SME Instrument Phase 1 vs. Phase 2 (EIC Accelerator)

Posted on October 12, 2019March 20, 2020 By Stephan Segler, Ph.D.

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 to consider:

Feasibility vs Implementation: Phase 1 is granted for a feasibility study of the project while Phase 2 is for the implementation of all technical and commercial developments.

Grant amount and competitiveness: Due to the higher grant amount, Phase 2 is more difficult to achieve than Phase 1

Funding threshold: The official threshold for funding is 13/15 for Phase 1 and 12/15 for Phase 2

Interview: Phase 2 requires an in-person interview before the grant is approved

Proposal length and additional sections: The main document is 10 pages for Phase 1 while Phase 2 is 30 pages.

Value for money of subcontracting is rated: The subcontracting in the proposed project must be described and justified according to its best value for money.