Library FAQ
What are the prize amounts for the Women Innovators and Rising Innovators categories?
Women Innovators: 1st EUR 100,000; 2nd EUR 70,000; 3rd EUR 50,000. Rising Innovators: 1st EUR 50,000; 2nd EUR 30,000; 3rd EUR 20,000.
What are the two categories of the European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital) in 2024?
European Capital of Innovation (cities with minimum 250,000 inhabitants) and European Rising Innovative City (towns/cities with 50,000 to 249,999 inhabitants).
What endorsement is required for a city to apply to iCapital?
Each application must contain a specific endorsement to apply signed by the city Mayor or the equivalent highest political representative.
What is the iCapital indicative timetable for 2024?
Opening Q1–Q2 2024; Deadline for submission Q2–Q3 2024; Award of the prize Q4 2024.
What is the indicative timetable for the Women/Rising Innovators contest in 2024–2025?
Opening of the contest Q1–Q2 2024; Deadline for submissions Q3–Q4 2024; Award of the prize Q1–Q2 2025.
What supporting materials must applicants provide with their written application?
Applicants must support their written application with an inspiring video message about themselves and their achievements, lasting no more than 90 seconds, and be prepared to provide proof of eligibility upon request.
Who is eligible to apply for the European Innovation Procurement Awards?
Any public and/or private procurer, individuals/natural persons and/or legal entities supporting the use of innovation procurement established in a Member State (including OCTs) or an Associated Country to Horizon Europe.
Who is ineligible for the iCapital awards?
Winners of former European Capital of Innovation editions and runners-up of the 2023 edition are not eligible; previous finalist cities remain eligible. Applicants who have already received an EU or Euratom prize cannot receive a second prize for the same acti...
Are there limits on the number of submissions to the EIC Accelerator?
Yes. After three unsuccessful submissions of the same or improved proposal by the same legal entity to the EIC Accelerator call, an applicant may not apply again under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme.
Can companies that received 'Grant first' support under 2021–2023 receive EIC Fund investments?
Yes, subject to these companies achieving the milestones set for proceeding with the investment component.
For Challenges, what must applicants from Associated Countries demonstrate?
They must demonstrate contributions to the EU internal market or reduction of strategic dependencies.
How is the grant agreement handled when the EIC Fund invests in a parent or holding company?
The grant agreement with the beneficiary will include the parent or holding company as an affiliated entity in its role as investee.
If an Open call application falls within the scope of certain Challenges, what happens?
Grant funding is subject to eligibility in accordance with the specific conditions applicable to those Challenge topics (e.g., GenAI4EU; Innovative in-space servicing, operations, space-based robotics and technologies for resilient EU space infrastructure).
In which exceptional cases will the EIC Fund consider follow-on investments?
Where necessary to secure EU interests or in the case of strategic technologies, and if subsequent funding rounds would not proceed or would proceed on significantly less favourable terms without the EIC Fund’s follow-on investment.
What are the focus areas of the Biotechnology driven low emission food and feed production systems Challenge?
Replacing fossil fuels in pesticide and fertiliser production; increasing resource use efficiency and climate-smart agriculture; mitigating ruminant enteric methane emissions; and expanding conventional food and feed production. Projects must provide a lifecyc...
What aspects of the team does the EIC evaluate?
Whether the team has the capability and motivation to implement the proposal and bring it to market, and whether there is a plan to acquire any critical competencies currently missing, including adequate gender balance.
What follow-on investments can the EIC Fund provide to already supported companies?
The EIC Fund may provide follow-on investments of up to EUR 10 million, subject to availability of budget, an external project review, an amended Award Decision and renewed due diligence by the EIB as adviser to the EIC Fund.
What is EIC Accelerator Open?
A strand with no predefined thematic priorities, open to proposals in any field of technology or application.
What is expected regarding risk mitigation in proposals?
The main risks (technological, market, financial, regulatory) must be identified together with measures to mitigate them.
What is meant by 'Broader impact' in the EIC assessment?
Whether the innovation, if successfully commercialised, will achieve positive societal, economic, environmental or climate impacts.
What is the aim of the Advanced Materials Challenge and its key application areas?
To scale SMEs across the advanced materials value chain addressing design, synthesis, characterisation, up-scaling and production, and scaling up processes to reach targeted functionalities, in the application areas of energy, mobility, electronics and constru...
What is the total indicative budget for EIC Accelerator Challenges in 2025?
EUR 250 million, which may be transferred between Challenges and, if still underutilised, to the Accelerator Open.
What must a company requesting an investment component demonstrate about the risk level?
That without an investment from the EIC Fund European market actors are unwilling to commit the full amount needed, and that with EIC support the company will be able to attract the remaining funding from other investors within the next two years.
What should applicants do before reapplying after a previous unsuccessful submission?
They are expected to take into account the feedback on their previous submission and only reapply if they have made significant improvements.