Expertise and current research performed: CF consulting is an SME mostly composed by women involved in research programmes, technological, environmental, financial, training and cultural issues, and innovation policies relevant at national and European level. CFc is based in Milan and in Bruxelles.

CFc team gathers 12 consultants with complementary experience or training to innovation management. The company offers scientific, legal, economical and statistical competences, in order to give a concrete and complete support to: organisation of training activities (courses, seminars and cross-sectional training academia-industry); organisation of project meetings and workshop; market analysis and business plan definition; support to transfer of knowledge within and outside consortia; dissemination process targeted to stakeholders and policy makers and public aimed at increasing awareness at European level on the project’s results; design, implementation and maintenance of project’s website; knowledge management and quality assurance, in order to ensure the proper information availability for all partners and the correct activities’ progression. In particular, the creation of documentation aimed to describe research project flow, activities’ correlations, milestones & deliverables. CFc has a vast experience in the management of large projects, notably in the area of Life Sciences. The majority of the projects managed by CFc has among 11 and 30 partners from up to 15 different European countries. The funding obtained in these projects range from 1 million Euro to 9 milion euro (the latter ones up to 25% of CFc projects). In the last ten years, the SME supported universities, R&D centres and companies in the up-dates of their management practices (financial planning and management, programmes for the valorisation of research results, support in the technology transfer, integration of information and communication technologies). Furthermore, CFc has implemented all the necessary procedures for the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data, in full respect of the legal national requirements and code of practice, according to the Decreto Legislativo n. 196 del 30.06.2003 Codice in materia di protezione dei dati personali (New Data Protection Code), published on the Italian Official Journal n. 174 of 29.07.2003

Facilities/Equipment: CFc is currently equipped with 10 work stations. Each of them is equipped with last generation hardware and software. The IT network is already configurated in order to host up to 35 work stations and to implement a fast infrastructure; 8 phone lines and teleconference facilities are also available. In order to carry on the tasks related to the coordination of the dissemination activities, CFc has access to a large number of mailing lists and databases.

Personnel involved in the project:

Principal investigator: Carla Finocchiaro (F) Political sciences degree. Company General Manager, over 10 years experience in European research programmes and international public relations. Training expertise on EC law.

Serena Cogoni (F).  Experience in European research programmes and management of European funded project. Ottavia Legrenzi (F). Law degree. Financial budgets and audits; Ilaria Marsili (F). Financial management of European projects.

Emilio Cigliano (M). Law degree. Experience in Corporate and Litigation and arbitration practice. Drawing up of national and international agreements. Jana Cechova (F). Assistant and web-master.