Choosing a Project Title for the EIC Accelerator (SME Instrument Phase 2) Posted on June 15, 2020October 9, 2020 By Stephan Segler, Ph.D. The title of the proposal can be viewed as the tag-line of the project. If the project’s abstract is a condensed version of the entire proposal, then the title can be viewed as a condensed version of the abstract. Here, it should be explained what the unique product is and an indication of its expected impact should be given. In practice, the title should consist of a number of adjectives which describe the unique selling points (USP), a noun which identifies the product and it should end with the expected industry or European impact. There is no structure or guide for the project title but the following template is a useful way of developing the projects tag-line: [Introduction: “The first”, “Novel”, …] ; [Adjective(s): “integrated”, “secure”, “sophisticated”, …] ; [Noun: “Point-of-Care Device”, “Batter Management System”, …] ; for ; [USP’s of the product: “high-efficiency”, “uninterrupted”, “low-cost”, …] ; [Noun: “biomarker analysis”, “operation”, “conversion”] to ; [Broader impact: “create a truly circular economy in the EU”, “mitigate climate change”, “increase European renewables penetration”, “develop cancer treatments”, …] An example of a project title from the guide above could be: “The first integrated Battery Management System for uninterrupted Operation to Increase European Renewables Penetration.” This article was last modified on Oct 9, 2020 @ 11:10 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) 1st cut-off 2025: - 2nd cut-off 2025: March 12th 2025 3rd cut-off 2025: - 4th cut-off 2025: October 1st 2025 Step 3 4th cut-off 2024: January 13th to 17th 2025 1st cut-off 2025: TBD 2nd cut-off 2025: TBD 3rd cut-off 2025: TBD 4th 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. 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) Examples of successful abstracts, titles and acronyms can be found in the Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS) database and on the EIC Accelerator call page. EIC Accelerator Horizon 2020 Phase 2 SME Instrument / EIC Accelerator EIC Accelerator templateIndustries & CompaniesSME Instrument Phase 2Writing Tips
EIC Accelerator How to Interpret the Evaluation Summary Report (ESR) of an EIC Accelerator Application (SME Instrument) – Part 2 Posted on October 28, 2020October 18, 2020 This article is a continuation of Part 1 which can be found under the provided link. The Evaluation Summary Report (ESR) provides the EIC Accelerator blended financing applicant (formerly SME Instrument Phase 2, grant and equity financing) with feedback regarding the proposal quality. While separating and grading the central sections of… 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
EIC Accelerator Which Companies Should Not Apply to the EIC Accelerator (SME Instrument) – Part 2 Posted on December 18, 2020December 12, 2020 This article is a continuation of Part 1 and presents an exploration of criteria that could lead to the immediate dismissals of projects applying to the EIC Accelerator blended financing (formerly SME Instrument Phase 2, grant and equity financing) by the European Innovation Council (EIC) and the European Commission (EC)…. Read More