SPIN4EIC: Scaling innovation procurement by connecting EIC innovators with public and private buyers
- ›SPIN4EIC is an EIC Business Acceleration Services initiative that connects EIC-funded innovators with public and private procurers across Europe and beyond.
- ›The programme offers free training, matchmaking, hands-on procurement assistance and thematic community groups to help startups access procurement markets.
- ›SPIN4EIC has run pitching sessions with public buyers and private procurers including the First Movers Coalition and reports early testimonials but detailed outcome metrics are not yet public.
- ›Open assistance calls are available for both EIC innovators and public buyers and the initiative is publishing a rolling toolkit and an impact report.
SPIN4EIC: bridging innovators and buyers to scale procurement-led adoption
SPIN4EIC, short for Strategic Innovation Procurement powered by the EIC Business Acceleration Services Innovation Procurement Programme, is positioned as a practical bridge between EIC-supported innovators and buyers in both the public and private sectors. The initiative combines matchmaking, capacity building, practical procurement assistance and thematic community building to help startups and SMEs access procurement opportunities. It also offers public buyers help to design and run procurement processes that incorporate innovative solutions. The programme has run pitching sessions and engagement events in 2024 and is rolling out toolkits, academies and targeted assistance calls.
Core objectives and activities
SPIN4EIC focuses on four linked objectives. First it seeks to build and manage a community of public and private buyers interested in innovative solutions coming from EIC beneficiaries. Second it aims to strengthen the capacity of public buyers so they can procure innovative solutions and open markets to SMEs and startups. Third it provides support to EIC beneficiaries to prepare and submit tenders for procurement opportunities both in Europe and internationally. Fourth it helps beneficiaries identify business opportunities and act as suppliers in bids. The operational tools the programme uses include pitching and matchmaking events, the EIC Innovation Procurement Academies, a developing EIC Innovation Procurement Toolkit and one-to-one tailored assistance actions.
Where SPIN4EIC has engaged buyers and innovators in 2024
The initiative has used public-facing pitching sessions to surface solutions to potential buyers and to convene dialogue. In 2024 SPIN4EIC presented innovators at European procurement and resilience events and engaged private sector procurers through a session with the First Movers Coalition.
| Event | Date | Audience and partners | Purpose |
| Big Buyers Annual Event, Brussels | 24 April 2024 | Eurocities and European public buyers | Pitching session to connect EIC startups with public buyers and to showcase deployable solutions |
| EIC Summit pitching session with First Movers Coalition | 19 March 2024 | Private procurers from FMC including Constellium, Salesforce, Boeing, SSAB, Norsk Hydro and Breakthrough Energy Ventures | Direct pitches to corporate buyers focused on decarbonisation and early markets for new technologies |
| European Urban Resilience Forum, Valencia | 27 June 2024 | Towns, cities and regions, organised with ICLEI | Pitching session spotlighting resilience and sustainability solutions for urban authorities |
Voices from public buyers, companies and innovators
SPIN4EIC publicity includes multiple participant testimonials. These illustrate perceived value but do not by themselves prove long term procurement outcomes. The quotes underline the two sided ambition of the programme to help buyers find solutions and to help innovators access procurement routes.
| Stakeholder | Role | Representative quote |
| Eurocities | Network of major European cities | These events are a great opportunity for our member cities to come into contact with innovative startups and companies that can help them face their challenges. It also makes sure that they develop a solution that public authorities can really use to address the needs they have. Chiara Venturini |
| Municipality of Thessaloniki | Public authority | It was important to be here in this session to speak and learn from innovators because we really need to know how we can help innovation to integrate into our daily operations. We need innovation in order to move forward and to bring resilience in our cities. Stella Psarropoulou |
| Hydrovolta | EIC beneficiary, water treatment and desalination | At Hydrovolta we remove nitrate from groundwater and desalinate sea water to make it drinkable with innovative technologies. Thanks to the EIC, we had the opportunity to accelerate our technology's development. We have completed the piloting phase, and now we are ready to bring it to market. Today is a great opportunity for us to meet the buyers and promote our technology and solutions. George Brik, CEO |
| Breakthrough Energy Ventures | Investor and FMC member | We have a portfolio of 110 companies developing disruptive technologies to decarbonise our economy. By collaborating with EIC we hope that we will be able together to de-risk those technologies and see them come to fruition. Allegra Kowalewski-Ferreira, Partner |
| Norsk Hydro | Industrial procurer and FMC member | We have high ambitions on how to reach zero emissions by 2050. It can be difficult sometimes to get an overview of what is going on in the market with new companies coming up with new technologies. This event is very good for us to really understand what is going on and to see if there are things that we can collaborate on. Trude Sundset, CTO |
| ANEMEL / University of Galway | Academic-led innovator in green hydrogen | We are developing a technology that can use any type of water to produce green hydrogen by modifying all the different components. For us it is very important to be part of the EIC programme since it allows us to accelerate the development of this technology at different levels. Dr Pau Farràs Costa |
| Irish Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform | Central government buyer receiving assistance | Our central purchasing office directed us to the SPIN4EIC program. The team have been hugely helpful in assisting the Irish project team in understanding the procurement procedures, presenting a clear methodology and pathway to follow. They are highly supportive and responsive to the project team. |
Key procurement concepts explained
Access, open calls and upcoming activities
SPIN4EIC runs multiple engagement channels and open actions. Key elements are the Assistance Action for EIC Innovators which provides hands-on support to prepare bids and navigate legal and contract issues, and the Assistance to Public Buyers which helps authorities design innovation procurement procedures. The programme promotes an EIC Innovation Procurement Academy that offers practical training. The community claims access to a pool of 6,000 plus innovative European startups and runs onboarding materials and guides for new members.
| Support stream | Audience | What is offered | Typical timing |
| SPIN4EIC Assistance Action for EIC Innovators | EIC beneficiaries and startups | Tailored support for identifying and preparing tenders, legal guidance including IP, and bid building | Ongoing open call |
| SPIN4EIC Assistance to Public Buyers | Public procurers | Support for needs assessment, open market consultations and preparing innovation procurement tenders | Ongoing open call |
| EIC Innovation Procurement Academy | EIC innovators and beneficiaries | Multi-day training with simulations, peer learning and case studies | Runs roughly twice a year. Next academy scheduled 17 to 19 November 2025 as publicised |
A critical view: opportunities and open questions
Using procurement to scale innovation is a credible policy lever. Large public and private buyers can create early demand, reduce market risk for new technologies and accelerate adoption. SPIN4EIC addresses known bottlenecks such as buyer capacity and market discovery. The early event-based outreach and positive testimonials show promise.
At the same time there are important questions and constraints. Procurement across the EU remains fragmented by national rules and differing administrative capacity. Public buyers often face risk aversion, budgetary cycles and strict regulatory compliance that make PPI and PCP difficult to deploy. The programme will need to demonstrate measurable procurement outcomes beyond awareness and meetings. Such metrics include the number of tenders launched with SPIN4EIC support, value of contracts awarded to EIC beneficiaries, follow-on private investment attributable to procurement deals and the rate at which pilots convert into procurement contracts.
SPIN4EIC has published an impact report covering its first year. That report will be useful if it discloses the kinds of quantitative outcomes listed above. Until such data is broadly available the initiative should be read as a capacity building and matchmaking effort with potential to improve market access if it succeeds in converting engagement into real procurement contracts.
How to engage and next steps
Public buyers and innovators interested in the programme are invited to join the SPIN4EIC community, subscribe to the procurement newsletter and consult the onboarding guide. The programme asks interested parties to contact the SPIN4EIC Helpdesk and to register for assistance calls. There is also an EIC Innovation Procurement Programme LinkedIn group for networking and updates.
The information presented by SPIN4EIC is intended for knowledge sharing and outreach. It should not be interpreted as an official position of the European Commission or any other organisation. Stakeholders should request detailed programme metrics and evidence of procurement outcomes when evaluating the initiative for participation.