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The EIC has been launched – call cut-off dates are already known

31.03.2021

On 18 March 2021 the European Commission launched the European Innovation Council (EIC) during a virtual event. The initiative’s budget for 2021-2027 will exceed 10 billion euro and will be used to foster development and extension of breakthrough ideas.

Following the successful completion of the three-year EIC pilot under Horizon 2020, it is now a fully fledged initiative. The EIC not only represents a novelty under Horizon Europe but is also an exceptional instrument on a global scale: it combines research into emerging technologies with an acceleration programme and the European Innovation Council Fund, with a view to increasing innovativeness of start-ups as well as SMEs. An amount of around 3 billion euro from the EIC budget has been allocated for that purpose.

On the launch day, the first annual EIC Work Programme was published providing a project financing opportunity for the amount exceeding 1.5 billion euro.

EIC call dates

In 2021 there will be two types of calls for proposals:

  • Open – for projects in any field of science or technology
  • Challenges – for specific challenges that are defined in the Work Programme

This year’s cut-off dates of competitions for innovators:

  • EIC Accelerator – applications in a short version: a continuous call; full applications: 9 June  2021, 6 October 2021
  • EIC Pathfinder – Open: 19 May 2021, Challenges: 27 October 2021
  • EIC Transition – 22 September 2021.

 

The EIC Accelerator call is now conducted in two stages: Stage 1 involves submitting an application in a short version, which will be assessed in a 4 weeks time, while those admitted to Stage 2 will be required to submit a full application. The applicants whose applications receive positive assessments at Stage 1 will have a maximum of 12 months to submit a full application.

Two EIC Prize calls will also be announced in 2021:

  • EU Prize for Women Innovators
  • European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital)

The planned announcement of those calls: Q1 or Q2 2021; the planned cut-off dates: Q2 or Q3 2021.

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