The European Innovation Council aims at identifying and supporting the implementation of breakthrough technologies and innovations with the potential to scale up internationally and become market leaders.
EIC supports all stages of innovation from R&D on the scientific underpinnings of breakthrough technologies, to validation and demonstration of breakthrough technologies and innovations to meet real world needs, to the development and scaling up of start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises [SMEs].
It also supports strategic technology and innovation challenges which take into account the EU priorities for transitioning to a green, digital and healthy society, as well as the overall strategic planning for Horizon Europe.
EIC General principles
• EIC focuses mainly on high-risk breakthrough and/or deep-tech innovations, while also supporting other forms of innovation, including incremental, that have the potential to create new markets or contribute to solve global challenges; it encourages innovations that cut across different scientific and technological fields and sectors;
• two are the funding schemes: Open Funding, i.e. a bottom-up approach supporting research projects in any field of scientific, technological and application research, also multisectoral, without predefined thematic priorities; Challenge driven Funding, i.e. an approach driven by challenges;
• proposals will be evaluated by international experts according to the criteria of excellence, impact, quality and efficiency of the research implementation;
• the EC financial contribution will take the form of the reimbursement of up to 100% of the total eligible and approved direct costs and a flat rate of 25% for indirect costs calculated on the total eligible direct costs [excluding the direct costs for subcontracting, financial support to third parties and any unit costs or lump sums which include indirect costs].
EIC Main funding areas
• EIC Pathfinder: supports the implementation of ambitious ideas regarding radically new technologies, with a potential to create new markets and/or to address global challenges. It supports the early stage development of such future technologies [e.g. various activities at low level of technological preparation – TRL 1-4].
The expected result is a scientific and technological proof of feasibility of realisation of the proposal [proof of principle].
Projects typically involve consortia of researchers and other partners [research organisations, start-ups, high-tech SMEs and industrial stakeholders] from at least three different Countries, but there are also opportunities for individual teams and small consortia [two partners].
• EIC Transition: goes beyond the experimental proof of principle in laboratory, aimed at transforming research results into innovation opportunities, by financing validation of the technology in laboratory and in relevant application environments, using prototyping, models, testing, etc. [TRL 4-6], as well as the development of a business model for the future commercialisation of the innovation.
Proposals must be built on results achieved within projects – ongoing projects or completed not more than 24 months before the call deadline – implemented under previous calls Pathfinder, FET or ERC Proof of Concept.
Research organisations, universities, research centres and SMEs can submit as single applicants or constituted in a small consortium composed of 2-5 legal entities.
• EIC Accelerator: sustains the scaling up of companies, by bridging the financing gap between late stages of research activities and market take-up of their innovations [TRL 6-8].
The support addresses individual innovative companies, such as SMEs and start-ups.