Introduction
                  HSbooster.eu
                  offers a consultancy service to EU-funded projects seeking
                  guidance on standardisation-related aspects of their research
                  projects. Our aim is to assist projects in effectively
                  navigating the standardisation landscape, ensuring their work
                  aligns with relevant standards and maximising their impact in
                  the market. This factsheet provides detailed information and
                  instructions for projects interested in applying for the
                  HSbooster or that have already applied and are waiting to
                  start the consultancy service.
                
              The application
                  If you seek support for your project’s standardisation
                  activities, the first step is to submit an application for our
                  Open Call.
The application is open to both ongoing and completed H2020, Horizon Europe and Digital Europe projects to receive practical guidance to assess the standardisation readiness of their project results and match them up with standardisation experts who can guide the project on how these results can feed into standardisation working groups or technical committees. To apply, you should provide information on the project, its standardisation-related objectives and what you hope to gain from the booster service. This information will be used by HSbooster.eu beneficiaries to understand the project's needs and to identify the most appropriate expert to mentor you.
                  
              The application is open to both ongoing and completed H2020, Horizon Europe and Digital Europe projects to receive practical guidance to assess the standardisation readiness of their project results and match them up with standardisation experts who can guide the project on how these results can feed into standardisation working groups or technical committees. To apply, you should provide information on the project, its standardisation-related objectives and what you hope to gain from the booster service. This information will be used by HSbooster.eu beneficiaries to understand the project's needs and to identify the most appropriate expert to mentor you.
                    To apply, you should provide information on the project, its
                    standardisation-related objectives and what you hope to gain
                    from the booster service.
                  
                After the application
                  After the application, an eligibility check is done to make
                  sure that the applicant is a valid EU-project representative.
                  Once the eligibility is passed, the project representative
                  (i.e. the person who submitted the application on behalf of
                  the project consortium) will receive an automatic confirmation
                  from HSbooster.eu and will be allowed to set-up their profile
                  and password for the HSbooster.eu website. In the meantime, an
                  appropriate expert is looked for and matched with the project
                  as soon as possible.
                  
                  
              
                    On average, you can expect to start the service around 1
                    month after the submission of the application. This time is
                    needed for checks and administrative procedures for
                    HSbooster.eu to sign a contract with the selected experts.
                  
                Consultancy Service
                  The HSbooster Consultancy Service focuses on providing expert
                  consultancy on various standardisation-related aspects of a
                  given research project. The consultancy aims to enhance the
                  project's understanding and engagement with standardisation
                  processes to achieve effective results.
                
              Types of Consultancy Offered
- Standardisation Mapping: Identification and assessment of relevant standards applicable to the project.
- Suggestions on Standardisation Deliverables or Future Strategy: Recommendations for standardisation deliverables and strategic planning for future standardisation activities.
- Understanding Standardisation Processes: Clarification on how standardisation works, including the development and adoption of standards.
- Training Materials: Provision of training resources and materials related to standardisation processes.
- Engaging with Standardisation Development Organizations (SDOs) or Technical Committees/Working Groups (TCs/WGs): Guidance on interacting with appropriate SDOs, TCs, or WGs relevant to the project's objectives.
- Facilitating access to standards or TCs/WGs: The expert can help you access standards via HSbooster.eu. Indeed HSbooster.eu can reimburse the fees for a maximum of 3 selected standards. Once the coordinator or another beneficiary of a project that has applied to HSbooster.eu purchases the standard via their national standard body, the project representative can ask HSbooster.eu for reimbursement. Similarly, if the project is interested in accessing Technical Committees (TCs), Subcommittees (SCs), and Working Groups (WGs), HSbooster.eu offers reimbursement for the fee of one person per R&I project to gain access to a national mirror committee. This access enables participation in the work at TC, SC, and WG levels for a period of one year. Please note that we do not however, provide funding for the hours that the R&I project invests in their participation.
                    You will be able to indicate your preferences and needs in
                    the application form. If you request different types of
                    support, the feasibility of your request can be discussed in
                    advance with the expert, considering the effort constraints
                    detailed below.
                  
                Effort Expected from Projects
                  To ensure a successful consultancy experience, projects are
                  expected to:
                  
              - Interact promptly with the expert assigned to them.
- Attend scheduled meetings arranged by the expert.
- Inform the HSbooster.eu team promptly if any struggles or challenges arise during the consultancy process.
- Act upon the suggestions and recommendations provided by the expert and share their own perspectives.
- Complete a compulsory survey at the end of the service on the HSbooster Standard Operating Platform (SOP).
Effort from Expert and Expected Duration of Service
                  The consultancy service is designed to be "light" and
                  efficient, with an expert dedicating a maximum of 2 full
                  working days to the project. This effort will be spread over a
                  maximum timeframe of 3 months. If required, longer durations
                  can be agreed upon based on specific needs, however always
                  considering an equivalent effort of 2 days per service. Each
                  service includes up to 4 calls of approximately 1 hour,
                  between the project and the expert.
                
              Possibility to request additional services
                  1 It is important to emphasise that these
                  reimbursement options are specifically applicable to projects
                  that do not have allocated budgets or have already consumed
                  their budget for purchasing standards or joining TCs. We are
                  dedicated to supporting projects in maximizing their
                  engagement with standardisation activities and ensuring their
                  seamless access to the necessary resources.
                
                
                  It's important to note that the HSbooster Consultancy Service
                  is modular, allowing projects to apply for up to 3 services (
                  six equivalent working days) with the same or different
                  experts. Customised requests can be evaluated on a
                  case-by-case basis. Each service will have the same structure
                  in terms of meetings, duration and effort as detailed in the
                  previous section
                
              Output
                  By the end of the service, the project will receive a summary
                  report compiled by the expert with the description of the
                  meetings, activities performed and suggestions made. The
                  report is available for the project on the HSbooster.eu
                  platform. A feedback survey has to be filled-in on the
                  platform by the project at the service completion.
                
              Confidentiality of the Output
                  The report is confidential to the expert and the project.
                  However, it may be accessed upon need by HSbooster team
                  members, EC representatives, and the
                  External Advisory Group
                  members for quality check reasons. These individuals will not
                  disseminate the report.
                
              Accessing the Platform
                  To access the HSbooster Consultancy Service platform, please
                  follow these steps:
                  
              - Go to www.hsbooster.eu/user/login
- Insert the email used for the application and your password to login to the website.
- Go to www.sop.hsbooster.eu where you can track the progress of your assigned expert, read the activity report, and complete intermediate and final feedback surveys.
Promotion and Success Stories
                  After the completion of the service, projects have the
                  opportunity to be featured as a success story on the HSbooster
                  website. This includes promotion of their experience with
                  HSbooster.eu and the assigned expert. Additionally, a
                  dedicated flyer can be prepared to share the project's journey
                  with HSbooster.eu that the projects can use for their own
                  promotion as well.
                  
              
                    Please feel free to contact the HSbooster team for further
                    assistance or if you have any questions. We are excited to
                    collaborate with you and support your project's
                    standardisation goals.
                  
                Additional Interview Opportunity
                  Selected applicant projects may be given the chance to engage
                  in a further interview and discussion with expert members from
                  our External Advisory Group. This provides projects with an avenue
                  to delve deeper into their experiences and interact with a broader range of experts.
                
              Enhancing synergies among projects
                  Are you interested in enhancing standardisation-driven
                  synergies with other projects in your field instead? If you
                  already have a group of similar projects in mind, we have an
                  exciting opportunity for you. HSbooster.eu can organise a
                  dedicated webinar focusing on standards mapping, specifically
                  tailored to a selected topic of common interest among the
                  group. No need to go through the application process for this
                  particular case. Simply send us an email providing information
                  about your project, the other projects working in your field
                  and your common area of activity. Our team will carefully
                  evaluate the feasibility of organising a standards-focused
                  event that will benefit all participants. Don't miss out on
                  this exciting opportunity to enhance your project's impact.