ExpectedOutcome:
Projects are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:

Improved and professionalised NCP services across Europe, in the respective thematic area, thereby supporting access to Horizon Europe calls, lowering the entry barriers for newcomers, and raising the average quality of proposals submitted;
A more consistent level of NCP support services across Europe;
Facilitating participation of new players in projects in this thematic area;
Matchmaking activities to link up potential participants from widening countries with emerging consortia in this thematic area. Matchmaking should use a variety of possible tools;
Increased cooperation of NCPs with the Enterprise Europe Network;
Integration of the different components of Cluster ‘Digital, Industry and Space’ and of the respective stakeholders.


Scope:
Building on the three existing NCP networks of Cluster 4 ‘Digital, Industry and Space’, proposals should facilitate trans-national co-operation amongst National Contact Points (NCPs), encouraging cross-border activities, sharing good practices and raising the general standard of support to programme applicants.

Proposers may wish to foresee specialised services covering different thematic areas of the cluster, drawing on the expertise of the predecessor networks. In the case of separate proposals, a close collaboration amongst the proposals should be put in place, to ensure the cohesion of the services in the three thematic areas of Digital, Industry and Space, with a single entry point and common visual identity. Proposers should also share good practices across thematic areas; and enhance opportunities for collaboration across the cluster.

Given the importance of human-centric approaches in this cluster, the proposal should attract new types of player to the cluster, for instance social innovation players, makers and youth associations. Appropriate expertise from social sciences and humanities (SSH) should be included.

Special attention should be given to enhancing the competence of NCPs, including helping less experienced NCPs rapidly acquire the know-how built up in other countries. Where relevant, synergies should be sought with the Enterprise Europe Network to organise matchmaking activities in accordance with Annex IV of the NCP Minimum Standards and Guiding Principles.