The first public notice, in the amount of R$ 10 million, will have a partnership with Sebrae and will be open for registration until 09/05
Petrobras launched, in partnership with Sebrae, a call for Research, Development and Innovation (R,D&I) projects aimed at startups and small innovative companies. The public notice provides for the financing of up to 10 projects, in six different areas, with amounts ranging from R$ 500 thousand to R$ 1.5 million, totaling R$ 10 million at this stage.
The initiative is part of the Petrobras Connections for Innovation program and was created to encourage the development of technological solutions that meet the needs of the oil, gas and energy business.
“This is just the first initiative that aims to bring Petrobras closer to startups. Through it, we will invest up to R$ 60 million over the next five years in research, development and innovation projects”, explains Orlando Ribeiro, executive manager of Cenpes, Petrobras Research and Development Center.
Who can participate?
Any innovative micro or small company, with or without partnerships with scientific and technological institutions, can present projects in the areas of digital technologies, carbon capture and use, new energies, nanotechnology, corrosion and catalysts. “These are important areas not only for our company's technological strategy, but for the entire oil and gas sector,” explains Ramos. Applications open on August 1st and can be done until September 5th, on the website http://www.sebrae.com.br/editalpetrobrassebrae/2019.
Rating criteria
The selected companies will have up to two years to develop their projects. In the selection, the impact of the proposed solution for Petrobras' business, the consistency and feasibility of the project will be evaluated, including ease of implementation of the proposed solution, the technical capacity of the team, the degree of innovation, the level of technological maturity and the potential for scale gain.
They will have access to sources of financial resources, client base, investors and mentor network, as well as time to mature and validate proposed solutions and increase their market visibility. “The idea is to create a favorable environment for innovation, bringing companies, science and technology institutions and investors together”, explains Petrobras engineer and project leader, Ricardo Ramos. “We want to find small companies and startups that work in the technology area to overcome together the critical period that goes from the conception of an innovative technology or solution to its commercial viability”. Studies show that many projects and companies fail at this stage.
The partnership with Sebrae, in this sense, is strategic. In addition to being present in practically every country, the institution is specialized and recognized in the training of micro and small companies for their competitive insertion in the market. “Companies approved in the Program will rely on Sebrae throughout the execution of R,D&I projects. Entrepreneurs will have access to specialized consultancy for the improvement of managerial and technological processes, in addition to intensive support in the physical and financial monitoring of projects. This support will be essential to promote the improvement of the level of business competitiveness during the execution of the project and for everything to happen in accordance with the rules imposed by the ANP Regulation, explains the technical director of Sebrae, Bruno Quick.
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