The EIC Accelerator focuses on high-impact innovations capable of creating new markets or transforming existing ones in areas such as Strategic Digital and Health Technologies and Green Deal innovations for the Economic Recovery.
The aid of the EIC Accelerator are part of Horizon Europe (2021-2027) and will allow beneficiary companies to access 4 different types of financing: grant only, grant-first, blended and equity. Among the applications submitted, the EIC will place special interest in those projects of innovative companies and SMEs run by women.
Type of aid
The program combines access to subsidisation A Fondo Perdido de Hasta 2.5M euros (grant) with an optional investment component in the form of equity (for a maximum value of 15M euros) intended to cover 30% of the project that is not financed by the grant.
Beneficiaries
The applicant company must be a SME with a corporate form, from any sector and with headquarters in one of the EU's member states.
Main conditions
The SME can only apply alone.
The EIC primarily provides combined funding to support development (TRL* 5/6 to 8), implementation and scale-up (TRL*9).
Financiable expenses
The funding granted by the EIC is intended for the development of projects, which will normally have between 1 and 2 years of duration. Therefore, the expenses eligible for the grant will be those related to the implementation of the project, such as personnel, travel, equipment, infrastructure, goods and services costs. The intensity of the grants will be up to 70% of the eligible costs of the project.
Application Deadlines
The call has been open continuously since 08/04/2021, and has 2 deadlines: 09/06/2021 and 06/10/2021.Within the program, the EIC has opened two different types of calls (Open Calls and Challenge-Specific Calls), with the main objective of encouraging the use of highly innovative technology and high-risk innovations that contribute to creating a A greener, more digital and resilient Europe. For calls Open Calls there are no defined thematic priorities. Therefore, they are open to any type of project aimed at the development of science, technology or application of the above; launched by startups and SMEs regardless of their sector of activity. On the other hand, the Challenge-Specific Calls: “Green Deal” and “Strategic Digital and Health Technologies” are open for projects with specific objectives within priority sectors, such as the European Green Deal and strategic digital and health technologies, respectively. Both the Open Calls and the Challenge-Specific Calls of the EIC Accelerator 2022 they offer the same financial conditions, both on a competitive basis, and will follow the same evaluation process.
*Technology readiness levels (TRL)
TRL 1 — basic principles observedTRL 2 — Technology Concept FormulatedTRL 3 — experimental proof of conceptTRL 4 — technology validated in labTRL 5 — technology validated in relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)TRL 6 — technology demonstrated in relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)TRL 7 — system prototype demonstration in operational environmentTRL 8 — complete and qualified systemTRL 9 — actual system proven in operational environment (competitive manufacturing in the case of key enabling technologies; or in space)More:What is Europe now funding?
