Funding opportunities of more than €1.2 billion
for strategic technologies and expanding companies
The 2024 Work Programme of the European Innovation Council (EIC) has been announced and provides funding opportunities of more than €1.2 billion for strategic technologies and deep tech companies.
The application periods for each of the instruments are already known:
EIC Pathfinder
Until March 7 – Open Call: accepts applications in any technological area.
Until October 16 – Challenge Call accepts applications in the following areas:
– Solar-to-X devices for decentralised fuel consumption; of chemicals and renewable materials as a way of mitigating climate change;
– cement and concrete as carbon sinks; nature-inspired alternatives for food packaging and agricultural film;
– Nanoelectronics for intelligent and energy efficient devices;
– Strengthening the sustainability and resilience of EU space infrastructures.
The EIC Transition will hold an Open Call ending September 18.
EIC Accelerator
Applications to the EIC Accelerator are open continuously for the submission of the 1st step of the application (short Proposal). For the submission of step 2 (full Proposal) the dates are as follows:
Until March 13 and October 3 – Open Call: accepts applications in any technological area.
Until 13 March and 3 October – Challenge Call accepts applications in the following areas:
– human-centred generative AI produced in Europe;
– virtual worlds and enhanced interaction in high-impact applications to support the realisation of Industry 5.0;
– use of quantum and intelligent state-of-the-art components; food from precision fermentation and algae;
– monoclonal antibody-based therapies for new emerging virus variants;
– Renewable energy sources and their entire value chain, including material development and component recycling.
The 2024 Work Programme presented a series of simplifications and improvements such as the introduction of Lump Sum in the funding process and the opening of applications for Transition to Horizon Europe results.
Two InfoDay dedicated to potential candidates will be promoted. On January 15, 2024, between 09.00 and 17.15, the new Work Programme will be presented with an overview of the three main financing instruments provided by the JIT. The next day, January 16, between 08h30 and 13h15, will be dedicated to the challenges of the EIC Accelerator.
For more information, click here.
The list of EIC Board members for the new two-year term has been published and includes Teresa Neves, a researcher at INL and Aalbog University. The EIC Board plays a central role in guiding the strategy and execution of the EIC, providing advice on strategy, work programme and thematic portfolios.
Find the list of members here.
The EIC, launched in March, supports the financing of deep tech projects with innovative ideas and the ambition to scale the business worldwide. It’s 10b€ to finance disruptive deep tech projects that bring great benefits to society and the economy and have the potential to create new markets. The star instrument is the Accelerator, created to scale the most disruptive business projects worldwide, with technology development and validation grants up to 2.5M and equity to scale the business up to 15M€. The other two instruments are Pathfinder and Transition.
For Portugal, the EIC is an opportunity to retain deep tech businesses of national origin, attract talent and qualified labor and increase the exposure of technology-based SMEs and the entire national ecosystem to more competitive international systems.
