At the second edition of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Summit the 2023 work programme was published. The work programme with calls for proposals offers the same three main funding strands as last year (Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator) with Open calls to which any topic can be submitted (thus bottom-up) and Challenges with prescribed topics. Furthermore business acceleration services and recognition prizes are included. 

EIC Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator

• EIC Pathfinder (to develop the scientific basis to underpin breakthrough technologies, TRL 1 up to 4)

Open call accepts applications by consortia of at least three different entities. Grants up to €3 million. Indicative total budget €179.50. Call deadline 7 March 2023.

Challenges are open for applications from single applicants, small consortia (two partners) and consortia of three or more entities. Five Challenges topics: Clean and efficient cooling; Construction digitalisation; Precision nutrition; Responsible electronics; In-space solar energy. Grants up to €4 million. Indicative total budget €163.50. Call deadline 18 October 2023.

• EIC Transition (innovation activities that go beyond the experimental proof of principle in laboratory, TRL 4 to 5/6)

Open and Challenges calls are open to applications from single entities, small consortia (two partners) or consortia of three to five different entities. Three Challenges topics: Micro-Nano-Bio devices; Environmental intelligence; Chip-scale optical frequency combs. Grants up to €2.5 million. Indicative total budget €67.86 million (Open) and €60.60 million (Challenges). Call deadlines for Open and Challenges calls 12 April 2023 and 27 September 2023.

Booster Grants (up to €50.000) can be applied for by EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition Awardees to explore potential pathways to commercialisation.

• EIC Accelerator (supports companies to scale up high impact innovations with the potential to create new markets or disrupt existing ones)

Grant component: TRL 5/6 to 8, grants up to €2.5 million. Investment component €0.5 up to €15 million or more. Indicative total budget €612.98 (Open) and €524.73 (Challenges). Deadlines for applications: short applications: continuous. Full applications: 11 January 2023 (only for Open); 22 March 2023; 7 June 2023; 4 October 2023. Individuals, single entities (start-ups and SMEs) and small mid-caps (< 499 employees) can apply. Seven Challenges topics: Biomarkers for cancer; Decontamination for pandemic management; Energy storage; New European Bauhaus; Quantum or Semiconductor components; Resilient agriculture; Space technologies and services.

Business Acceleration Services (BAS)

These services are procured from external contractors and consist mainly of business coaching, business advice, networking opportunities to expand the client base and to find co-investors, and access to testing/scaleup facilities. The services are open to all EIC Awardees (from the EIC Accelerator, EIC Transition, EIC Pathfinder), Seal of Excellence holders, applicants to the EIC Accelerator who have succeeded at the short application stage and Women TechEU awardees. The BAS services are available via the EIC Community Platform

Recognition Prizes

A fifth recognition prize is added to the programme, the European Prize for Humanitarian Innovation (expected deadline for submission of proposals Q3 2023), on top of the four existing prizes: the European Prize for Women Innovators (expected deadline for submission of proposals Q3 2023); the European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital)); the European Innovation Procurement Awards and The European Social Innovation Competition 2023. For the three latter prizes the expected deadline for submission of applications is in Q2 or Q3 2023.

All details are included in the EIC work programme 2023 and call documents which can be found in the forthcoming and open call topics on the Funding and Tender portal. In the introduction of the work programme the novelties compared to the 2022 work programme are summarised. For more background information see also the European Commission press release and EIC press release.

An info day will take place on 13 December and info days for the Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator Challenges will follow in January and February.