EIC Board endorses 2025 work programme and flags operational priorities including STEP-driven calls
- ›The European Innovation Council Board has published a statement endorsing the 2025 EIC work programme.
- ›In 2024 the Board devoted much of its plenary time and working-group work to reviewing and advising on the programme.
- ›Key Board priorities included operational excellence via a 'visitation' exercise, advice on the Challenge selection process, and the design of a new call linked to the STEP Regulation.
- ›The Board is an advisory body to the European Commission so its endorsement shapes but does not alone finalise Commission action.
EIC Board endorses the 2025 work programme and focuses on operational improvements
The European Innovation Council Board has published a statement endorsing the European Innovation Council's 2025 work programme. The Board plays a central advisory role to the European Commission on strategy and implementation of the EIC through annual work programmes. The statement, published on 29 October 2024 by the EIC's executive agency, records a year of intensive Board engagement with the design and operational readiness of the EIC's priorities for 2025.
What the Board did in 2024
Throughout 2024 the EIC Board dedicated a large share of its plenary meetings to discussing the 2025 work programme. Board members also carried out more detailed deliberations within working groups. The Board focused on three practical areas where it believes changes or scrutiny will improve the EIC's delivery for innovators and scaleups.
Why the Board's endorsement matters and what it does not change
The EIC Board advises the European Commission and the endorsement is an influential step in the policy cycle. However the Board’s statement is advisory. Formal adoption and implementation decisions remain the responsibility of the Commission and of the relevant executive agency. For applicants and intermediaries the endorsement signals likely emphasis and priorities in 2025 calls but it does not guarantee specific funding amounts or final selection rules.
Practical implications for applicants and ecosystem actors
Startups, research teams and intermediaries should note three practical takeaways. First, expect a continued focus on streamlining the applicant experience as the EIC implements operational improvements highlighted by the visitation exercise. Second, prepare for challenge-driven calls where problem definition and expected impact will be important selection criteria. Third, watch for STEP-aligned calls that may prioritise scale and strategic technologies. Organisations should monitor official EISMEA and EIC communications for call texts and eligibility details.
Context, risks and open questions
The Board’s concentrated work on operational excellence is a positive sign because complex funding programmes often stumble on execution rather than strategy. The visitation exercise can help correct such problems but it is not the final word on effectiveness. Other outstanding issues include how the EIC will ensure geographic balance across member states, how it will measure the impact of Challenge-oriented funding, and how STEP-linked calls will avoid crowding out technology-agnostic research. Transparency about selection criteria and evaluation processes will be important to manage perceived biases.
| EIC instrument | Purpose | Board focus in 2024 |
| EIC Pathfinder | Support high risk breakthrough research through grants from lab to prototype | Part of the innovators journey assessment to identify application and selection pain points |
| EIC Transition | Help move technologies from lab prototypes toward market readiness | Operational experience of award management and support was assessed in visitation work |
| EIC Accelerator | Provide blended finance, grants and equity to scale deep tech companies | Likely to feature in STEP-aligned call design and in Challenge-driven priorities |
| Advanced Innovation Challenges and other Challenge calls | Targeted, demand-driven funding for high impact problems | Board advised on Challenge selection process and criteria |
| EIC Fund and other investment vehicles | Co-investment and equity for scaling companies | Operational journey and investor engagement featured in Board deliberations |
Where to find the full statement and next steps
The Board's statement was published by the European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency on 29 October 2024. Stakeholders should consult the full statement for the Board's detailed observations and follow EISMEA and the Commission for formal adoption steps and call announcements. Close monitoring is recommended because the Board's endorsement points to priorities but Commission decisions determine concrete funding and rules.
In short, the EIC Board has signalled a practical shift toward ironing out operational issues and aligning parts of the EIC with STEP priorities. That is likely to change how some calls are framed in 2025. But the usual caveats apply. Advisory endorsements guide policy but do not remove the need for clear, public criteria, robust evaluation and vigilance about geographic and sectoral balance across the EU innovation ecosystem.