The Difference Between Innovation and Features (EIC Accelerator) Posted on January 17, 2020October 14, 2020 By Stephan Segler, Ph.D. Here are some tips regarding applications for the EU’s start-up grant (up to €2,500,000 via grant + €15,000,000 through equity financing). The central component for the grant application is the innovative nature of the project, meaning that it not only addresses customer needs and has a significant market impact but is based on a unique technology or approach. This is key since it can be easy to confuse ‘innovation’ with a ‘collection of features’ and try to convince through narratives such as: “We do what competitors do but better” “We have a wholesome approach that combines multiple existing features” A unique technology (patented or not) must be difficult to copy and cannot be a simple extension of other existing products. The proposal must present a clear narrative by introducing a major problem in the introduction which then ties into your product or service through its unique value proposition. Afterwards, it addresses your strategy to overcome market barriers and describes how your customers needs relate to your innovation. The overall narrative should communicate: “We are the only company who can address the problem and meet customer needs” EIC Accelerator Horizon 2020 Phase 2 SME Instrument / EIC Accelerator EIC Accelerator equityEIC Accelerator financingEIC Accelerator grantIndustries & CompaniesSME Instrument Phase 1tip#15Writing Tips
EIC Accelerator Visual Representation of an EIC Accelerator Proposal Narrative (SME Instrument Phase 2) – Part 2 Posted on October 25, 2020October 18, 2020 Part 1 of this article can be found under the provided link. The following article as a continuation of the visual guide (i.e. Part 2) for the preparation of an EIC Accelerator blended financing proposal (formerly SME Instrument Phase 2, grant and equity financing) which can be used by startups… Read More
EIC Accelerator SME Instrument Phase 1 vs. Phase 2 (EIC Accelerator) Posted on October 12, 2019March 20, 2020 Since Phase 1 (€50,000) of the EUs start-up grant will be discontinued after September 2019 but Phase 2 (€2,500,000) will remain open, here is an overview of the main differences between the applications. While Phase 1 &2 proposals do follow almost the exact same template, there are important variations… Read More
Horizon 2020 When Is the Grant Paid in Phase 1? Posted on March 19, 2019March 18, 2020 From submission to approval of the project, it can take 4-6 weeks followed by another 4 weeks for the signing of the grant agreement contract and release of the funds. Phase 1 is funded with €50.000 out of which 40% is paid in advance (€20,000) and the rest will… Read More