EIC Summit side event spotlights EIC ACCESS+ and partnerships to widen access to acceleration services
- ›Over 60 organisations from the EIC ecosystem met on 18 March 2024 to discuss scaling European innovators through partnerships and co-financing.
- ›The event introduced EIC ACCESS+ a co-financing instrument to subsidise EIC beneficiaries’ use of services listed in the EIC Service Catalogue.
- ›ACCESS+ will operate as Financial Support to Third Parties with lump sums covering up to 50 percent of service cost and a ceiling of €60,000 per beneficiary.
- ›Speakers presented ecosystem metrics from the EIC Impact Report and Business Acceleration Services achievements while partners contributed feedback in roundtables.
- ›Practical questions remain about eligibility, timing, administrative burden and whether the funds and partner capacity match demand.
How the EIC is trying to widen access to specialised support for innovators
On 18 March 2024 a side event at the EIC Summit gathered more than 60 organisations involved in the EIC Ecosystem Partnerships and Co-Investment Support programme. The meeting was framed by the EIC Business Acceleration Services known as BAS. Its purpose was to connect EIC Partners and create space for practical feedback from service providers that work directly with EIC beneficiaries.
What took place at the side event
The session titled Accelerating the growth of European innovators through EIC Partnerships combined short presentations with two rounds of roundtable discussions. Event moderation and leadership came from EIC staff including André Barbosa from the Programme Team and Agnieszka Stasiakowska Head of Sector on Business Acceleration Services at EISMEA. Stéphane Ouaki Head of Department of the European Innovation Council and EISMEA opened the meeting.
Speakers reviewed recent BAS activity and high level impact indicators from the EIC Impact Report 2023 and EIC BAS reporting. The figures cited included more than 150 matching events involving corporates investors and procurers 2200 plus beneficiaries taking part in BAS activities and about 125 deals brokered through these interactions. Participants then split into facilitated roundtables to discuss concrete problems such as improving communication with beneficiaries and refining outreach strategies.
A new instrument on the table EIC ACCESS+
A major item was the announcement of EIC ACCESS+ presented as a new EIC-funded initiative to co-finance EIC beneficiaries who use services listed in the EIC Service Catalogue. ACCESS+ is positioned within BAS and is intended to lower the cost barrier to specialised cross-border services offered by EIC Partners.
How the co-financing works in practice
The consortium that won the ACCESS+ contract is led by INNOVA S.r.l. Representatives explained that applications will be selected under a permanent open call and successful applicants will receive lump sum support. Financial support will typically cover half of the service cost up to a maximum threshold. Matching between applicants and service providers will be done by the applicant who can request help from one of the ACCESS+ consortium members to identify the most appropriate partner.
| Item | Detail | Notes |
| Delivery partner | INNOVA S.r.l. consortium | Consortium presented by Aleardo Furlani and Antonio Zangrilli |
| Duration | 24 months | Expected start in Q2 2024 according to event presentation |
| Type of funding | Financial Support to Third Parties lump sums | FSTP is a common EU instrument to channel funds to final beneficiaries |
| Co-financing rate | 50 percent of service cost | Maximum coverage per beneficiary up to €60 000 |
| Eligible services | Services listed in the EIC Service Catalogue | Applicant selects provider when applying; ACCESS+ can assist with matching |
| Applicant eligibility | EIC beneficiaries EIC Pilot awardees Seal of Excellence holders | Seal of Excellence eligibility restricted to Horizon Europe |
| Call launch | Permanent open call | Some public pages indicated a permanent call launching 1 November 2024 but event stated Q2 2024 start. Dates remain unclear. |
What the EIC Service Catalogue does and why it matters
Partner success stories presented at the event
Two EIC Partners shared case studies to illustrate how partner services work in practice. InnovX from Romania described its five year trajectory and work with more than 185 startups and scaleups. InnovX highlighted AllPriv a company that scaled within the InnovX programme and benefited from support from Cleverage.VC an investor specialising in healthtech across Central and Eastern Europe.
BGI from Portugal described a portfolio of over 250 beneficiaries and presented Bac3Gel a company that received EIC Accelerator funding in 2023. Bac3Gel’s CEO Sebastião van Uden praised BGI for technical procurement negotiation and laboratory optimisation that delivered returns above expectations.
Roundtables and partner feedback
After presentations more than 60 partners took part in roundtable discussions. Conversations focused on improving outreach to beneficiaries clarifying eligibility rules and designing smoother cooperation between service providers and innovators. The organisers collected inputs to shape next steps and circulated a quality survey after the event to gather further suggestions.
Context and wider EIC indicators
Speakers referenced the EIC Impact Report 2023 and BAS metrics to situate the programme. The 2023 impact report highlights a deep tech portfolio with an estimated overall value of about 70 billion euros and reported outcomes such as centaur and unicorn companies employment and revenue growth and several billion euros of follow on investments. The EIC uses such figures to demonstrate momentum but attributing causal impact remains methodologically complex.
Practical implications and open questions
ACCESS+ could reduce the cost barrier for innovators seeking specialised services but the instrument has limits. Capping support at 50 percent and 60 000 euros leaves beneficiaries to find the remaining finance which may be hard for capital intensive services. The eligibility rules appear to prioritise EIC-labelled beneficiaries which is consistent with BAS aims but excludes other innovators who may still need support.
Timing and administrative details were inconsistent across published pages and the event presentation. Some public information points to a permanent call opening on 1 November 2024 and a project start in August 2024 while the event presented a Q2 2024 start. Beneficiaries and partners will require clear official timelines and straightforward application procedures to make ACCESS+ effective.
What EIC beneficiaries should do now
Beneficiaries who expect to use partner services should familiarise themselves with the EIC Service Catalogue and track official ACCESS+ communications. Prepare realistic budgets for services and consider funding the uncovered portion in advance. Ask providers about capacity availability and delivery timelines before applying for co financing.
Next steps and contact information
Organisers announced that a similar gathering is planned for the EIC Summit 2025 to maintain partner engagement. Meanwhile the EIC team circulated a post event quality survey to collect additional feedback. For questions about the Partnerships programme contact eicpartnerships-helpdesk@eic-bas.eu. For ACCESS+ specific queries contact help@eicaccessplus.eu or info@eicaccessplus.eu depending on the published guidance.
Final assessment
The side event underscored active work to make specialised services more accessible to EIC labelled innovators. ACCESS+ is a pragmatic attempt to reduce cost barriers and to scale cross border support. The success of the approach will depend on clarity of eligibility rules the speed and simplicity of application processes and the actual absorptive capacity of partner organisations. Observers should watch for clear official timelines published by EISMEA and for early monitoring data that shows whether uptake reaches intended beneficiaries and produces measurable improvements in scaling outcomes.