There has been some uncertainty around the EIC calls for 2023, however, on December 7, 2022 the European Innovation Council finally announced the 2023 Work Programme, with funding opportunities totaling €1.6 billion (including the budget for the EIC Accelerator, the EIC Pathfinder and the EIC Transition) to help disruptive innovations scale up and create new markets.
Budget for 2023
The budget for the EIC Accelerator 2023 amounts to €1.13 billion and it will focus, as usual, on breakthrough technologies developed by deep tech startups and SMEs:
- Grants below €2.5 million, equity investments from €0.5 up to €15 million.
- €525 million will be allocated for next generation technologies in core areas for Europe, such as biomarkers for cancer, decontamination for pandemic management, energy storage, New European Bauhaus, quantum or semiconductor components, resilient agriculture, space technologies and services.
Deadlines
Applicants and candidates willing to get funding from the EIC Accelerator can apply anytime, but there will be four cut-off dates:
- 11 January 2023 (Accelerator Open only),
- 22 March 2023 (Accelerator Open and Challenges),
- 7 June 2023 (Accelerator Open and Challenges),
- 4 October 2023(Accelerator Open and Challenges).
Novelties for 2023
The EIC has announced some novelties for 2023:
- There will be eight challenges for startups and SMEs to become leaders worldwide in the technological field, with a budget for grants and investments worth €525 million,
- Internships for researchers will be available so as to increase the flow of innovative talent into deep tech start-ups,
- Further support to women innovators will be provided by linking the EIC Accelerator to companies supported by Women TechEU initiative,
- EIC innovations will be tested among public and private procurers,
- There will be more collaboration with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) through opening up business acceleration services and launching a joint EIC-EIT woman innovators prize.