Dr. Mehdi Keshmiri, the president of Isfahan Science and Technology Town (ISTT) recently became a member of the National Contact Point (NCP) network of the European Union. The network of National Contact Points (NCPs) is the main structure to provide guidance, practical information and assistance to the European Commission on all aspects of participation in Horizon 2020.

NCPs are national structures established and financed by governments of the 28 EU member states and the states associated to the framework program. The NCP systems can vary from one country to another from highly centralized to decentralized networks, and a number of very different actors, from ministries to universities, research centers and special agencies to private consulting companies.

In general, the following basic services are available from the NCP network:

· Guidance on choosing relevant H2020 topics and types of action

· Advice on administrative procedures and contractual issues

· Training and assistance on proposal writing

· Distribution of documentation (forms, guidelines, manuals etc.)

· Assistance in partner search