SME Instrument Grant Writing Tips (EIC Accelerator) Posted on October 12, 2019October 9, 2020 By Stephan Segler, Ph.D. I frequently get asked about the application process for the SME Instrument Funding by the EU, so here is a brief overview for every startup that wants to apply: Proposal writing is the most important part but I am covering this in another post Choosing an Acronym and Tagline: Each proposal has a short Acronym that is used as a project identifier and a tagline which gives a quick overview of the project. The Acronym does not actually need to have any meaning at all and you can be creative. Here is an example of a fictional health project (“ACRONYM – Tagline”): PATIENT NETWORK – Smart & Secure Software for Hospitals to Automate Essential Patient Data Processing and Create a Unified Patient Network in the EU Abstract: Next to the Acronym and Tagline, you will also need to provide an abstract which is 2000 characters long and should give a brief summary of the project. If funded, the Abstract, Acronym and Tagline will be published by the EU. Make sure that every sentence is packed with information and that all information given here counts. Follow the general way scientific work is presented: Problem > Market Pain Point & Competitors > Your Solution > Your Current State > Your Commercial & Market Impact > EU Benefits Keywords: When you create the draft for the submission, you will be asked to select up to 3 keywords with respective sub-keywords from a drop-down list. You can then also add some manual keywords to better describe your project. These keywords will determine the background of our 4 evaluators. Excluding Evaluators: The EU is regularly publishing a list of all evaluators for the SME Instrument and if you suspect a conflict of interest, you can exclude specific reviewers. There are many more small things to consider such as legal/financial data and the overall company registration but the points above cover most of the writing parts for the proposal submission. EIC Accelerator Horizon 2020 Phase 1 Phase 2 SME Instrument / EIC Accelerator EIC Accelerator grantEIC Accelerator submissionIndustries & CompaniesInvestorsSME Instrument Phase 1Softwaretip#12Writing Tips
EIC Accelerator Where can EIC Accelerator Results be found? (SME Instrument Phase 2) Posted on October 29, 2020October 19, 2022 The EIC Accelerator blended financing (formerly SME Instrument Phase 2, grant and equity financing) is an interesting opportunity for startups or Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) to gain government funding for innovation activities. When working with a consultancy or professional grant writer, the process is simplified significantly but, when applying… 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 The EIC’s One-Stop Shop Funding Framework (Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator) Posted on January 23, 2023February 19, 2023 The European Innovation Council (EIC) has matured into a full innovation ecosystem for startups and Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME), often supported by professional writers, freelancers or consultants. Today, the EIC has three flagship, non-dilutive funding programs for companies at all stages of development. These are the EIC Pathfinder, EIC… Read More