Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP)

Period: 2007 - 2013

Budget: EUR 3 621 million

Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) supports competitiveness and eco-innovation throughout Europe in line with the renewed Lisbon Strategy.

It includes all Community actions in the area of entrepreneurship, SMEs, innovation, industrial competitiveness, ICT development and use, environmental technologies and intelligent energy.

CIP is structured around three main blocks of activities:

CIP targets particularly European organisations and enterprises with a special focus on SMEs; however the following non-EU countries are also eligible to participate in the programme:

• EFTA countries which are members of the EEA, in accordance with the conditions laid down in the EEA Agreement

• Candidate Countries benefiting from a pre-accession strategy, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions for the participation of these countries in Community programmes established in the respective Framework Agreement and Association Council Decisions

• Countries of the Western Balkans, in accordance with the provisions to be determined with those countries following the establishment of framework agreements concerning their participation in Community programmes

• Other third countries, when agreements so allow

CIP Web page

Council and European Parlement decision establishing the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme PDF