Single European information space and strengthening of the internal market for ICT products and services and ICT-based products and services;
• stimulation of innovation through the wider adoption of and investment in ICT;
• development of an inclusive information society and more efficient and effective services in areas of public interest and improvement of quality of life.

The Intelligent Energy-Europe Programme (IEE), with a budget of €727 million. The Programme supports energy efficiency, new and renewable energy sources, and technological solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by the transport sector.

The IEE Programme aims to:

• Foster energy efficiency and the rational use of energy resources (SAVE);
• Promote new and renewable energy sources and to support energy diversification (Altener);
• Promote energy efficiency and the use of new and renewable energy sources in transport (STEER).

What’s our role?
The main role of CIP Malta is to promote and disseminate information on the CIP Programme and its funding opportunities, encouraging and guiding the participation of Maltese entities under specific calls for proposals and other networking initiatives, and offering partner search support through its NCP counterparts in other CIP participating states.

So, what do we do…
CIP Malta is using a battery of tools in fulfilment of its role. Besides one-to-one meetings with potential CIP funding beneficiaries, CIP Malta also developed a website www.cipmalta.com which provides up-to-date information about the CIP and the Calls for proposals emanating under its pillars, as well as various partner-searches issued in respect to such Calls. Furthermore, regular information updates are sent out via email towards the business community, public sector entities and members of the civil society in general. In order to reach an audience as wide as possible, CIP Malta is endeavouring to establish close collaborations with other entities that can act as information multipliers, further disseminating the information to their members, clients, target groups, etc. Amongst others, CIP Malta collaborates closely with: Malta Enterprise, Enterprise Europe Network, Malta Council for Science and Technology, Malta-EU Steering & Action Committee (MEUSAC), Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA), Malta Chamber of Commerce, Economy and Industry, Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency (MIEMA), Malta Communications Authority, Malta Standards Authority, Foundation Temi Zammit, various consultants on EU matters, etc.

CIP Malta is also organising focused events and information sessions in respect to the different CIP operational programmes, like:

• the seminar ‘Going Green: Tapping EU Funding for Energy and Environment’ held on the 14th of May, 2008 which attracted an audience of more than 200 persons, or
• the international conference on ‘ICT, Clustering and other networking frameworks: exploiting their potential to boosts competitiveness, innovation and sustainable growth’ to be held on 18th February 2009.

Moreover, CIP Malta also participates in information sessions organized by other entities where presentation of the CIP or its particular programmes are given. (e.g. the Malta Enterprise seminar on “Training opportunities for SMEs” organized on 15 July 2008, the course on EU funding organized on 29 October 2008 by the European Commission Representation in Malta and Foundation Temi Zammit, etc.).

CIP Malta has also taken on the added task of participating at CIP sub-programmes Management Committee level. The idea is to act as a focal point for the entire programme and, working closely with the Ministerial representatives for each of the 3 sub-programmes, endeavour to create synergies and a structure capable of putting forward a coherent comprehensive national position at appropriate European fora.

CIP Malta reaches out to local stakeholders in a proactive manner, providing the necessary value added in the form of targeted and concise information as well adequate support, with the aim of facilitating participation and enabling Maltese entities to take full advantage of the benefits provided by CIP and its sub-programmes.