Library FAQ
What is the EIC Board?
The EIC Board oversees the strategy and implementation of EIC activities and provides advice on EIC Work Programmes. It comprises 20 leading innovators and innovative researchers and a full-time President.
What is the EIC Community platform and who can access it?
The EIC Community platform is available to all EIC Awardees and Awardees of EIC Seals of Excellence, EIC Pre-Accelerator Seals of Excellence and EIC STEP Seals, and other eligible entities. It facilitates links to Business Acceleration Services and enables dis...
What is the EIC–EIT collaboration and what is the Fast Track process?
The EIC is increasing collaboration with the EIT and its KICs to strengthen the innovation ecosystem. The Fast Track process allows companies selected by EIT KICs to enter the EIC Accelerator evaluation at the second stage. EIC beneficiaries also gain access t...
What is the EIC Fund and its role?
The EIC Fund is an alternative investment fund established to invest in companies selected through EIC Accelerator calls. The European Investment Bank supports the EIC Fund as Investment Advisor.
What is the objective of the EIC Pathfinder?
The EIC Pathfinder’s objective is to develop the scientific basis to underpin breakthrough technologies by supporting the earliest stages of scientific, technological or deep tech R&D to realise proofs of principle and foundations for future transformative tec...
What is the outlook for the EIC Work Programme in 2027?
The 2027 Work Programme will follow EIC Board advice. Main calls on Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator and STEP are expected to continue without major changes. The Advanced Innovation Challenges call will be assessed for continuation. Subject to proposed defe...
What support does a funded EIC Pathfinder Open project receive?
The call has an indicative total budget of EUR 166 million. Successful projects receive a Research and Innovation Action grant (100% funding). Proposals with up to EUR 4 million EU contribution are considered appropriate (larger amounts may be justified). Elig...
Which agency implements Horizon Europe EIC activities (except the EIC Fund)?
The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) is the agency entrusted by the European Commission to implement Horizon Europe EIC activities, except for the EIC Fund.
Who are EIC Awardees?
EIC Awardees are beneficiaries identified in an EIC Grant agreement (Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator), or investees for the Accelerator (including STEP Scale Up Call), as well as winners of EIC Prizes.
How and when do you apply to EIC Pathfinder Open?
Submit a proposal via the EU Funding & Tender Opportunities Portal by the deadline 3 May 2022 at 17:00 Brussels local time.
How are EIC Pathfinder proposals evaluated?
Proposals are first evaluated and scored remotely by EIC expert evaluators, followed by a rebuttal phase, and then by an evaluation committee that decides the final score based on remote scores, consensus discussions and rebuttal comments.
How are ties between proposals with the same final score resolved?
Priority order: higher Excellence score; higher Impact score; gender balance among work package leaders; number of SME applicants; number of Member States and Associated Countries in the consortium; other call-related factors determined by the evaluation commi...
What are indicative 2022 dates for relevant challenge calls?
Indicative dates include 23 March 2022; 15 June 2022; and 5 October 2022. Technologies for Open Strategic Autonomy and for ‘Fit for 55’ share the same indicative dates.
What are some selected EIC 2022 challenge topics?
Examples include carbon dioxide & nitrogen management and valorisation; mid‑long term, systems‑integrated energy storage; cardiogenomics; healthcare continuum technologies; DNA‑based digital data storage; alternative quantum information processing, communicati...
What are the award criteria, thresholds and weights for EIC Pathfinder Open?
Excellence (threshold 4/5, weight 60%), Impact (threshold 3.5/5, weight 20%), and Quality and efficiency of the implementation (threshold 3/5, weight 20%).
What are the ‘Gatekeepers’ for EIC Pathfinder Open?
Essential characteristics: a convincing long-term vision for a radically new technology; a concrete, novel and ambitious science‑towards‑technology breakthrough; and a high‑risk/high‑gain research approach with concrete and plausible objectives and sound metho...
What funding is available for EIC Pathfinder projects?
The EIC considers requests up to EUR 3 million appropriate for this call (open), with larger amounts possible if properly justified. The total indicative budget for the call is EUR 183 million.
What funding is available for EIC Transition?
Grants of up to EUR 2.5 million (or more if properly justified) to validate and demonstrate technology in application‑relevant environments and develop market readiness.
What is the Agency implementing EIC activities?
The European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency (EISMEA) is the Agency entrusted by the European Commission with implementation of all Horizon Europe EIC activities and funding.
What is the EIC Board and who appoints it?
The EIC Board oversees strategy and implementation of EIC activities, provides advice on Work Programmes, comprises 15–20 leading innovators and researchers including a President, and is appointed by the European Commission following an open call for expressio...
What is the EIC Transition and who can apply?
EIC Transition supports validation and demonstration in application‑relevant environments (TRL 4 to 5/6) and market readiness. Eligible applicants are single applicants (SMEs, spin‑offs, start‑ups, research organisations, universities), small consortia (two pa...
What is the objective of the EIC Pathfinder?
The overall objective is to develop the scientific basis to underpin breakthrough technologies by supporting the earliest stages of scientific, technological or deep-tech R&D to achieve proof of principle (TRL 1-4).
What is the rebuttal procedure in the evaluation process?
After the remote evaluation phase, applicants have an opportunity to reply to evaluators’ comments within a strict page limit; these comments are considered by the evaluation committee in its final scoring.
What is the Seal of Excellence?
A certification awarded to individual SMEs that meet the relevant evaluation criteria for EIC Transition or EIC Accelerator but are not directly funded by the EIC; it provides access to Business Acceleration Services and facilitates funding from other sources.