Helpful Resources for an EIC Accelerator Pitch Video (SME Instrument)

In 2021, the EIC Accelerator blended financing (formerly SME Instrument Phase 2, grant and equity financing) will include a video pitch as a new proposal document which is expected to place an additional burden on applying startups and Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME). While tips on choosing an appropriate video type (read: Types of Pitch Videos) and the scripting process (read: Scripting a Pitch Video) can be found elsewhere, this article will focus on the resources that can be used for the actual editing process.

While the European Innovation Council (EIC) will likely not provide sufficient material as part of the official proposal template or guidelines, professional writers and consultancies should have access to a variety of resources needed for video production such as video clips, background music, images and software. These will likely become indispensable since a hired consultant must be able to efficiently coordinate all aspects of the production (read: Remote Video Production Workflow).

1. Resources for Stock Music

Royalty-free music or music under the Creative Commons license is readily available for creators but their exact licencing conditions can vary greatly. Such variations come in the form of attributions, commercial use, regional restrictions or the type of project it is used for. Since the EIC Accelerator proposal is confidential and should only be viewed by the European Agency for SME’s (EASME) evaluators and pitch interview jurors, there should generally be no problem in using copyrighted music but it could be a problem if the video finds its way online.

Since the company name will be directly linked to the video content, it would be best to only use non-copyrighted music or to pay for the use of a certain license. The advantage of this approach is also that the video can be shared more freely on social media or with a variety of investors who have shown interest in the project.

• Pixabay is a great resource for free music under the Creative Commons licence whereas commercial use is allowed and no attribution of the composer is required.
• SoundCloud and YouTube contain a variety of channels that do advertise royalty-free music but these are sometimes part of a complex licensing structure and are not entirely free. Still, its worth having a look since they contain a large number of different tracks.
• The FreeMusicArchive contains a multitude of different songs but care should be placed on their exact licencing conditions.
• CreativeCommons.Org has created a shortlist of sources for music under a creative commons license.
• Websites such as AudioJungle, ShutterStock or AdobeStock are premium services which offer high-quality music at a low price as a subscription or one-off purchase.

2. Resources for Stock Video

• PixaBay tops the list once again with its video archive where attribution and cost-free video clips can be found. Many of the items are of high-quality and will likely meet most short-video production needs.
• Pexels is similar to PixaBay and offers attribution-free stock videos for free.
• Videezy likewise offers free video footage but also includes premium content that can be purchased for a small price.
• AdobeStock and ShutterStock, once again, offer subscription or one-off purchases of stock footage with high quality. Since such libraries are highly curated, one can expect to find more customized footage on these platforms but most free alternatives are also presenting a competitive portfolio.

3. Resources for Stock Images

• Unsplash and PixaBay are great resources not only for pitch videos but also for grant proposal writing (read: Design Templates for Grant Writing). They offer cost- and attribution-free photos and designs for commercial use. From experience, Unsplash usually offers better content for certain keywords and the images tend to be higher in quality.
• Pexels offers a Freemium model for stock images wheres some can be used for free while others are behind a paywall but the costs are still very low.
• iStockPhoto, ShutterStock and AdobeStock offer high-quality and curated photo libraries for commercial use with a variety of pricing plans.

This article was last modified on Feb 4, 2021 @ 14:08

These tips are not only useful for European startups, professional writers, consultants and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) but are generally recommended when writing a business plan or investor documents.

Deadlines: Post-Horizon 2020, the EIC Accelerator accepts Step 1 submissions now while the deadlines for the full applications (Step 2) under Horizon Europe are:

• Step 1
  • Open now: Apply as soon as possible to be eligible for the next Step 2 submission deadline
• Step 2 (closing 17:00 Brussels Time)
  • 1^st cut-off 2025: -
  • 2^nd cut-off 2025: March 12^th 2025
  • 3^rd cut-off 2025: -
  • 4^th cut-off 2025: October 1^st 2025
• Step 3
  • 4^th cut-off 2024: January 13^th to 17^th 2025
  • 1^st cut-off 2025: TBD
  • 2^nd cut-off 2025: TBD
  • 3^rd cut-off 2025: TBD
  • 4^th cut-off 2025: TBD

The Step 1 applications must be submitted weeks in advance of Step 2. The next EIC Accelerator cut-off for Step 2 (full proposal) can be found here. After Brexit, UK companies can still apply to the EIC Accelerator under Horizon Europe albeit with non-dilutive grant applications only - thereby excluding equity-financing.

Contact: You can reach out to us via this contact form to work with a professional consultant.

EU, UK & US Startups: Alternative financing options for EU, UK and US innovation startups are the EIC Pathfinder (combining Future and Emerging Technologies - FET Open & FET Proactive) with €4M per project, Thematic Priorities, European Innovation Partnerships (EIP), Innovate UK with £3M (for UK-companies only) as well as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants with $1M (for US-companies only).

Any more questions? View the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.

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by Stephan Segler, PhD
Professional Grant Consultant at Segler Consulting

General information on the EIC Accelerator template, professional grant writing and how to prepare a successful application can be found in the following articles:

A Quick FTO Guide for EIC Accelerator Applicants in a Rush

2023 Budget Allocations for EIC Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator

Developing the Unique Selling Points (USP) for the EIC Accelerator

Explaining the Resubmission Process for the EIC Accelerator

A Short but Comprehensive Explanation of the EIC Accelerator

EIC Accelerator Success Cases

Deciding Between EIC Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator

A Winning Candidate for the EIC Accelerator

EIC Accelerator Interview Preparation Process: Scripting the Pitch (Part 1)