Library FAQ
Who are defined as EIC Inventors in Annex 7?
EIC Inventors are employees and subcontractors of not-for-profit legal entities established in a Member State or Associated Country who appear or are entitled to appear as inventors in corresponding publications or patent filings.
Who is eligible for ad hoc grants under Annex 6?
Grant holders of EIC Pathfinder projects (including certain pilot Pathfinder, FET-Open and FET-Proactive calls) and EIC Transition project grant holders are eligible.
Who is responsible for implementing the Plug-in scheme?
The funding/managing bodies in charge of the national/regional programmes, or another authority appointed under their responsibility, are responsible for implementing the Plug-in scheme.
Will the Plug-in pilot be evaluated?
Yes. The pilot plug-in scheme will be assessed after the first implementation to verify process effectiveness and application quality for possible renewal and inclusion of other programmes.
Are gender equality plans required?
Relevant EIC Awardees must promote equal opportunities between men and women during project implementation and, where applicable, follow their gender equality plan. Specific minimum requirements apply for certain entities.
Are international organisations eligible for funding?
International European research organisations are eligible. Other international organisations may be eligible only under specific conditions set out in the call/topic text.
Can applicants request a review of the evaluation?
Yes. If the consortium believes a procedural flaw occurred, the coordinator can submit a complaint following the deadlines and procedures in the evaluation result letter. Only procedural aspects may be reviewed.
Can entities that are not eligible for funding still participate in projects?
Yes. Entities not eligible for funding may participate as associated partners unless the specific call/topic conditions state otherwise.
Can the budget amounts in the calls change after publication?
Yes. Budgets in calls and topics are indicative and may change after evaluation. Final figures may change by up to ±20% compared to the total budget indicated in each part of the work programme.
How are scores and thresholds applied for CSA evaluations?
For full applications, each criterion is scored out of 5 with an individual threshold of 3. The overall threshold (sum of three scores) is 10. All criteria have equal weight (1). Proposals passing individual and overall thresholds may be funded according to av...
How are Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) handled in calls?
When a specific call/topic requires a TRL, the definitions set out in the Glossary apply unless otherwise specified in the call/topic conditions.
How must proposals be submitted?
All proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Paper submissions are not possible. The application form has Part A (online administrative data) and Part B (technical description uploaded as a PDF).
What activities are eligible for funding?
Eligible activities are those described in the call conditions. Applications are eligible only if their content corresponds wholly or in part to the topic description. Projects must focus exclusively on civil applications and must avoid prohibited activities l...
What are the award criteria for Coordination and Support Actions?
Proposals are evaluated on Excellence, Impact, and Quality and efficiency of the implementation. Each criterion considers specific aspects described in the Work Programme (e.g., clarity of objectives, pathways to impact, work plan quality).
What are the eligibility rules for Coordination and Support Actions (CSA)?
To participate as beneficiaries (or affiliated entities) in CSAs, legal entities must be established in a Member State or Associated Country unless the specific call/topic conditions provide otherwise.
What are the ethics requirements for applicants?
Projects must comply with ethical principles and applicable law. Applicants must complete an ethics self-assessment in their application. Projects with ethics issues will undergo an ethics review and may be subject to specific ethics requirements.
What are the indicative timelines for evaluation and grant signature?
Information on evaluation outcomes is typically provided around 5 months from the submission deadline. Indicative signing of grant agreements is around 8 months from the deadline.
What are the requirements for mono-beneficiary and multi-beneficiary proposals?
Mono-beneficiary applicants must be established in a Member State or Associated Country. Multi-beneficiary proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least three independent legal entities, each in a different country: at least one in a Member State and...
What happens if a project involves classified or sensitive information?
Projects involving classified and/or sensitive information must undergo a security appraisal to authorise funding and may be subject to specific security rules, including rules for protecting EU-classified information (see Commission Decision 2015/444).
What is the evaluation and ranking procedure?
Proposals are checked for admissibility and eligibility, then evaluated for operational capacity and award criteria by an evaluation committee of independent external experts (or, where indicated, partly/fully including EU institution representatives) and rank...
What must applicants do if their project includes financial support to third parties?
If allowed by the call/topic, applicants must clearly describe objectives and expected results for the third-party support and comply with EU standards on transparency and openness of calls.
What specific activities are explicitly prohibited?
Projects must not aim at human cloning for reproductive purposes; intend to modify the genetic heritage of humans in a way that makes changes heritable; or intend to create human embryos solely for research or stem cell procurement.
What supporting documents and annexes are required at submission?
Annexes and supporting documents must be uploaded via the submission system in the formats allowed (PDF or other permitted formats). Coordinators must confirm mandate and correctness and that participants meet EU funding conditions.
Which countries' entities are eligible for funding under the EIC Work Programme?
Entities must be established in Member States of the EU (including outermost regions); Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to Member States; countries associated to Horizon Europe – Pillar III; and certain low- and middle-income countries. Other l...