Choosing a Good Project for the EIC Accelerator (SME Instrument Phase 2) Posted on May 29, 2020October 9, 2020 By Stephan Segler, Ph.D. While any type of industry or product is eligible for an EIC Accelerator application, the EU specifically seeks out innovative businesses that are providing high-risk and high-reward products or services. The evaluation criteria directly mention new market creation, market disruption as well as the establishment of new value-chains and, while these factors are not mandatory, they are a necessity to reach a score high enough for the step 1 threshold. In total, there are a number of requirements which are largely optional but will increase the chances of success significantly. The innovative nature of the project is the most central part of the proposal and, without it, the chances of success are minuscule. The following questions aim to assess the innovation of a product or service and the more of them can be answered with a ‘yes’, the better. Are there no close competitors in your niche who are providing almost the same product or service? Can you name at least one unique selling point (USP) of your product or service which, even compared to your closest competitors, sets you apart? Are your USP’s directly addressing the customer pain points without being mere peripheral features? Are you creating a new market or solve an existing problem in a new way (i.e. disrupt an existing market)? Is your product protected through a patent or otherwise difficult to copy? If a large company in your industry wanted to copy your product or service, would it take them more than a few years? This article was last modified on Oct 9, 2020 @ 11:16 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 (short proposal) open now Step 2 (business plan, closing 17:00 Brussels Time) 1st cut-off: - 2nd cut-off: - 3rd cut-off: - 4th cut-off: October 3rd 2024 Step 3 (interview) 1st cut-off: - 2nd cut-off: June 10th to 14th 2024 3rd cut-off: - 4th cut-off 2024: January 13th to 17th 2025 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. Want to see all articles? They can be found here. For Updates: Join this Newsletter! by Stephan Segler, PhDProfessional 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) EIC Accelerator Horizon 2020 Phase 2 SME Instrument / EIC Accelerator EIC Accelerator successIndustries & CompaniesSME Instrument Phase 2
EIC Accelerator Work Packages for the EIC Accelerator (SME Instrument Phase 2) Posted on October 31, 2020October 18, 2020 Work packages are an integral part of EIC Accelerator applications (formerly SME Instrument Phase 2) and are the key to specifying and quantifying the exact use of the grant or blended financing requested (i.e. a combination of grant and equity). Professional writers and grant consultants are well aware of their… Read More
EIC Accelerator EIC Accelerator Results and the Stabl Energy GmbH Success Story Posted on October 26, 2021February 28, 2024 The EIC Accelerator blended financing (formerly SME Instrument Phase 2, grant and equity) has finally completed its first iteration in 2021 despite the delayed launch of Horizon Europe (2021-2027) and only two deadlines in this first year. With the application process having changed dramatically after Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) ended, many… Read More
EIC Accelerator Presenting Customer Interest for a Successful EIC Accelerator Application (SME Instrument Phase 2) Posted on May 27, 2020October 9, 2020 Next to outlining the innovative nature of a project, being able to demonstrate customer interest (i.e. traction) is a key factor for the success of an EIC Accelerator application. Like most other recommendations, this criteria is not an official requirement to be eligible for the financing but the evaluation checklist… Read More