Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe (HE) is the European Commission’s instrument supporting breakthrough research and innovation at an international scale. The HE budget in the 2021-2027 perspective is approximately EUR 100 billion. The Horizon Europe program promotes research excellence and supports the best scientists and innovators, thereby stimulating the systemic changes necessary to ensure that Europe is ecological, healthy and resilient to unpredictable, adverse changes.
DEDICATED OFFER FOR COMPANIES
EIC Accelerator is an acceleration program for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
from all industries, including start-ups from EU Member States or countries associated with Horizon Europe.
The program enables financing of breakthrough innovations that are at least in the prototype phase (TRL 5/6). Entities meeting the criteria of SMEs or entities meeting the criteria of the so-called small ones
mid-caps – employing up to 500 people (financing only in the form of equity).
FUNDING
The unique financing model offers mixed financing consisting of:
- Grant – co-financing amountup to EUR 2.5 million – 70% of eligible costs
or
- Investment component – equity financing in the amountfrom EUR 0.5 to 17.5 million.
The co-financing covers projects at TRL level 5/6-8. Projects above TRL 8 will be financed exclusively from mixed finance. Grant support mainly covers financing work on the final refinement of the product or service and preparation for commercialization and scaling.
In addition, Beneficiaries can take advantage of a number of free business acceleration services in the form ofcoaching and mentoring, which will provide access to specialist knowledge, business partners and investors.
Project duration from 12 to 24 months.
CALL FOR EIC ACCELERATOR PROJECTS IN 2023
The application process to EIC Accelerator is a two-step process.
The first stage includes:
- Short conclusion (5-page summary),
- Pitch deck presentation (10 slides)
- Video pitch (3 minutes).
The application must include, among others: expected results related to the implementation of the project, as well as estimate its impact on the future condition of the company, e.g. on its turnover, employment, sales, rate of return on investment or profitability.
Second stage: If the evaluation is positive (it will last 4-6 weeks), the applicant will be invited to submit a full application within 12 months. The decision to provide support is made after the project is assessed by an international team of experts in technology, business and finance.
Recruitment dates:
- First stage (shortened applications): continuous recruitment
- Second stage (full applications)January 11, March 22, June 7 and October 4, 2023
Submitting applications and signing contracts (Grant Agreements) takes place electronically via the Funding and Tenders portal: https ://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home
In 2023, applications in the EIC Accelerator competition can be submitted under two types of calls:
- General: Open– no pre-defined thematic priorities and is open to proposals from any field of technology or application.
- Thematic: Challenges (thematic challenges proposed this year):
- Biomarkers for cancer
- Decontamination for pandemic management
- Energy storage
- New European Bauhaus
- Quantum or semiconductor components
- Resilient agriculture
- Space technologies and services.
MORE INFORMATION
More information on the European Innovation Council website: https://eic.ec.europa. eu/eic-funding-opportunities/eic-accelerator-0_en and from Enterprise Europe Network consultants.