The Two Most Important Features for an SME Instrument Project (EIC Accelerator) Posted on October 12, 2019March 20, 2020 By Stephan Segler, Ph.D. Here is some information on the EUs startup grant to help you find out if you can apply. I am always looking for two major things to quickly assess a companies success chances: Innovation & Traction. (1) Innovation The EU specifically funds high-risk and high-reward projects. This means that the innovation should be market-disrupting or market-creating and that you have overcome barriers which other companies have failed to overcome. Two major questions I always ask are: If you consider your closest competitor, can you name at least one or two things that make your product unique? If a large company would attempt to copy your product, could they succeed in less than a year? (2) Traction While the innovation is central to the SME Instrument funding, the market interest is just as important. You must show that there is a clear market need for your product and the best way is to have written proof of intent. You must at least be in contact with some customers or, even better, have ongoing pilot studies or revenues from your current product. Innovation & Traction are always the first two things I ask for when talking to companies. If these check out, the pre-requisites for a successful grant application are met in almost all cases. EIC Accelerator Horizon 2020 Phase 1 Phase 2 SME Instrument / EIC Accelerator EIC Accelerator grantEIC Accelerator helpEIC Accelerator pilotEIC Accelerator successIndustries & CompaniesInvestorsSME Instrument Phase 1tip#17Writing Tips
EIC Accelerator The New EIC Ecosystem, Fast-Track and Pilot Plug-In Schemes (2023 EIC Accelerator Work Programme Part 8) Posted on November 5, 2022November 5, 2022 The EIC Accelerator funding (grant and equity, with blended financing option) awards up to €2.5 million in grant and €15 million in equity financing per project (€17.5 million total). It is a popular funding instrument specializing in DeepTech startups and small mid-caps which aim to finalize their product developments, enter… Read More
EIC Accelerator Assessing an EIC Accelerator Applicant for Innovation, Traction and the Team (SME Instrument) – Part 1 Posted on October 19, 2020February 19, 2023 When developing a project for an EIC Accelerator grant or equity application (formerly SME Instrument Phase 2), it is often useful for professional writers and consultants to look at certain key areas in order to obtain a fast overview of the project’s quality. There are many sub-criteria to be analyzed… Read More
EIC Accelerator The EIC Accelerator Budget: Grant vs. Blended Finance (Equity, SME Instrument) Posted on May 26, 2020October 9, 2020 The grant and the equity contribution for the EIC Accelerator are sourced from different funds (i.e. the EC and the EIC, respectively) which means that the budget is also separated into two components. The grant will need to be defined in a budget table in Part A of the administrative… Read More