Programme called BETA is a programme of public procurement in research, experimental development and innovation for the needs of public administration bodies (nine ministries or other state bodies). The results of this procurement, including the intellectual property rights, may be owned and used only by state bodies that defined the research topics and ordered a specific solution reflecting their needs.

The main objective of BETA programme is to gain new knowledge and skills, to enhance current practices, methodologies, regulatory mechanisms, surveillance activities, as well as improving services and information management products and procedures that will be used by the state administration and will lead to greater innovation and effective allocation of public funds.

The programme will be implemented in 2 phases: in the first one, respective state bodies (mainly ministries) will identify their R&D needs that will subsequently be evaluated by TA CR Sectoral Committee. In the second phase a provider will be chosen for the selected R&D needs. Provider will be selected via public procurement. TA CR will coordinate the selection process, administrate the public procurement process as well as the realization of projects.

The programme is approved for the period 2012 to 2016 and the budget allocated to this programme is 26 million EUR for next 5 years or more precisely 3.2 million EUR for the first year.

First call of BETA programme was launched in February 2011 and the first R&D needs are just being identified by the defined state bodies.