EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0

The European Innovation Council International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0, usually referred to as ITF 3.0, is a targeted business acceleration service that funds and organises participation of EIC-supported companies at selected international trade fairs. The initiative runs from 2024 to 2026 and aims to help startups, scaleups and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that have already received EIC support to increase visibility, identify commercial opportunities and make sector contacts in strategic markets.

The programme depends on collaboration with global trade fair organisers. Organisers provide exhibition space, matchmaking services, investor pitching opportunities and market briefings. At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona the EIC pavilion was visible and curated. Pere Duran, Director of 4YFN and a long term collaborator with the EIC, said: "Through the International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0, the EIC Pavilion shines a light on some of Europe’s brightest minds and most innovative solutions chosen for their transformative impact in key areas that will help us solve some of society’s most pressing challenges".

What trade fairs contribute to internationalisation

Structure, sectors and geographic scope of ITF 3.0

ITF 3.0 builds on earlier iterations of the EIC overseas trade fair support scheme. It offers selected EIC awardees the chance to attend 12 major trade fairs across the European Union, the Middle East and North Africa region and the United States. The programme targets four broad sectors that reflect market priorities and where EIC support is concentrated.

What services participants receive

Beyond exhibition space the programme provides a package of business services. The EIC and implementing partners aim to reduce the administrative and logistical burden of international trade fair participation and to improve the quality of interactions on site.

In practice the effectiveness of each service depends on implementation quality. For regulated sectors IP and regulatory training are valuable but not sufficient to secure market entry. Successful international expansion often requires legal, clinical or compliance work that extends beyond a single trade fair engagement.

Eligibility, selection and application process

Reported outcomes and illustrative success stories

The programme highlights individual success stories to illustrate impact. Examples promoted by the EIC include .lumen which the programme reports closed 100 deals following CES 2024 and MySphera which the EIC reports doubled sales after participating at MWC 2024. Mustafa Ergen, founder of Ambeent and a participant at CES 2024, said: "We consider it a privilege to be part of the EIC ITF 3.0 Programme. Participating to major events have enhanced our branding and expanded our market reach."

These anecdotes are useful for illustration but they do not replace comprehensive impact evaluation. The programme publishes an impact and lessons learnt report from October 2024 and other background studies. What is typically missing in promotional materials is longitudinal data showing how many participating firms secure contracts, raise funding, or achieve sustained market entry over one to three years. Readers should be aware of reporting bias where positive cases are highlighted while weaker outcomes receive little attention.

Administration, contacts and further information

The EIC International Trade Fairs Programme is managed within the EIC Business Acceleration Services offer. The programme pages, calls and stories are hosted on the EIC Community platform which reports that it hosts over 6 000 of Europe’s most innovative start ups and scale ups. The site and programme materials are administered by the European Innovation Council and Small and Medium sized Enterprises Executive Agency, EISMEA.

A standard disclaimer accompanies the programme materials noting that the published information is provided for knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission or other organisations. Interested parties should consult the programme pages and published reports for details and consider asking for independent evaluation data where available.

Observations and recommendations

Trade fairs are a conventional and valuable element of internationalisation strategies for technology companies. The EIC ITF 3.0 package addresses many practical needs such as matchmaking and preparatory briefings. To strengthen public accountability and to help prospective applicants assess likely returns the programme would benefit from publishing more systematic outcomes. Useful metrics would include the share of participants that signed commercial agreements within 12 months, the value of contracts directly attributed to trade fair participation and follow up investment raised. Independent evaluation of selection effects and longer term impact would reduce the risk of selection bias in success stories and help calibrate future interventions.