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 Finding Updates and News for the EIC Accelerator (SME Instrument Phase 2) Posted on July 27, 2020February 19, 2023 The European Commission has a variety of channels where updates and news are published. For the EIC Accelerator (SME Instrument Phase 2), there is not a single, centralized source of information but a variety of fragmented channels which should be scanned periodically in order to remain up-to-date on recent developments…. Read More
EIC Accelerator The New EIC Ecosystem, Fast-Track and Pilot Plug-In Schemes (2023 EIC Accelerator Work Programme Part 8) 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 How the Future of the EIC Accelerator Could Look Like (SME Instrument) – Part 2 Posted on December 24, 2020December 18, 2020 This article is a continuation of Part 1 and presents a collection of areas that the EIC Accelerator might evolve towards in the future. The EIC Accelerator blended financing (formerly SME Instrument Phase 2, grant and equity financing) is a constantly evolving and growing funding arm of the European Innovation… Read More