The Two Most Important Features for an SME Instrument Project (EIC Accelerator) Posted on October 12, 2019March 20, 2020 By Stephan Segler, Ph.D. Here is some information on the EUs startup grant to help you find out if you can apply. I am always looking for two major things to quickly assess a companies success chances: Innovation & Traction. (1) Innovation The EU specifically funds high-risk and high-reward projects. This means that the innovation should be market-disrupting or market-creating and that you have overcome barriers which other companies have failed to overcome. Two major questions I always ask are: If you consider your closest competitor, can you name at least one or two things that make your product unique? If a large company would attempt to copy your product, could they succeed in less than a year? (2) Traction While the innovation is central to the SME Instrument funding, the market interest is just as important. You must show that there is a clear market need for your product and the best way is to have written proof of intent. You must at least be in contact with some customers or, even better, have ongoing pilot studies or revenues from your current product. Innovation & Traction are always the first two things I ask for when talking to companies. If these check out, the pre-requisites for a successful grant application are met in almost all cases. EIC Accelerator Horizon 2020 Phase 1 Phase 2 SME Instrument / EIC Accelerator EIC Accelerator grantEIC Accelerator helpEIC Accelerator pilotEIC Accelerator successIndustries & CompaniesInvestorsSME Instrument Phase 1tip#17Writing Tips
EIC Accelerator Technology Readiness Levels, Timelines and Interview Priorities (2023 EIC Accelerator Work Programme Part 4) Posted on November 5, 2022November 5, 2022 The EIC Accelerator funding (grant and equity, with blended financing option) awards up to €2.5 million in grant and €15 million in equity financing per project (€17.5 million total). It is a popular funding instrument specializing in DeepTech startups and small mid-caps which aim to finalize their product developments, enter… Read More
EIC Accelerator Which Companies Should Not Apply to the EIC Accelerator (SME Instrument) – Part 1 Posted on December 17, 2020December 12, 2020 Many startups or Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) are interested in applying to the EIC Accelerator blended financing (formerly SME Instrument Phase 2, grant and equity financing) due to its single-beneficiary funding scheme. Before contacting a professional writer or consultant, it is often useful to first investigate which companies are… Read More
EIC Accelerator Gender Equality Targets in the Age of Gender Identification (EIC Accelerator) Posted on March 14, 2021March 14, 2021 The EIC Accelerator blended financing (formerly SME Instrument Phase 2, grant and equity) is a competitive funding program by the European Commission (EC) and has always been heavily affected by European Union (EU) policies. Examples for this are the requirements to meet sustainability targets, address societal challenges and other recent… Read More