SPIN4EIC and the procurement route to market for EIC innovators

SPIN4EIC is an initiative of the European Innovation Council Business Acceleration Services. It curates innovation procurement opportunities launched by public and private buyers and offers EIC beneficiaries tailored assistance to pursue those opportunities. The programme positions procurement as a route to commercial validation by matching innovators with buyers who explicitly request advanced solutions. The assistance is free for eligible EIC awardees and aims to improve readiness to bid in public and private procurement processes in Europe and beyond.

What SPIN4EIC offers and what it does not

Eligibility for the assistance is limited to certain EIC-related beneficiaries. If you are eligible, SPIN4EIC can arrange an introductory call and support you through the application process. Interested parties should express interest via the SPIN4EIC open call application form or contact the team by email for urgent support.

Why procurement matters for deep tech and scaleups

Procurement by public authorities and large private buyers can provide deep tech innovators with revenue, operational validation and routes to scale. The EIC Business Acceleration Services promote procurement as part of a broader market strategy and report activity metrics intended to show impact since 2021. Those figures include tens of thousands of meetings, hundreds of commercial deals and millions of euros raised via investor outreach. These figures are programme claims and useful for context, but they do not replace careful due diligence on buyer credibility, contracting terms and the economics of pilot to production transitions.

Open challenges curated by SPIN4EIC

SPIN4EIC maintains a live list of buyer challenges across five thematic groups. Below are the challenges that were listed at the time of publication, with key dates and a short technical and procedural explanation for each. EIC beneficiaries should read each buyer's official call documents for full requirements and apply via the buyer platform.

Digital Twin Solutions for Smart Traffic and Infrastructure Management, City of Barcelona

The City of Barcelona seeks a scalable digital twin for its interurban road network to enable predictive traffic management and infrastructure operation. The contract is structured in phases for progressive delivery and validation. Proposals must demonstrate integration of existing infrastructure management data across structures, pavements and geotechnical assets, and provide predictive analytics for events such as congestion and incidents.

Practical considerations include interoperability with legacy municipal systems, data governance and privacy, and demonstrating progressive functionality in staged deliveries. The tender documents contain the technical specifications and phased evaluation criteria. The official application deadline is 19 January 2026 at 14:00 CET.

Strategic Innovation Open Call, EIT Urban Mobility

EIT Urban Mobility's call targets high-impact projects across five areas including urban logistics, public transport, mobility data management, electrification and health related mobility solutions. The programme intends to support projects between 2026 and 2028 with an overall envelope of roughly €60 million.

CAPVISTA Accelerator Energy Joint Challenge

A bilateral government challenge from Singapore and France focuses on early detection of lithium-ion battery anomalies and containment of thermal runaway in maritime environments. The ambition is to shift from firefighting to early-warning detection for large battery packs, and to validate solutions in fully funded short-term trials.

Deadline for proposals is 3 March 2026 at 16:00 GMT+8. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a hybrid pitching session in April 2026.

Anti-Drone Response 2.0, SPRIND and VINNOVA

This Funke-style challenge seeks integrated systems for real-time neutralisation of small and micro UAVs up to 25 kilograms and speeds up to 200 kilometers per hour. The focus is on highly autonomous and reversible, non-destructive responses that avoid explosive or kinetic measures and are suitable for sensitive environments such as critical infrastructure.

The Funke process spans three stages over 15 months. SPRIND offers up to EUR 500,000 per team across stages. The application deadline is 8 February 2026 at 23:59 CET. Teams must be headquartered in the EU, EFTA, Israel or the UK to be eligible, though partners may be from elsewhere.

THERESA PCP Open Market Consultation for hospital wastewater treatment

A consortium of seven hospitals and supporting public authorities across six countries are conducting an Open Market Consultation to inform a future Pre-Commercial Procurement aimed at modular on-site treatment systems to remove pharmaceuticals, cytostatics, antibiotic residues and antimicrobial resistance determinants from hospital wastewater.

The OMC runs through 24 February 2026. It includes online national events, interviews, a market questionnaire and bilateral engagement. The eventual PCP is expected to follow a phased approach with an overall PCP budget estimated at €2.9 million split across solution design, prototype development and field validation.

PepsiCo challenges in Food and Beverage

PepsiCo is soliciting technologies in two areas. One request is for methods to limit or remove oil absorption in porous matrices such as potato chips with the ambition of up to 50 percent fat reduction at minimal quality loss. The second request seeks natural chelating agents as alternatives to synthetic agents such as EDTA or SHMP that perform at low pH and meet clean label requirements.

These challenges have no strict deadlines listed on the SPIN4EIC page. Submissions are made through PepsiCo's Open Innovation Portal. Successful applicants might be engaged as suppliers or enter development pathways with the company.

Procurement formats and what they mean for innovators

Understanding which format a buyer uses is important because it determines funding availability, intellectual property arrangements and the type of outcomes expected. PCPs typically have clearer R&D funding, while PPIs expect near-market delivery and OMCs are exploratory.

How to engage and practical next steps

EIC beneficiaries interested in these challenges should first read the official buyer tender documents. Then they can use SPIN4EIC Assistance to arrange an introductory call, discuss fit, and receive support on bid preparation. For urgent matters EIC beneficiaries can email the SPIN4EIC helpdesk. Interested parties should also subscribe to the SPIN4EIC newsletter to receive updates on new calls and academy dates.

SPIN4EIC also organises training such as the EIC Innovation Procurement Academy and thematic matchmaking events. These are practical opportunities to rehearse tender scenarios, validate buyer interest and meet procurement teams in structured settings.

Practical risks and recommendations

Procurement opportunities can provide a path to scale but they also carry risks. Innovators should evaluate buyer solvency and contracting terms, plan for intellectual property and data governance, and budget for the operational work required to move from successful pilot to recurrent delivery. Public tenders constraining IP or requiring open licensing must be assessed carefully. Also, timelines for procurement decisions are often longer than expected and may require sustained resource commitments.

Context on EU innovation support and wrap up

SPIN4EIC sits within the EIC Business Acceleration Services and the wider European Innovation Ecosystems under Horizon Europe. The broader EIC BAS suite includes matchmaking, investor readiness, corporate partnership programmes and global expansion support. These services are intended to complement grant funding with market access and commercialisation pathways. While the procurement route can be productive, innovators should combine it with investor outreach and commercial partnerships to diversify routes to scale.

If you are an EIC beneficiary, take the following immediate steps. 1) Review the official call documentation for challenges that fit your technology. 2) Register interest with SPIN4EIC and request an assistance call. 3) Use academy and matchmaking events to validate buyer interest before investing heavily in a tailored tender. Finally, remember that SPIN4EIC is a facilitator and that the final contracting and selection is managed by the buyer.

Disclaimer: The information presented here is designed to support awareness and participation in procurement opportunities. The SPIN4EIC initiative lists challenges launched by various buyers. Responsibility for each procurement rests with the respective issuing organisation. Program claims about impacts and funds represent reported figures and should be independently verified by applicants where material to proposal preparation.