EIC Accelerator Writing an EIC Accelerator Application: Microsoft Word vs. Adobe InDesign (SME Instrument Writing) Posted on May 23, 2020October 9, 2020 The EIC Accelerator application consists of the following major parts: Document 1 (Main proposal as PDF – 30 pages1 ≤ 10MB) Document 2 (Annexes as PDF – unlimited pages ≤ 10MB) Document 3 (Financial documents as PDF & XLS/ODS ≤ 10MB) Document 4 (Pitch deck as PDF – unlimited pages… Read more
EIC Accelerator EIC Accelerator Interviewees from March Deadline Unable to Apply for May Cut-Off Posted on April 29, 2020October 9, 2020 Due to the record number of applications for the EIC Accelerator’s March 2020 deadline (almost 3,968 applications instead of the regular ~1,900), the interview week for step 2 of the evaluation process has been postponed from the initial May 4-8th to May 11-20th. This will lead to an overlap with… Read more
EIC Accelerator Using the Evaluation Summary Report (ESR) to Improve Grant Proposal Writing (EIC Accelerator) Posted on March 20, 2020October 14, 2020 Every great grant application starts with a great project. It must be able to check all the necessary boxes from the innovation, the team, the commercialisation strategy over to the market impact but it is very common to forget how most of these factors are not directly evaluated by the… Read more
EIC Accelerator The EIC Accelerator: Grant vs. Blended Financing (Equity) Posted on March 20, 2020October 14, 2020 Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions regarding the equity financing option of the EU’s start-up grant (SME Instrument, EIC Accelerator). The EIC Accelerator offers the application for either a pure grant or blended finance (a mix between a grant and equity-based financing). While the application and reviewing… Read more
EIC Accelerator How To Identify a High Quality SME Instrument Project (EIC Accelerator) Posted on October 12, 2019March 20, 2020 If you are considering to apply for the start-up grant by the EU, here is the most important information on how to identify a high-quality project: (1) Hardware products: More than 60% of all funded projects are related to hardware manufacturing, followed by subscription services at only 16%. This… Read more
Horizon 2020 When Is the Grant Paid in Phase 1? Posted on March 19, 2019March 18, 2020 From submission to approval of the project, it can take 4-6 weeks followed by another 4 weeks for the signing of the grant agreement contract and release of the funds. Phase 1 is funded with €50.000 out of which 40% is paid in advance (€20,000) and the rest will… Read more
Horizon 2020 What is the Timeline for the Application? Posted on March 19, 2019March 18, 2020 Since I am frequently asked about the specific timeline and duration for the EU’s SME Instrument funding, here is a brief overview of how long it takes to apply: Phase 1: – There are 4 deadlines per year for which applications can be submitted (usually February, May, September and… Read more
Horizon 2020 What is Phase 1 for and What Comes Next? Posted on August 29, 2017October 13, 2017 The purpose of Horizon 2020s SME Instrument Schemes Phase 1 is a feasibility study for the project (lasting around 6 months depending on the specific topic) and is financed with a flat rate of €50,000. The feasibility study entails the development of a business plan and assesses the viability of the… Read more
Horizon 2020 What Is the H2020 SME Instrument Phase 1 Funding? Posted on August 29, 2017May 23, 2020 The SME Instrument is a €3 billion funding scheme that is part of the largest EU research and innovation programme in of the EU called Horizon 2020 (€80 billion budget). By the end of 2020, 7500 Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) will have received funding over a period of 6… Read more
Horizon 2020 My Proposal Has a High Score But Was Rejected, What Now? Posted on August 27, 2017March 20, 2019 The Score All proposals above a threshold of 13 receive the “Seal of Excellence” and are eligible for funding. Unfortunately, the budget of the SME Topics is limited and the higher the number of applicants, the lower the chances to receive funding. Usually, proposals will get funded starting at a score… Read more