The general objective of this proposal is to offer services for SMEs that help increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of investments in research, development and innovation and by contributing to a better and more efficient connection to providers to more special support in this field of action. Partners will deliver these services in the NUTS-1 region Niedersachsen DE9 (Germany) in the years 2017 and 2018.To achieve the above mentioned objectives partners in this proposed consortium will: 1. Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of innovation processes in small and medium sized enterprises with significant innovation activities that could potentially become beneficiaries of European support programmes for research and innovation. This service, provided independently from a specific innovation project and focusing on a company's innovation management system, is called Enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs. All partners will provide this service. • Partners will deliver 52 Enhancing actions as described in Work package 1 as 7-day-packagesThe number of Enhancing action is justified by experience of partner NBank, which carries out 20 to 25 Innovation audits a year. Clients have to be found and also to be selected as suitable for the service. 2. Identify bottlenecks in the creation of economic impact in companies benefitting from grants under Horizon2020's SME instrument and address these bottlenecks with the help of capable coaches. • Partner NBank will deliver 8 Key Account Management actions as described in Work package 2 as 7-day-packages related to successful proposals for the SME Instrument from the region. The number is justified by the knowledge about how many successful proposals are expected on the SME-Instrument-Tool. Broken down to the region, NBank expects 8 cases for Lower Saxony. If the number of cases is higher, NBank will provide KAM service accordingly and lower the number of enhancing

The general objective of this proposal is to offer services for SMEs that help increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of investments in research, development and innovation and by contributing to a better and more efficient connection to providers to more special support in this field of action. Partners will deliver these services in the NUTS-1 region Niedersachsen DE9 (Germany) in the years 2015 and 2016.To achieve the above mentioned objectives partners in this proposed consortium will:1. Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of innovation processes in small and medium sized enterprises with significant innovation activities that could potentially become beneficiaries of European support programmes for research and innovation.This service, provided independently from a specific innovation project and focusing on a company's innovation management system, is called Enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs. All partners will provide this service.• Partners will deliver 52 Enhancing actions as described in Work package 1 as 7-day-packagesThe number of Enhancing action is justified by experience of partner NBank, which carries out 20 to 25 Innovation audits a year. Clients have to be found and also to be selected as suitable for the service.2. Identify bottlenecks in the creation of economic impact in companies benefitting from grants under Horizon2020's SME instrument and address these bottlenecks with the help of capable coaches. • Partner NBank will deliver 8 Key Account Management actions as described in Work package 2 as 7-day-packages related to successful proposals for the SME Instrument from the region.The number is justified by the knowledge about how many successful proposals are expected on the SME-Instrument-Tool. Broken down to the region, NBank expects 8 cases for Lower Saxony. If the number of cases is higher, NBank will provide KAM service accordingly and lower the number of enhancing actions.

EEN Niedersachsen - Enhancement of Innovation Management Capacities of SMEs and Key Account Management for SMEs. To achieve the above mentioned objectives the Network partners will: 1. Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of innovation processes in small and medium sized enterprises with significant innovation activities that could potentially become beneficiaries of European support programmes for research and Innovation, but do not have sufficient access to consulting services for innovation management. This service, provided independently from a specific innovation project and focusing on a company's innovation management system, is called Enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs (EIMC). Due to staff restriction EEN Niedersachsen Partner Hochschule Osnabrück will not apply for this call. The two partners Leibniz University Hannover and NBank ill deliver minimum 56 EIMC actions as described in Work package 1 as 7-10-day-packages 2. Identify bottlenecks in the creation of economic impact in companies benefitting from grants under European Innovation Council Instruments (accelerator and pathfinder) or Horizons 2020's SME instrument and address these bottlenecks with the help of capable coaches. This service to beneficiaries of the EIC/ SME instrument in the context of a given project is called 'Key Account Management'. Partner NBank will provide this service to all companies successful in their proposals in the funding schemes SME Instrument, Fast Track to Innovation and Future and Emerging Technologies Open as well as EIC accelerator and pathfinder projects. • Partner NBank plans to deliver 8 Key Account Management actions as described in Work package 2 as 7-day-packages related to successful proposals for the mentioned funding schemes from the region.

EEN Niedersachsen Enterprise Europe Network Enhancement Innovation Management Capacities of SMEs and Key Account Management for SMEs. To achieve the above mentioned objectives the Network partners will: 1. Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of innovation processes in small and medium sized enterprises with significant innovation activities that could potentially become beneficiaries of European support programmes for research and Innovation, but do not have sufficient access to consulting services for innovation management. This service, provided independently from a specific innovation project and focusing on a company's innovation management system, is called Enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs (EIMC). • Partners will deliver minimum 27 EIMC actions as described in Work package 1 as 7-10-day-packages 2. Identify bottlenecks in the creation of economic impact in companies benefitting from grants under Horizon2020's SME instrument and address these bottlenecks with the help of capable coaches. This service to beneficiaries of the SME instrument in the context of a given project is called 'Key Account Management'. Partner NBank will provide this service to all companies successful in their proposals in the funding schemes SME Instrument, Fast Track to Innovation and Future and Emerging Technologies Open. • Partner NBank plans to deliver 8 Key Account Management actions as described in Work package 2 as 7-day-packages related to successful proposals for the mentioned funding schemes from the region.

The general objective of this proposal is to offer services for SMEs that help increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of investments in research, development and innovation and by contributing to a better and more efficient connection to providers to more special support in this field of action. Partners will deliver these services in the NUTS-1 region Niedersachsen DE9 (Germany). To achieve the above mentioned objectives partners in this proposed consortium will: 1. Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of innovation processes in small and medium sized enterprises with significant innovation activities that could potentially become beneficiaries of European support programmes for research and innovation. This service, provided independently from a specific innovation project and focusing on a company's innovation management system, is called Enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs. All partners will provide this service. • Partners will deliver 14 Enhancing actions as described in Work package 1 as 7-day-packages The number of Enhancing action is justified by experience of partner NBank, which carries out 25 to 30 Innovation audits a year. Clients have to be found and also to be selected as suitable for the service. 2. Identify bottlenecks in the creation of economic impact in companies benefitting from grants under Horizon2020's SME instrument and address these bottlenecks with the help of capable coaches. • Partner NBank will deliver 2 Key Account Management actions as described in Work package 2 as 7-day-packages related to successful proposals for the SME Instrument from the region. The number is justified by the knowledge about how many successful proposals are expected on the SME-Instrument-Tool. Broken down to the region, NBank expects 1-2 cases for Lower Saxony. If the number of cases is higher, NBank will provide KAM service accordingly and lower the number of enhancing actions.