Library FAQ
What are the award criteria and scoring for Coordination and Support Actions?
Coordination and Support Actions are evaluated against three criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Quality and efficiency of the implementation. For full proposals each criterion is scored out of 5; the threshold for each individual criterion is 3 and the overall...
What are the data management requirements for EIC funded projects?
All EIC funded projects must develop and update a data management plan if they generate or reuse research data or other research outputs (except publications). All personal and non-personal data must be managed responsibly in line with the FAIR principles, the...
What could happen if an applicant breaches the EIC investment obligations?
A breach of these obligations may lead to the interruption of the equity investment process.
What financial capacity must applicants have for EIC actions?
Applicants must have stable and sufficient resources to successfully implement the projects and contribute their share; organisations in several projects must have sufficient capacity to implement all projects.
What is the Fast Track scheme for the EIC Accelerator?
The Fast Track scheme applies to EIC Accelerator proposals resulting from existing Horizon Europe or Horizon 2020 projects. A project review by the responsible funding body assesses innovation or market deployment potential using award criteria equivalent to t...
What is the Plug-in scheme for the EIC Accelerator?
The pilot Plug-in scheme is like the Fast Track but applies to proposals resulting from existing national or regional programmes. A certified national/regional programme conducts a project review using criteria and independent assessment equivalent to the shor...
What operational capacity is required for EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition applicants?
Applicants must have the know-how, qualifications and resources to implement their tasks and contribute their share, including where appropriate sufficient experience in EU/trans-national projects of comparable size. This is assessed under the award criterion...
What restrictions apply to EIC investments regarding jurisdictions and sanctions?
The EIC applies the Council list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes and will not enter into contracts or business relationships with institutions or individuals on sanction lists, nor make funds available to them. It also applies EU rules on mon...
When is the financial capacity check normally carried out and what are the exceptions?
The financial capacity check is normally done for the coordinator and if the requested grant amount is equal or greater than EUR 500 000. Exceptions include public bodies or international organisations, and cases where the individual requested grant amount is...
When will applicants be refused during the award procedure?
Applicants will be refused if they misrepresented information required as a condition for participating or failed to supply that information during the award procedure, or if they were previously involved in preparing the call in a way that causes an irremedia...
Which applicants are exempted from the operational capacity check?
Public bodies, Member State organisations and international organisations are exempted from the operational capacity check for the actions described.
Which exclusion situations prevent participation in EIC actions?
Applicants subject to EU administrative sanctions or in exclusion situations cannot participate. These include bankruptcy or similar procedures; breach of social security or tax obligations; grave professional misconduct; fraud, corruption, links to criminal o...
Which funding bodies and schemes are eligible for the Fast Track in 2024?
In 2024 eligible are EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition projects managed by the Agency; relevant schemes managed by EIT KICs as identified by each KIC; funding schemes for SMEs under Eurostars-2 and the Partnership on Innovative SMEs managed by Eureka and natio...
How are reporting and payments arranged, including pre-financing and deductions?
Reporting and payment arrangements are set in the grant agreement. Normally pre-financing equals 160% of the average EU funding per reporting period (less for single-period actions). At pre-financing, 5–8% of the maximum grant is deducted to the mutual insuran...
How are the project starting date and duration determined?
They are fixed in the grant agreement (Data Sheet). Normally the starting date is after the grant is signed; a retroactive start may exceptionally be granted for duly justified reasons. Project duration is provided in months and extensions are possible only ex...
How can a consortium request an evaluation review and what are the limits?
The coordinator can submit a request relating only to procedural aspects within 30 days after accessing the evaluation results; the request may be up to 7,000 characters. Notifications not opened within 10 days after sending are considered accessed.
How flexible are the published budgets in the calls and topics?
Budgets are indicative; final budgets may change following evaluation and may vary by up to 20% compared to the total budget indicated in each individual part of the work programme without being considered substantial under Article 110(5).
How is the designation regarding Palestine treated in the Work Programme?
The designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States.
Is the United Kingdom associated to Horizon Europe and are there exceptions?
The United Kingdom is associated to the entire Horizon Europe Programme except for the investment component of the EIC Accelerator managed by the EIC Fund for award procedures implementing the Union budget for 2024 onward.
What budget categories and cost eligibility rules apply?
Budget categories include actual costs (personnel, subcontracting, purchase, financial support to third parties), unit costs (personnel unit costs, SME owners, average personnel costs, internally invoiced goods/services, specific unit costs), a flat-rate for i...
What can the evaluation review committee recommend?
It may provide an opinion on procedural aspects and recommend either a re-evaluation (primarily by evaluators not involved previously) or confirmation of the initial evaluation.
What does the Work Programme say about the designation of Kosovo?
The designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
What happens during grant preparation?
Applicants prepare the grant agreement with the Agency project officer; the agreement defines the framework, deliverables, reporting, payments, and other terms. The applicable model text is available on the topic page and in call documentation.
What happens if a project generates a profit or there is non-compliance?
Any profit (surplus of revenues plus EU grant over costs) will be deducted from the final grant amount. The final grant may also be reduced in case of non-compliance such as improper implementation or breach of obligations.