Slovenščina
English
16/3/2021
We invite you to attend the opening ceremony of the European Innovation Council, which will take place on Thursday, March 18, 2021 between 9: 30-11: 30. This will be followed with an EIC applicant’s day: Friday 19th of March 2021 (9.30 – 16.30 CET) to provide detailed presentations and Q&A on the main calls for proposals.
Along with statements from Heads of States and EU institutions, the launch ceremony will feature short sessions focusing on the contribution of the EIC to Europe’s economic recovery and the role of technological breakthroughs in the pursuit of its strategic goals. The event will be webstreamed live on Youtube and no registration is necessary.
More information on EIC can be found in the attached files (Factsheet, EIC Launch FAQ). A short summary of the benefits for researchers, businesses, investors and corporations is provided below.
EIC – The third pillar of the Horizon Europe program for businesses, researchers, investors and corporations
Within the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan The European Innovation Council is part of the third prillar which focuses on innovation initiatives.The EIC is a key novelty of Horizon Europe and represents the most ambitious innovation initiative that Europe has taken, with a budget of €10 billion for the period 2021-2027.
It is based on the successful practice of previous initiatives (FET, FTI, SME), which were merged into the EIC pilot in 2019 and 2020 and now represent the third pillar of Horizon Europe. Through calls, funding will be available for most research fields, with emphasis on the transition to a climate-neutral economy (European Green Agreement), recovery plans for Europe, the promotion greater representation of women in STEM occupations and to develop talents within traditionally less innovative areas.
Main EIC Funding opportunities:
- EIC Pathfinder provides supports research and early development stages of technologies up to the pre-commercialization phase
- EIC Accelerator provides grants and/or equity investments from the pre-commercial phase up to market placement and fast growth phase
Examples of EIC support:
- Start-up, small and medium-sized companies will be able to receive financing from the initial phase to the later growth phase, whereby, depending on the type of tender, it will be possible to obtain up to EUR 17.5 million. The application for the tender will start with a short presentation (pitch), and the decision on funding will be known in relatively short time period(2-3 months after submission of entire application). In addition, companies will receive quality mentoring, access to leading corporations and investors, and innovation partners. It is expected to support 200 to 300 companies annually.
- Funding will be available for researchers from universities, research organizations and high-tech companies focusing on research and development activities. The initiatives will not be limited to a specific scientific field, however, they will focus on supporting high-risk / high gain and interdisciplinary cutting-edge ideas which might play an important role in the future. Furthermore, EIC experts will support researchers during their research, give advice and provide support in the evaluation of the innovation potential of research findings.
- Business angels, venture capital funds and other investors will be able to access the most promising technology (start-up) companies from different technology areas (health, energy, sustainability, digitalisation,…) through the EIC. At the same time, investors will be able to share the risk by jointly investing with the EIC. In addition to targeted investments, tey will receive professional support in due diligence and evaluations.
- Through the EIC, multinational corporations will be able to work with the most promising European (start-ups). Extensive support for technologies in the initial stages will reduce the risk of such investments and simultaneously facilitate meetings with entrepreneurs at EIC Corporate Days where they can get acquainted with business opportunities first hand.
Additional information on the EIC is available in the attachments as well as in the EIC Pathfinder Management Guidelines for Breakthrough Technologies and Innovation.
