H2020 NCPs CaRE Project: National Contact Points for Climate Action, Raw Materials, Environment and Resource Efficiency

National Contact Points provide valuable guidance and support services to national applicants in preparing proposals for Horizon 2020 funding. We hope that, through increased cooperation and networking among these national entities, a higher quality of their consulting services and, consequently, of their proposals and projects will be achieved. Therefore, the overall objective of NCPs CaRE is to form a joint cooperation network of NCPs with and without experience in SC5 "Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials," in order to pool their resources and expertise to improve the overall quality of services provided to their clients. By involving 23 formally designated National Contact Points across Europe, the NCPs CaRE project will significantly strengthen transnational cooperation.

Furthermore, NCPs CaRE will broadly engage the 26 NCPs that have decided to become Associate Partners. Leveraging synergies is particularly relevant for SC5 NCPs, as potential applicants to this Challenge are highly diverse in terms of their scientific or organizational background, level of experience, and participation in transnational networks. Specifically, NCPs CaRE's activities to achieve this goal include, among others, collaboration and twinning programs, the compilation of good practice handbooks, events, meetings, and training courses, both online and in-person, as well as a wide range of communication and dissemination tools and platforms.

These activities, planned by CaRE NCPs, will contribute to enhancing the impact of R&D&I in SC5 and ensure more efficient use of resources and R&D&I development, optimizing the workflow between NCPs, applicants, the Commission, and other SC5 stakeholders. Tailor-made for the SC5 community, these activities will enable all participating and beneficiary NCPs to increase the number of proposals, both in quantity and quality.