How to write your H2020 NMBP full proposal

Your next task is to write a convincing and winning full proposal. At PNO we want to empower you in your mission and provide you with some tips on how to write your NMBP full proposal.

NMBP in the Horizon 2020 programme

Horizon 2020’s Work Programme includes “Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Biotechnology and Advanced Manufacturing and Processing (NMBP)”, which aims at laying the foundation for Europe’s industry of tomorrow. It includes several calls that are of interest in the life sciences, with topics like medical technologies, regenerative medicine, toxicology, and manufacturing processes. These calls are classified as Innovation Action (IA) or Research and Innovation Action (RIA), which means that projects should be a collaborative effort of at least three legal entities from different EU Member States or Horizon 2020 associated countries. From projects funded in the NMBP programme, it is generally expected that new products are developed: processes, services, or business model innovations.

Three main aspects of writing a full NMBP proposal

The project should balance risk

One way to achieve this, is to have a clear ‘fast-track’ towards implementation of your idea (product, process, or service). This should be combined with a more fundamental approach track where new ideas or data will be generated. A main goal of the NMBP programme is to support the development of technologies, and the European Commission needs to see how this development will come about through your project. A great example of this balance between fundamental research and implementation is the PRECIOUS project.

Your plans for sustainability and exploitation should be woven into the whole project

Sustainability and exploitation are not just “boxes to be ticked” in NMBP proposals in their respective dedicated sections. Rather, these factors represent major indicators of success and should be present throughout your project. This will show it is well thought-through and an integral part of your proposal, maximising your ability to achieve the desired exploitation.

Maximisation of the impact is achieved by the best consortium and integration with the industry

Make sure you think about who the best possible partners are in your project. Also read our resource on How to build a successful consortium for more details on how to achieve this and why it is important. From an evaluation of previous years, the European Commission stated that participants had stressed the opportunities that resulted from the right collaborations in their NMBP projects in terms of access to market.

Request assistance

Hopefully this will help you get inspired and excited about writing your proposal. Do you feel like you need more help? Our experts are ready to help you with proposal writing and will challenge you to create the best possible project. We can provide you, your research group, or department with tailored training sessions! Get in contact to find out how we can help you.