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. EIC Accelerator Horizon 2020 Phase 1 Phase 2 SME Instrument / EIC Accelerator EIC Accelerator grantEIC Accelerator templateGrant AmountInvestorsSME Instrument Phase 1SME Instrument Phase 2
EIC Accelerator Should a Company Hire a Professional Consultant or Write an EIC Accelerator Grant Application Internally? (SME Instrument Phase 2) Posted on October 12, 2020February 19, 2023 The EIC Accelerator Grant financing (SME Instrument Phase 2) is an interesting opportunity for both early-stage startups and established Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) that aim to further develop an innovative product. Many prospect applicants ask themselves if they should write an application on their own or if they should… Read More
EIC Accelerator How the EIC Can Incentivise Shorter and Clearer Applications for the EIC Accelerator (SME Instrument Phase 2) – Part 2 Posted on December 14, 2020December 10, 2020 Information for readers: The following is a description of a proposed evaluation process but it does not, in any way, reflect the current way EIC Accelerator applications are evaluated. For this, please read this article. This article is a continuation of Part 1 and is followed by Part 3 and… Read More
EIC Accelerator How to Script an EIC Accelerator Pitch Video (SME Instrument) – Part 1 Posted on January 1, 2021December 30, 2020 In 2021, the EIC Accelerator blended financing (formerly SME Instrument Phase 2, grant and equity financing) requires the upload of a pitch video which can present new challenges to prospect applicants (read: Proposed 2021 Template). While startups and Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) can find information on the creation of… Read More