Service Facility in Support of the Strategic Development of International Cooperation in R&I

The Service Facility aims to support the European Commission in reinforcing international policy dialogue world-wide and identifying opportunities for increased cooperation.

The Service Facility in Support of the Strategic Development of International Cooperation in Research and Innovation is set up under the provisions of the Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2016-2017, 'Europe in a changing world – Inclusive, innovative and reflective societies', Other actions –II Public Procurement.

International cooperation is a cross-cutting priority of Horizon 2020 and a dedicated strategy for 'Enhancing and Focussing EU International Cooperation in Research and Innovation' was set out in the Commission Communication COM (2012) 497 (EU R&I international cooperation strategy).

The service facility in support of research and innovation cooperation aims to support the Commission in reinforcing bilateral, multilateral and bi-regional policy dialogues with Third Countries and regions as well as identifying and addressing barriers to and opportunities for increased cooperation. More broadly it will support the Commission activities in pursuing the EU R&I international cooperation strategy.

This framework contract provides a novel way of carrying out tasks in support of the Commission's policy dialogues with Third Countries and Regions by 1) ensuring a better match between policy needs and support activities, 2) enhancing flexibility and faster response times to the Commission's needs in support of policy dialogues and 3) overall cost savings in the performance of routine activities including the organisation of meetings, events and training on the participation to H2020 and in the forthcoming ‘Horizon Europe’.

CeRISS is a Major Subcontractor of the Facility. In that capacity CeRISS:

• Was partner in the project: “Peer-to-peer learning and stakeholder networks in support of Tunisia's Association to Horizon 2020”;
• Is partner in the project: “Support to EU-EaP Research and Innovation Cooperation” Phase 1 and (currently 2020 - 2021) Phase 2;
• Attended as Trainer the events dedicated to H2020 organized by the Facility in Tehran/Iran (11/2017); Adana, Ankara and Istanbul/Turkey (2/2018); Cairo/Egypt (2/2018); Riyadh/Saudi Arabia (4/2018); Alexandria/Egypt (4/2018); Belgrade/Serbia (11/2018) Podgorica/Montenegro (11/2018); Algiers/Algeria (2/2019); Nairobi/Kenya (3/2019); Yaounde/Cameroon (10/2019).