EIC solicits beneficiary input to design Ecosystem Partnerships and Co-investment Support

The European Innovation Council announced a consultation in February 2022 asking its funded innovators to describe the specialised support they need. Responses will feed into the design and implementation of an Ecosystem Partnerships and Co-investment Support programme intended to extend the EIC’s existing Business Acceleration Services and help winners find the services, facilities and capital needed to scale.

What the initiative is intended to do

The stated goal is to create a network of sector specialised partners such as business accelerators, incubators, research organisations and training bodies. The programme aims to match Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator beneficiaries with relevant partners and to help them attract private investors in addition to EIC funding. The EIC frames this work as an extension of its Business Acceleration Services which already offers coaching, mentoring and partner matching to grantees and investees.

How beneficiaries are being asked to contribute

EIC beneficiaries were invited to complete separate online surveys tailored to their instrument. There was a survey for Pathfinder and Transition beneficiaries and a different survey for Accelerator beneficiaries. The stated purpose was to gather concrete information about unmet needs and preferences so the EIC could match beneficiaries with suitable partners and design services that address real bottlenecks. The consultation window closed on 15 March 2022.

Where this sits in the EIC and Horizon Europe landscape

The EIC launched as a pilot in 2018 and then became operational under Horizon Europe in March 2021. It is part of Pillar Three, Innovative Europe, and has responsibilities spanning funding, acceleration services and an equity instrument, the EIC Fund. The Business Acceleration Services are the existing channel for non‑financial support such as mentoring and matchmaking. The new Ecosystem Partnerships and Co-investment Support programme is presented as building on those services to create a broader network of specialised, sector focused partners.

The EIC Fund operates alongside the grant instruments to provide equity investments. The EIC reports that the Fund helps mobilise additional private capital for supported companies. Public material from the EIC ecosystem cites leverage ratios in past years where private investment was raised alongside EIC Fund contributions. Those figures help explain why co-investment is a policy priority for the Commission and the EIC.

Practical details and next steps for beneficiaries

Beneficiaries were provided with instrument-specific surveys and urged to participate. The EIC framed the consultation as a way for the community to shape how partnerships are selected and how services are delivered. The stated aim was to make it easier for innovators to access sector expertise and to accelerate commercialisation and investment readiness.

Analysis and outstanding questions

The proposal to formalise a network of sector partners responds to a common gap in European deep tech support where startups need specialised facilities, industry contacts and later stage capital. In practice however, the success of such a programme depends on the details. Those include partner selection criteria, transparency of contracting, conflict of interest safeguards and how support will be distributed across countries and sectors.

The EIC’s survey approach is appropriate for capturing user needs but responses can be biased by self selection and by the resources respondents already have. The programme design should include measurable outcomes so that claims about increased investment or access to facilities can be independently assessed over time.

What beneficiaries should look for when responding

Respondents should give concrete examples of missing services and explain how these gaps affect project timelines and fundraising. Where possible beneficiaries should also indicate preferred partner types, geographic constraints and confidentiality requirements. Clear, useable input will be more valuable than generic praise for the idea of more support.

Governance and oversight considerations

If the EIC moves forward with a formal ecosystem partnership network and co-investment facilitation, it will need clear procurement and contracting processes for partners. It will also need to clarify how conflicts of interest are managed when partner organisations are themselves investors or have commercial relationships with portfolio companies. Accountability to beneficiaries and to EU institutions requires publishable metrics and an evaluation plan.

Beneficiaries and observers should watch for subsequent calls and documents from the EIC and from the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency which implements many EIC services. Those documents will define partner selection criteria, contracting models and any financial support mechanisms offered to access partner services.

Finally, participation in the survey was framed as an opportunity for beneficiaries to help shape the programme. Interested beneficiaries at the time were directed to the instrument specific survey pages and to contact EIC helpdesks for clarifications.

Background in brief

The EIC was run as a pilot from 2018 and became a full entity under Horizon Europe in March 2021. It operates grant programmes such as Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator, runs the Business Acceleration Services and oversees the EIC Fund which provides equity investments. The initiative described here is the next step in linking these elements through formalised partnerships and co-investment facilitation.