Deadline extended for the EIC - Startup Europe synergies call

On 15 September 2021 the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) announced an extension to the submission deadline for the Horizon Europe coordination and support call 'Enhancing synergies between the EIC and Startup Europe' with topic code HORIZON-EIC-2021-STARTUPEU-01. Applicants now had until 18 November 2021 to submit proposals. The call seeks actions that connect the EIC with the broader European startup ecosystem and provide direct financial support to startups through third party grants.

Key features of the call

What the call is intended to achieve

The objective of the call is to strengthen links between the European Innovation Council and the Startup Europe initiative so that digital and deep tech startups benefit from more coordinated support to scale across Europe. Actions funded under the call should connect local startup ecosystems, support cross-border acceleration, include widening regions where appropriate, and promote access to innovation procurement opportunities from public and corporate buyers.

Projects funded under this call are expected to raise awareness of EIC services, integrate startups that have received EIC or other EU support, and provide financial support to third parties. Knowledge produced should feed back into EIC Business Acceleration Services and the EIC Forum.

How to apply and the selection steps

The application process follows the template and rules used across Horizon Europe. Applications must be submitted electronically and must be complete, readable and within page limits. The process follows a two step competition model for EIC Accelerator related approaches and similar work streams.

Step 1 is a short proposal that must be submitted online. Short proposals include a video and a pitch deck to present the team and the idea. Successful short proposals move to Step 2. Step 2 is a full proposal submitted through the Funding & Tenders portal. Applicants can request support from an EIC business coach to prepare the full proposal. Successful full proposals are invited to a face to face or online interview with an EIC jury. After a successful interview, selected applicants enter negotiations for grant agreements and for the investment component if proposed.

Evaluation, scoring and funding rules

Proposals for Coordination and Support Actions are evaluated on three award criteria: excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation. Each criterion is scored out of 5 with a minimum score of 3 required for each criterion and an overall minimum of 10 across the three criteria.

The call’s guidance and the EIC Work Programme require that applicants allocate at least 75 percent of the project budget to financial support to third parties. The selected coordinators are responsible for managing the selection and monitoring of third parties and must report on the benefits obtained by those third parties.

Who runs and supports the call

The call is run under Horizon Europe and administered by EISMEA on behalf of the European Commission and the European Innovation Council. The EIC Fund is involved where an investment component is part of the support. The call explicitly allows coordination with national and regional bodies including National Contact Points and Enterprise Europe Network members when applicants consent to data sharing.

Data handling and privacy points applicants should note

The EIC and EISMEA process personal data for application, selection and contract management. Applicants must use an EU Login and a PIC for submission. When interviews take place, additional identity and employment documents may be requested to verify the legal and contractual link between companies and their representatives. Applicants can give consent for additional sharing of information to national contact points or regional public funders to obtain complementary support.

Contacts for privacy or data questions include the EISMEA helpdesk and the agency Data Protection Officer. Applicants can also refer to the European Data Protection Supervisor if necessary.

Practical implications and cautious notes for applicants

This call aims to push public support funds into the hands of startups via intermediaries rather than directly to individual companies. That design can multiply reach but also concentrates responsibility and risk on coordinators who must administer large volumes of micro‑grants and demonstrate impact. The requirement that at least 75 percent of the budget be used as financial support to third parties can favour organisations with established distribution channels and may raise administrative overheads for smaller intermediaries.

Applicants should evaluate whether the operational capacity needed to manage multiple third party awards, comply with the Funder’s reporting and audit requirements, and measure results is realistic for their organisation. Projects should not only promise disbursement but also outline clear selection criteria for third parties, monitoring systems, and realistic impact measurement approaches. Coordination with national and regional instruments may be useful but requires appropriate consent and data governance arrangements.

How to get the documents and who to contact

EISMEA published a guidance document to help applicants and provided the extended deadline notice on 15 September 2021. Applicants were instructed to consult the call page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the EIC pages for full call conditions, templates and annexes. For specific questions applicants were invited to contact EISMEA-EU-ECOSYSTEMS@ec.europa.eu.

Takeaways

The extension to 18 November 2021 gave applicants extra time to prepare proposals for a call designed to channel public support for startups through coordinated ecosystem actions. The call’s heavy emphasis on financial support to third parties makes it attractive for intermediaries that can disburse and monitor many small awards. At the same time applicants should pay attention to the administrative burden, reporting obligations and data sharing consents embedded in the execution of such projects.

Successful applicants will need clear operational plans, transparent third party selection criteria and robust monitoring to demonstrate that EU funds produced measurable results in scaling deep tech startups across the Union.