EIC asks awardees for feedback as International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0 scales global support

The European Innovation Council is asking all EIC awardees to complete a short survey to inform the design of the EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0. The questionnaire aims to capture companies' needs and barriers around international commercialisation so the EIC can adapt trade fair support under its Business Acceleration Services. The survey runs until 6 September 2024.

What the survey is about and who should respond

The request is explicitly for organisations that have received EIC funding and are interested in or already pursuing commercialisation in new markets. The EIC frames the survey as a way to better tailor the International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0 to participants' commercial strategies and practical needs when entering markets outside their home countries.

How ITF 3.0 fits into EIC Business Acceleration Services

The International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0 is one strand of the EIC Business Acceleration Services. The EIC positions BAS as a set of non financial supports intended to help EIC awardees move from grant to market. Those services include corporate matchmaking, investor readiness, innovation procurement support, coaching and ecosystem partnerships. Public EIC material cites past results such as tens of thousands of meetings, hundreds of deals and hundreds of millions raised in follow on funding. Those headline numbers signal activity but do not replace granular outcome reporting on participant level costs, success rates or net revenue impact.

What EIC says the programme offers participants

According to EIC materials, ITF 3.0 bundles exhibition space and visibility at an EU Pavilion with pre departure briefings, tailored coaching on market entry, B2B matchmaking, cultural and intellectual property training and follow up mechanisms designed to convert leads into business relationships. The programme is pitched at companies that are market ready and have a clear internationalisation strategy.

Eligibility, application timing and selection process

Participation is open to EIC awardees who meet the eligibility criteria and apply through the open calls. The EIC says calls open approximately six months before each trade fair and are published on the EIC Community Platform. Applications must describe product market fit, alignment with the specific trade fair, the company internationalisation strategy and commercial readiness. External experts review and rank applications to select final participants.

Programme examples, past impact claims and success stories

The EIC highlights brief success stories and impact figures on the BAS pages. Examples include a participant quote from Mustafa Ergen of Ambeent on CES 2024 and two named outcomes reported as case studies. The EIC also publishes separate impact reports on ITF activities that attempt to quantify deals and turnover linked to fairs. Those reports are useful but readers should note that case studies and aggregate metrics do not by themselves provide a controlled estimate of net benefits for each participant.

Upcoming trade fairs listed on EIC pages

EIC public calendars include a mix of global flagship events and regional trade shows where ITF 3.0 will place participants. Dates and event lists are maintained on the Community Platform and can change. Below is a snapshot drawn from EIC listings at the time of the survey announcement.

Open questions and practical caveats for applicants

The programme promises broad support but publicly available descriptions leave several practical questions relevant to prospective applicants. The EIC encourages feedback through the current survey and that feedback is an opportunity to press for clarity on these points. Below are practical items companies should confirm before applying.

Why the survey matters and how to respond

The EIC frames the survey as a means to refine ITF 3.0 delivery so the programme better addresses barriers to international expansion. For awardees this is a chance to feed in concrete constraints such as regulatory barriers, customs and logistics costs, lack of local partnerships, intellectual property concerns or limited international sales capacity.

A pragmatic recommendation

If you are an EIC awardee considering global expansion, complete the survey and use the opportunity to request clarity on funding coverage and selection criteria. At the same time, evaluate ITF participation as one tool among many. Combine trade fair exposure with targeted local partners, procurement leads and investor outreach to convert leads into contracts. The EIC can expand access to markets but companies must still budget for participation costs and plan post event follow up strategically.

Note on attribution and disclaimer. The EIC states that information provided on its Community pages is for knowledge sharing and should not be taken as the official view of the European Commission or other organisations. Prospective applicants should consult the EIC Community Platform for authoritative call documents and the latest practical guidance.