Commission amends European Innovation Ecosystems work programme with €11.7 million extra; Women TechEU renewed
- ›The European Commission amended the European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE) 2021–2022 work programme and added €11.7 million in new measures.
- ›Women TechEU is renewed and scaled up to a €10 million budget to support roughly 130 women-led deep tech start-ups, up from 50 in the pilot.
- ›A €2 million tender will target building angel investor capacity and cross-border syndication where such activity is weak.
- ›Two COFUND co‑funded calls for interconnection of innovation ecosystems are clarified with combined budgets of €12.5 million and will open on 14 June 2022.
- ›Changes to lump sum arrangements were applied to the SCALEUP call that opens on 21 June with a €5 million budget and independent experts will monitor EIE actions.
What changed in the European Innovation Ecosystems work programme
On 11 May 2022 the European Commission adopted an amendment to the European Innovation Ecosystems 2021–2022 Work Programme under Horizon Europe. The update channels an additional €11.7 million of activity into EIE measures. The changes include a renewed and expanded Women TechEU initiative, a new tender to support angel investors, clarification of COFUND calls, adjustments to lump sum rules for a SCALEUP call and the introduction of independent monitoring for EIE actions. One action was withdrawn from the programme.
Key calls and budgets announced
| Call / Topic | Purpose | Budget (EUR) | Planned opening date |
| Women TechEU (renewal) | Equity-free grants and coaching for women-led deep tech start-ups | 10,000,000 | 21 June 2022 |
| Tender to support angel investors and syndicates | Increase women’s representation in innovation and build angel capacity and cross-border syndicates | 2,000,000 | 2022 (tender notice) |
| HORIZON-EIE-2022-CONNECT-02-01 | Implementing co-funded action plans for interconnection of innovation ecosystems (COFUND) | 8,000,000 | 14 June 2022 |
| HORIZON-EIE-2022-CONNECT-02-02 | Stimulating innovation procurement (COFUND) | 4,500,000 | 14 June 2022 |
| HORIZON-EIE-2022-SCALEUP-02-01 | Expanding Investments Ecosystems (SCALEUP) with lump sum changes | 5,000,000 | 21 June 2022 |
What the main items do and why they matter
Terms and mechanisms explained
Context: where EIE sits in the EU innovation landscape
European Innovation Ecosystems sits under Horizon Europe and is designed to connect national, regional and local innovation actors so they can scale companies, match demand and supply and reduce fragmentation in European innovation. The EIE actions complement other EU innovation instruments such as the European Innovation Council that funds deep tech projects and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology that supports communities and education. This amendment to EIE was part of broader Horizon Europe adjustments adopted in May 2022 that injected additional budget overall into the programme and introduced new measures in several areas.
Practical details and who to contact
The amended EIE work programme contains full topic texts, eligibility rules and templates. Interested applicants should watch the Funding and Tenders Portal and EISMEA information channels for formal call openings on 14 June and 21 June 2022. The European Innovation Ecosystems team within EISMEA is listed in the original announcement as a contact point for questions.
Implications and critical view
The amendment brings targeted, visible priorities into EIE: expanding support for women founders, seeding angel investor networks where they are weak and encouraging procurement as a demand signal. These are relevant policy levers. At the same time the additional sums are modest relative to the structural challenges of insufficient private capital, uneven regional innovation performance and the scale‑up gap in Europe. Implementation details will determine impact. Key questions that remain include how the COFUND actions will actually leverage national money, how lump sum payments will be matched to outcomes in complex ecosystem projects and how results will be measured and sustained after EU funding ends.
Practical hurdles also matter. Women TechEU expands support but the programme will need strong selection, follow‑on pathways to larger finance and clear metrics to avoid the common trap of producing short‑term pilots with limited scaling. The angel investor tender is useful on paper but building active angel ecosystems takes time and cultural changes in investor behaviour. Innovation procurement work can unlock public demand but procurers need legal, procurement and market expertise to design tenders that attract real innovative offers.
What applicants and observers should watch next
Watch the official call texts and information sessions for precise eligibility rules and templates. Pay close attention to the design of COFUND co‑financing requirements and lump sum milestones. For women founders and angel market builders, check whether the Commission commits follow‑on pathways that help awardees access later stage capital. For public procurers monitor whether capacity building is coupled to demonstrator procurement cases so that lessons learned translate into repeatable procurement practice.
Further reading
The amended EIE work programme and the Horizon Europe general amendments published in early May 2022 provide the formal legal and technical details. Project applicants should consult the work programme text for topic descriptions, eligible entities, evaluation criteria and submission deadlines. The EISMEA helpdesk will publish calls and info days on the Funding & Tenders Portal.