Library FAQ
What is Grant First and what conditions apply to it?
Grant First is for innovations requiring validation and demonstration (TRL 5–8). Grant-first proposals must include a milestone at mid-term or at least six months before the project end for the EIC to assess deployment prospects. A positive milestone assessmen...
What is Grant Only and what must Grant Only applicants demonstrate?
Grant Only applicants request only the grant component and must provide evidence that they have sufficient financial means (revenue, existing investors or shareholders, etc.) to finance deployment and scaling up activities that the investment component would n...
What is the EIC Accelerator?
The EIC Accelerator supports start-ups and SMEs to scale up high-impact innovations that can create new markets or disrupt existing ones. It offers funding (EUR 0.5 to EUR 17.5 million) and Business Acceleration Services, focuses on deep tech and patient capit...
What is the EIC Accelerator blended finance model?
Blended finance combines an investment component (usually direct equity or quasi-equity such as convertible loans) and a grant component to reimburse eligible innovation costs (demonstration, prototyping, R&D, regulatory work, IP management, etc., typically TR...
What support is provided between a successful short proposal and the full proposal?
Successful short-proposal applicants receive coaching to prepare a full proposal and access to the EIC AI-based platform to develop a detailed business plan. Full proposals must be submitted to a cut-off date within 12 months of the short-proposal response and...
Who can apply to the EIC Accelerator?
Eligible applicants include a single company classified as an SME established in an EU Member State or an Associated Country; a single small mid-cap (up to 499 employees) established in a Member/Associated Country (but only for rapid scale up and the investmen...
How does the EIC Accelerator grant component work?
Eligible costs are reimbursed up to a maximum of 70% within the ceiling of the maximum grant amount. The grant component should normally be less than EUR 2.5 million but may be higher in exceptional cases.
What are chip-scale optical frequency combs and why are they important in the Challenge?
Photonic integrated frequency combs are on-chip combs generated by nonlinear effects; they are compact, have large mode spacing matching telecom grids, can integrate other functionality, and are compatible with wafer-scale semiconductor fabrication, with appli...
What are 'Grant Only' and 'Grant First' options?
Grant Only requires evidence of sufficient financial means to finance deployment and scaling. Grant First applies where work is still required to validate and demonstrate in relevant environments and may lead to a follow-on equity component subject to mileston...
What are the main features of the EIC Accelerator investment component?
Typically delivered as direct equity or quasi-equity (e.g., convertible loans). The minimum investment component is EUR 0.5 million and the maximum is EUR 15 million, with requests above EUR 15 million allowed in duly justified cases; terms are negotiated case...
What are the objectives of the Chip-scale optical frequency combs Challenge?
Advance understanding of light states in driven nonlinear systems, develop novel platforms with higher conversion efficiencies and extended wavelength ranges, integrate with other functionalities compatible with wafer-scale manufacturing and exploit comb preci...
What aspects are evaluated under 'Investment readiness and go to market strategy'?
Appropriateness of plans to secure subsequent financing (e.g., applying for EIC Accelerator, private investment, patenting/licensing) to bring the technology/innovation to market.
What design and policy considerations are required for Micro-Nano-Bio Challenge projects?
Ethics, safety and sustainability/circularity by design (including eco-design of disposables), addressing gender-specificity, and identifying opportunities for policy development and standardisation.
What does the 'Quality and motivation of the team' criterion cover?
Whether the team has the capability and motivation to implement the technological innovation and market activities, and whether risks preventing validation or market success have been appropriately considered.
What funding and support does the EIC Accelerator provide?
Funding from EUR 0.5 to EUR 17.5 million and Business Acceleration Services, focusing on deep-tech innovations with technology tested at least to TRL 5; it offers blended finance composed of an investment component and a grant component.
What happens if an individual SME meets all evaluation thresholds at the first step but is not selected for funding?
It may be awarded a Seal of Excellence and applicants receive an Evaluation Summary Report from the first evaluation step.
What is assessed under the 'Impact (GO/NO GO)' evaluation criterion?
Credibility of impacts including whether the proposed business model is sound and whether expected impacts are credible and realistic within the project and beyond. For EIC Transition Challenges only, also whether the application contributes to the expected ou...
What is the focus of the Environmental intelligence Challenge?
Demonstrating novel devices, sensors or technologies that detect/monitor/prevent/reduce/eliminate environmental contaminants and enable environmental intelligence through data collection, analysis and modelling, while supporting sustainable business models.
What is the overall goal of the Micro-Nano-Bio devices Challenge?
Completion of Micro-Nano-Bio technology suitable for transition to market, including realising and validating a fully functional integrated device or system based on previously developed modules and driven by market needs.
What is the total indicative budget for the EIC Transition Challenges call and how is it allocated?
EUR 60.5 million in total, allocated approximately equally between the three Challenges; a component will be funded through Next Generation EU.
What must applicants demonstrate by the end of Environmental intelligence projects?
A mature technology prototype validated or demonstrated in a relevant environment (TRL 5/6) and demonstrated advantage in a specific environment or a general-purpose device able to unlock the field's potential.
What outcomes are expected from projects in the Micro-Nano-Bio Challenge?
Significant progress to technological maturity suitable for exploitation, an exploitation strategy, a credible business model with initial validation, and a business plan.
What outcomes are expected from the Chip-scale optical frequency combs Challenge?
Foster skills and innovation in semiconductor technologies, lead to deep-tech innovations for next-generation chips, and produce an exploitation strategy, a credible business model with initial validation, and a business plan.
What outcomes are expected from the Environmental intelligence Challenge?
Commercial emergence of new environmental technologies, reduction of pollution via safe and sustainable pilot-scale prototypes, enabling evidence-based environmental policy, promoting an environmental monitoring/remediation-based economy, and a credible exploi...