EIC work programme 2023 amended to add two coordination and support actions for talent and ecosystem services

Brussels, August 11th 2023

Summary

›On 11 August 2023 the European Commission adopted an amendment to the EIC work programme 2023 adding two Coordination and Support Actions that opened on 16 August.
›Next Generation Innovation Talents is a CSA to fund roughly 600 short internships for PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers in EIC or EIT supported start ups and scaleups.
›A separate CSA provides financial support for EIC beneficiaries to access specialised services from ecosystem partners to accelerate lab to market transition.
›The talent CSA is budgeted at around EUR 4 million and sets out detailed eligibility rules, two internship streams and reimbursement rules for certain partner programmes.
›Both measures aim to plug gaps in the innovation pipeline but raise operational and measurement challenges including matching, IP arrangements and administrative burden.

Two new Coordination and Support Actions added to the EIC work programme 2023

On 11 August 2023 the European Commission adopted an amendment to the European Innovation Council work programme 2023. The amendment introduces two Coordination and Support Actions, both launched for submission on 16 August 2023. The two actions are aimed at strengthening the human and service foundations of the European deep tech ecosystem. One action focuses on short innovation internships for researchers. The other offers financial support enabling EIC awardees to buy specialised services from ecosystem partners. The measures are framed as responses to persistent gaps in talent flows and service access that slow the transition from research to market.

Next Generation Innovation Talents scheme

The Next Generation Innovation Talents scheme is a Coordination and Support Action designed to create short innovation internships that place eligible PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers inside start ups and scaleups that have received EIC or EIT support. The scheme aims to give researchers practical exposure to the nontechnical parts of scaling technology. At the same time the scheme is intended to give firms access to research skills and fresh ideas to accelerate development of breakthrough products and services.

Who is eligible for internships:Eligible researchers include PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers funded under EIC Pathfinder, European Research Council, EIT programmes, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and Research Infrastructures. Hosting organisations are start ups and SMEs supported by the EIC Accelerator, EIC Transition, EIT KIC innovation services and related EIT‑linked alumni and spinouts.

Design and scale of the scheme:The Funding and Tenders Portal entry for the call specifies an indicative budget of EUR 4 000 000 for the CSA and an expected target of roughly 600 internships over two years. Internships are expected to last between three and six months. The scheme splits into two streams. The first is a 'deep tech talents' stream for highly specialised PhD and postdoctoral placements. The second is an 'aspiring innovators' stream aimed at EIT labelled students and recent graduates for less specialised placements.

How the scheme is meant to operate:The beneficiary of the CSA will run calls for expressions of interest for hosts and researchers, operate a matchmaking IT platform, provide guidance and administrative support, manage legal agreements including IP basics when not already covered by partner programmes, and run outreach and impact assessment. The selection and matchmaking process is required to be lean so it does not add heavy administrative burden to applicants and companies.

Financial arrangements and reimbursements:Costs are borne by the partner funding programmes when those programmes allow. The CSA allows for financial support to third parties for researchers where partner programmes do not cover costs. The portal text sets out examples. For ERC researchers the CSA may reimburse internship expenses with flat monthly amounts proposed in the call. For EIC Pathfinder researchers a mobility allowance may be available if the internship is outside the researcher’s normal place of work. At least 50 percent of the EIC funded budget for the CSA must be allocated as financial support to third parties in the form of lump sums.

Expected impacts and KPIs:Applicants to the CSA must propose SMART key performance indicators. Minimum required KPIs include number of matches and internships, satisfaction and impact rates for both interns and companies. The call text stresses increased awareness of careers in startups, improved access by startups to research talent and visibility of EIC and EIT instruments.

What this seeks to solve is straightforward. Researchers often lack exposure to commercialization processes. SMEs and startups often lack access to top tier research talent. Short internships are a cheap mechanism to test mutual fit. The risk is that short placements may be too short to substantially alter company capability or career trajectories. The success of the scheme will depend on the quality of matching, on whether host companies can integrate and give meaningful tasks to interns, and on whether the financial sums offered are sufficient to cover real mobility and opportunity costs.

Financial support to access services from ecosystem partners

The second Coordination and Support Action added to the work programme aims to reduce a concrete barrier for EIC beneficiaries. Specialized services such as sector specific consultancy, access to R&I infrastructure, regulatory or market entry expertise, or business development support are often not fully covered by grants or by small companies. This CSA intends to provide EIC awardees with financial support to access ecosystem partners across Europe and beyond.

Primary objectives:The action is intended to increase EIC awardees’ access to partners and services with sector specific knowledge or equipment. It should enable quicker lab to market transitions, help scale promising companies faster, spread excellence in the EU innovation ecosystem and give ecosystem partners access to a qualified deal flow of EIC awardees.

Types of services expected to be supported:The call references sectorial knowledge, networks, R&I infrastructure, access to markets and business development services. In practice this could include fee based access to testing facilities, regulatory advisors for medical or chemical products, pilot manufacturing runs, certification advice, or commercialisation coaching from sector specialists.

The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency published a dedicated call for this CSA in January 2026 as part of continuing efforts to operationalise the concept. That call is presented as a Horizon Europe CSA and matches the priorities announced in the 2023 amendment. The explicit aim is to help EIC beneficiaries pay for services that are otherwise a bottleneck to scaling.

Definitions and mechanisms explained

Coordination and Support Action (CSA):A CSA in Horizon Europe funds activities that coordinate or support research and innovation ecosystems rather than directly fund research. Examples include running calls, building platforms, training, and providing financial support to third parties through lump sums or vouchers.

EIC and EIT in brief:The European Innovation Council targets breakthrough, high risk deep tech with grant and blended finance instruments. The European Institute of Innovation and Technology focuses on building entrepreneurial talent and connecting research, education and business through Knowledge and Innovation Communities.

Comparing the two CSAs

Feature	Next Generation Innovation Talents CSA	Financial Support to Access Services CSA
Type	Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action	Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action
Indicative budget	EUR 4 000 000 (call listing)	Not specified in amendment text. Separate EISMEA call published 2026.
Opening date	Call opened 16 August 2023	Call published and promoted by EISMEA in January 2026
Primary beneficiaries	PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers funded by ERC, EIC Pathfinder, MSCA, EIT and Research Infrastructures; hosting EIC/EIT start ups and SMEs	EIC awardees requiring specialised third party services and ecosystem partners providing those services
Mechanics	Matchmaking platform, calls for expressions of interest, lump sums for some researchers, administrative support, IP standard clauses where needed	Financial support for access to paid services from ecosystem partners, aiming to facilitate lab to market transition
Expected outputs	Around 600 internships over two years, KPIs on matches, satisfaction and impact	Increased access to specialised services and faster scaling of EIC companies

Risks, challenges and practical considerations

Both CSAs address real frictions in the European innovation pipeline. However their impact will depend on execution and on how the actions interact with existing national and regional programmes. Key challenges include the following.

Matching quality and duration:Short internships may not be long enough for deep integration. Good matching between researcher skill sets and companies needs domain knowledge and active curation. A large number of low quality matches will reduce impact.

Intellectual property and contractual clarity:Placing researchers inside companies raises IP and confidentiality questions. The scheme requires standard agreements but the devil is in the details. Conflicts can deter participation unless upfront clarity is provided.

Administrative burden and lean processes:The call obliges implementers to keep application and matching processes light. In practice the need for approvals from host institutions and documentation for reimbursements can create friction. Simplicity will be crucial to scale.

Measuring outcomes and attribution:KPIs such as internships completed and satisfaction are easy to collect. Measuring longer term outcomes like company growth, follow on investment, or career shifts requires sustained tracking and resources.

Equity, geographic balance and widening participation:There is a risk that high performing clusters will capture most placements. The success of these CSAs should be judged on their contribution to widening participation across EU member states and regions.

Finally, the financial support to access services must avoid creating perverse incentives where companies substitute internal capability building with pay per use services indefinitely. The objective should be time limited interventions that remove concrete bottlenecks to scaling.

What applicants and ecosystem actors should consider

If you are thinking of applying to implement a CSA or of participating as a host, coach or service provider keep these points in mind.

For implementing organisations:Design a robust but lightweight matchmaking process. Build clear IP templates and approval workflows. Define measurable KPIs and a method for medium term follow up. Map partner programmes early to avoid duplication with national or EIT mechanisms.

For hosting companies:Be explicit about the tasks interns will perform and the mentoring available. Prepare standard confidentiality and IP clauses so matches can start quickly. Consider whether a three month placement can deliver the intended work or whether a longer placement is needed.

For researchers:Clarify with your funding project leader or institution that the placement is permitted. Treat the internship as a learning opportunity and document what you learn about commercialization and business models.

Implications for the EU innovation ecosystem

Both CSAs are incremental but pragmatic interventions. They reflect a growing emphasis in EU innovation policy on the nontechnical parts of technology transition such as talent flows and specialist service access. Well designed, they could improve the throughput of lab to market transitions. However measurable, sustained change requires careful implementation, adequate funding and tight coordination with existing national and regional instruments. Monitoring and independent evaluation will be critical so that these CSAs do not become short term pilots with only anecdotal success stories.

EIC work programme 2023 amended to add two coordination and support actions for talent and ecosystem services

Two new Coordination and Support Actions added to the EIC work programme 2023

Next Generation Innovation Talents scheme

Financial support to access services from ecosystem partners

Definitions and mechanisms explained

Comparing the two CSAs

Risks, challenges and practical considerations

What applicants and ecosystem actors should consider

Implications for the EU innovation ecosystem

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