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As part of the NETIES project, we have conducted a survey of small and medium sized enterprises interested in participating in Sixth Framework funded projects. This survey was carried out in Hungary, in parallel with our colleagues in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

This research was conducted in two parts. The first survey gathered information from companies and organizations interested in taking part in an FP6 funded project. The second survey, summarized here, researched those who had previously taken part in a project.

One insight of this survey is the high level of satisfaction among Hungarian companies taking part in FP6. Nearly one third of companies (29%) rated their FP6 participation a ‘four’ on an ascending value scale of one to four, while 48% gave it a ‘three’. A full 90% agreed they would do it all over again, if given the chance.

A total of 39 companies took part in this survey, which was carried out in partnership with the Hungarian Association of IT Companies (IVSZ).

The majority of companies surveyed (62%) identified themselves as small companies with 11-50 employees. Nearly a third (29%) were microcompanies with 11 or fewer employees, while just 10% of participants were medium-sized companies with 51 to 250 employees on staff. The average company size was 26 persons.

The survey participants had taken part in a total of 143 project proposals, for an average of seven proposals per company. Eleven companies had taken part as a project coordinator of one or more projects, for a total of 32 projects.

How successful were survey respondents at winning FP6 projects? The largest group (45%) reported a 50-75% success rate, while 19% reported 75% or greater success rate. Roughly a third reported a success rate of less than 50%.

How did survey participants enter their project consortium? 57% reported they had been invited to join a consortium, while 52% reported they initiated a project proposal. 19% conducted a partner search, while 10% found partners in other ways, such as through personal acquaintances. (Multiple answers were possible for this question.)

43% of survey respondents did not use an external consultant in the project proposal phase. Of those companies that did, 19% used an independent consultant, while 14% relied on their national contact point and 10% used a regional contact person.

What information sources did survey participants use to get involved in FP6? 90% found the Internet a useful source of info, while 38% found help at an event, or from an FP6 office or agent. 29% exchanged information with a foreign partner, while 19% took up contact with a EU representative in Brussels. (Multiple answers were possible for this question.)

What thematic areas did survey respondents take part in? Just over half of participants (52%) took part in an IST project, while 19% took part in a LIFE or GROWTH project. (Multiple answers were possible for this question.)

The most common problems survey respondents had with taking part in FP6 were keep to the project budget (24%) and meeting deadlines (19%). Other issues were project management (14%), cooperating with partners (10%), achieving project goals (5%) and working with Brussels (5%).

Asked to rank the value of their project participation on a scale of one to four (four representing the greatest value), 48% of respondents choose ‘three’, while 29% responded with ‘four’. 10% reported ‘two’, while just 5% assigned their FP6 participation the lowest value, ‘one’.

What were the most positive aspects of FP6 participation? ? (Multiple answers were possible for this question.) The majority valued the financial support (62%), as well exposure to new technologies and processes (62%), as well as new contacts (52%). 38% were pleased to be introduced to new products, as well as industrial or commercial contacts. Nearly a quarter (24%) was able to develop existing products.

Ninety percent of survey participants agreed that, given the chance, they would take part in the same project all over again.

The proportion of Hungarian women participating in these projects was relatively low, with 29% of respondents reporting less than 15%, as well as between 15-25%. Just 19% of companies reported a female participation of greater than 50%.