About us

We believe that building a sustainable future needs collaborative effort, ground-breaking projects, committed partners and, of course, funding.

After more than 15 years of success in international EU grant writing and change management, we decided to put our focus and full commitment into those projects that will make a difference with regard to a world that is at the same time smart, digital and sustainable.

We see our work inspired and driven by the United Nations' SDGs, the EU priorities (Climate Neutral & Smart Countries, Digital Market and Green Deal) and the Paris 2050 agreement.

We believe in the idea of open source software and interoperable open data solutions:

  • Innovative, collaborative, and open data driven concepts
  • Useful, replicable, and scalable outcomes
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Our team

The IFE team brings over 30 years of experience in grant writing, community building, stakeholder management and change processes to the table. Our team consists of:

Peter Schottes

Peter Schottes

Founder // Managing Director

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Sophie

Sophie Glaser-Deruelle

Senior Consultant

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Olaf Gerd Gemein

Olaf Gerd Gemein

Founder // Advisor

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Rita Gil mata

Senior Consultant

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Hans J

Hans-Joachim Schulten

Consultant

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Oliver Cressall

Oliver Cressall

Business Developer

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founding companies

Smart Cities Lab

Smart Cities Lab is a think tank bringing together 50+ experts from all over the world providing knowledge and experience around smart cities and open data platforms.

Smart Cities Lab
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Eisenschmidt Consulting

Eisenschmidt Consulting crew is a specialist in transformation projects in the fields of strategy, culture, and digitalisation, working for customers all over Germany and Europe, from SME to corporates, also including the public sector. ECC offers strategy/innovation councelling, culture and personal development, project development and implementation support.

Eisenschmidt
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Peter Schottes

Peter Schottes

Eisenschmidt Consulting

Peter holds a PhD in nature science (climate impact research), worked as a project manager for software development and as a freelance consultant. He is managing director and shareholder of Eisenschmidt Consulting Crew in Kiel, Germany. He is a specialist in transformation projects and works as a sparring partner for top executives. His focus in on strategy development, digital transformation and concept development.

Peter is active as advisor for StartUps and Angel investor. At IFE he overlooks the entire process of community building, stakeholder management and is also responsible for the project kick-offs.

Sophie

Sophie Glaser-Deruelle

Senior Consultant

Sophie is a mission-driven, analytic, and reliable consultant. Her focus is on the development of projects, and writing public funding bids and grant proposals for R&D. She holds an MA in International Relations and European Studies and has a strong background in SME development and enabling SMEs and Start-ups to access markets and funding.

Sophie has over 10 years of experience in EU funding and project implementation including international project development, tender and funding proposal writing, policy development, implementation, and project management. At IFE, Sophie is a Senior Consultant and Project Development expert. She aids companies in defining their R&D needs and aligning them to calls, this includes ideation and development of projects, consortium building and writing proposals for EU funding.

Olaf Gerd Gemein

Olaf Gerd Gemein

Verocity

Olaf is a passionate Serial Entrepreneur and Business Architect with a specific ambition: to be a change catalyst!

With over 30 years of practical experience in various markets in Europe, Asia, North and South America and Canada, he has successfully supported more than 100 projects in the ICT sector. His contributions have focused on accelerating start-up and innovation clusters, building networks, products and services from scratch, facilitating and implementing go-to-market strategies. He is frequently asked to speak at conferences and facilitate networking on smart tech topics around the world.

Rita Profile

Rita Gil Mata

Senior Consultant

Rita is an experienced and dynamic research advisor, highly focused on helping excellent science and innovation get funding. She has a Ph.D. in Work Psychology and more than 18 years of experience in research funding advisory, proposal writing, and research management. She has worked in both public and private contexts and has a wider perspective on the different stakeholders of the R&I ecosystem.

She is specialized in EU Funding, namely Impact writing and Responsible Research & Innovation (Open Science, Ethics, Privacy, Gender Equality, and Public Engagement). At IFE, Rita is a Senior Consultant and Project Development expert. She helps clients in their path from idea to proposal, from submission to approved projects.

Hans J

Hans-Joachim Schultin

Consultant

Hans-Joachim has been working as a consultant and organizational developer throughout Germany and internationally since 1997. In many companies and organizations, mainly from the medium-sized sector, he has successfully introduced management systems and designed change projects.

A special aspect of his work is the combination of process and business management competence, which allows him to work out the complete optimization potential of an organization. His many years of facilitation experience in connection with training in personality and cultural models ensure successful workshops and change projects.

Oliver Cressall

Oliver Cressall

Business Developer

Oliver is a dedicated business developer committed to helping entrepreneurs and small businesses access the resources they need to succeed. He is currently building his expertise in EU funding and has developed the ability to navigate the, often complex, EU grant process.

He is both passionate about helping businesses grow and reach their potential, and he works closely to support administrative or operational procedures. Oliver is excited to continue helping businesses succeed and achieve their goals.

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Clean Energy

In 2019 the EU completed a comprehensive update of its energy policy framework to facilitate the transition away from fossil fuels towards cleaner energy and to deliver on the EU’s Paris Agreement commitments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The agreement on this new energy rulebook – called the Clean energy for all Europeans package – marked a significant step towards the implementation of the energy union strategy, published in 2015.

Climate, Energy and Mobility is the focus for Cluster 5 in Horizon Europe. This clusters aims to fight climate change by better understanding its causes, evolution, risks, impacts and opportunities, and by making the energy and transport sectors more climate and environment-friendly, more efficient and competitive, smarter, safer and more resilient

More information here.

Recent Projects

Alex Neu

Alex Chalkley

Venturenomix

Alex has a BSc in Mathematics, Economics & Computing and has already built a market-leading R&D Funding Consultancy in the UK from 2009 to 2019. Alex has developed funding bids, mainly in the form of R&D Grant Applications, that have secured over €60m for clients operating at the forefront of technology innovation. Venturenomix, focuses on supporting Impact Ventures by offering specialist funding related consultancy services to ambitious people seeking funding for good projects. At IFE, Alex is Managing Director and responsible for all aspects of the business, in particular recruiting, mentoring and adding value to the EU Grant Writing Consultants working on multi-million Euro EU Grant Applications.

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Smart City

A smart city is a place where traditional networks and services are made more efficient with the use of digital and telecommunication technologies for the benefit of its inhabitants and business. 

A smart city goes beyond the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for better resource use and less emissions. It means smarter urban transport networks, upgraded water supply and waste disposal facilities and more efficient ways to light and heat buildings. It also means a more interactive and responsive city administration, safer public spaces and meeting the needs of an ageing population. Last not least, it aims to make a city a healthier, more sustainable and more attractive place to be for its residents and visitors.

More than half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas. This is expected to reach 80% by 2050. Cities and metropolitan areas are centres of economic activity, knowledge generation, innovation and new technologies. Cities influence the quality of life of citizens who live or work in them and they are major contributors to global challenges.

A mission in this area will help us meet the goals and targets set out by international policy frameworks such as the COP21 Paris Agreement, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (notably SDG11), the Urban Agenda for the EU and the Habitat III New Urban Agenda as cities play a key role in all of them.

Read more here.

Recent Projects

  • OASC: Open and Agile Smart Cities: IFE Founder, Olad-Gerd Gemien, initiated and lead the Funding Working Group of OASC 2018.
  • Open Data Portal: IFE supported the City of Paderborn applying for funding of €3.5m for the Open Urban Data Portal.
  • Smart City Kiel: IFE supported the City of Kiel application for €17.5m grant funding for a large implementation Smart City concept.
  • Urban Data Portal: IFE supported the City of Lübeck (Germany) architecture of the Urban Data Portal.
  • Smart City Implementation: IFE supported the city of Flensburg, the counties Nordfriesland and Schleswig-Flensburg in application for €15m grant funding for a large Smart City strategy and implementation.
  • Urban Data Platforms: IFE continues to supported various stakeholder groups in India, Canada and the US in charge for the European Commission and the WorldBank related to Urban Data platforms.
  • Smart Country Portal: IFE supported the Cloud Architecture of the Smart Country Portal in Bavaria (Germany).
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Green Deal

The European Green Deal sets out how to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. It maps a new, sustainable and inclusive growth strategy to boost the economy, improve people’s health and quality of life, care for nature, and leave no one behind.

The Green Deal spans and informs all of the Horizon Europe Pillars and Destinations. As such, there is no dedicated funding programme, apart from Horizon Europe itself. This strategy underpins Horizon Europe funding from 2021-2027. You can read more about the Pillars and funding opportunities here.

Recent Projects

  • European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) / Energy Communities / Community Support Action / Currently 9 partners

    IFE represents a world-leading consortium including an Energy Innovation Campus and Start-Up Community “GreenTEC Campus” (combining households, Renewable Energy Generators and 50+ businesses incl. StartUps), 2x technology partners (Energy Demand Management & Open Data), 4x Energy Communities (Netherlands, Greece, Germany & Spain), and 2x respected EU-wide Knowledge Transfer Agencies (Innovation & Energy specialists).
    The overarching objective of the consortium partners is to create a sustainable support technology framework to enable new networks of Energy Communities (households, generators, grid operators and utilities) in understanding and realising their own potential to manage and reduce energy consumption, hence reducing energy costs as well as greenhouse gases and have a positive impact on the climate crisis in general. The approach aligns with the wider EU goals of ‘twin technology’ and ‘decarbonisation at scale’.
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Open Data

The success of Europe’s digital transformation will depend on establishing effective rules to ensure trustworthy technologies, to give businesses the confidence and means to digitise, and to ensure highest privacy standards for citizens. The Data Strategy and the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence are the first pillars of the new digital strategy of the Commission. They all focus on the need to put people first in developing technology, as well as on the need to defend and promote European values and rights in how we design, make and deploy technology in the economy.

The European strategy for data aims at creating a single market for data that will ensure Europe’s global competitiveness and data sovereignty. Common European data spaces will ensure that more data becomes available for use in the economy and society, while keeping companies and individuals who generate the data in control.

Cluster 4 in Horizon Europe is dedicated to Digital, Industry and Space. The overarching vision behind the proposed investments under Cluster 4 is that of Europe shaping competitive and trusted technologies for a European industry with global leadership in key areas, enabling production and consumption to respect the boundaries of our planet, and maximising the benefits for all parts of society in the variety of social, economic and territorial contexts in Europe.

This will build a competitive, digital, low-carbon and circular industry, ensure sustainable supply of raw materials, develop advanced materials and provide the basis for advances and innovation in  global challenges to society.

Recent Projects

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Mobility

The European Green Deal calls for a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transport in order for the EU to become a climate-neutral economy by 2050, while also working towards a zero-pollution ambition. To achieve this systemic change, we need to (1) make all transport modes more sustainable, (2) make sustainable alternatives widely available in a multimodal transport system and (3) put in place the right incentives to drive the transition.

Climate, Energy and Mobility is the focus for Cluster 5 in Horizon Europe. This clusters aims to fight climate change by better understanding its causes, evolution, risks, impacts and opportunities, and by making the energy and transport sectors more climate and environment-friendly, more efficient and competitive, smarter, safer and more resilient

More information here.

Recent Projects

  • Smart MaaS: Our team secured funding for the ‘German funded platform for mobility as a Service’ by developing the concept and successful application. Secured €3,9m funding, facilitated several workshops and conferences 2018-2021.
  • MaaS (mobility as a service, ERTICO) Alliance: IFE are a member of the Architecture, Standards and API working group and currently guiding the group towards interoperability, 2019-2021.
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Agriculture

The Farm to Fork Strategy is at the heart of the Green Deal. It addresses comprehensively the challenges of sustainable food systems and recognises the inextricable links between healthy people, healthy societies and a healthy planet. The strategy is also central to the Commission’s agenda to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All citizens and operators across value chains, in the EU and elsewhere, should benefit from a just transition, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn. A shift to a sustainable food system can bring environmental, health and social benefits, offer economic gains and ensure that the recovery from the crisis puts us onto a sustainable path. Ensuring a sustainable livelihood for primary producers, who still lag behind in terms of income, is essential for the success of the recovery and the transition.

Cluster 6 under Horizon Europe ringfences innovation grant funding for Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resouces, Agriculture & Environment. This cluster aims at reducing environmental degradation, halting and reversing the decline of biodiversity on land, inland waters and sea and better managing natural resources through transformative changes of the economy and society in both urban and rural areas. It will ensure food and nutrition security for all within planetary boundaries through knowledge, innovation and digitalisation in agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and food systems and steer and accelerate the transition to a low carbon, resource efficient circular economy and sustainable bioeconomy, including forestry.

More information here.

Recent Projects

  • Agricultural DataSpace: We are working with a world-leading consortium of partners on developing the world’s first interoperable, integrated and open DataSpace for the Agricultural Sector. This 15+ consortium partnership brings together leading academics, Gaia-X founding members, innovative SMEs (Field Digital Twin Technology), regions and real use cases (to address environmental challenges).
  • Agri Community: In partnership with Bable, we are building out a global community to bring together all stakeholders in the Agricultural sector through a digital platform. Connections will be enabled between innovative solution providers, consultants and actors in the agri-supply chain – all with a keen focus on EU Green Deal goals.