Horizon Europe - European Innovation Council (EIC)
The European Innovation Council (EIC) supports innovation, from early-stage research to startups and scaleups. The EIC has a special focus on breakthrough, market-creating and deep-tech innovations. It welcomes innovators, entrepreneurs, small companies and scientists with ideas and ambitions to scale up internationally. The funding helps to develop ideas into markets.
To apply for financial support, the EIC offers 3 instruments:
- EIC Pathfinder: for advanced research. This is to develop scientific bases to support breakthrough technologies.
- EIC Transition: to validate technologies and develop business plans for specific applications.
- EIC Accelerator: to support companies in bringing their innovations to the market and scaling up. Companies can be SMEs, start-ups, spin-offs and - in exceptional cases - small or mid-caps.
Financial support helps you access business acceleration services, such as advice and networking opportunities.
Video: What is EIC Accelerator?
Calls for proposals: open funding
EIC awards most of the funding through open calls. There are no predefined priority themes. Open funding supports technologies and innovations that cut across scientific, technological, sectoral and application fields or represent new combinations.
EIC allocates funding to projects that address technological and innovation breakthroughs.
Project proposals must take the European Union priorities into account:
- to transition to a sustainable, digital and healthy society, and
- fit within strategic plans for Horizon Europe.
The EIC publishes several calls for proposals. See the European Commission’s Funding and Tender opportunities portal for information and calls for proposals.
Questions or advice?
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency hosts the National Contact Point for the EIC in Horizon Europe. Contact the EIC advisors for questions and advice on your Horizon Europe application or project.
- Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy
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