Have you participated in an European R&D project with market potential? Do you want to bring the results to the market? Commercializing research-based innovations takes important resources! Let’s take a look at how the EIC can help your research team or spin-off.
The work programme 2024 of the European Innovation Council provides about €1.2 billion in financing possibilities for deeptech companies and researchers. The bulk is devoted to helping SMEs and start-ups create and expand “deep tech” discoveries in vital domains including space exploration, life science, cleantech, semiconductors, quantum technologies, key raw materials, and generative artificial intelligence (AI).
What is the EIC Transition?
The EIC Transition provides funding for innovative projects that go beyond laboratory experiments that demonstrate both:
- the development and verification of new technology in the laboratory and in pertinent application settings,
- the creation of a business model and business case in preparation for the innovation’s eventual commercialization.
Technology and market/business development should be the focus of EIC Transition initiatives, which may also incorporate iterative learning procedures based on early user or customer input.
The EIC Transition projects must achieve a business model, its preliminary validation, and a business strategy for its development and introduction into the market, along with a technology that has been shown to be successful for its intended application (TRL 5/6).
Up to €2.5 million in the form of a grant are available to enhance market readiness and evaluate and showcase technologies in relevant application-relevant environments.
Novelties for 2024
Some changes have been implemented in 2024 regarding the EIC Transition:
- There are no challenge topics
- The eligibility of the EIC Transition Open has been extended to results stemming from Horizon 2020 Societal challenges and Leadership in Industrial Technologies and from Horizon Europe Pillar II projects fulfilling the eligibility criteria (see call text),
- The EIC Transition Open has a single deadline.
Next call: September 2024
The total indicative budget for this call is EUR 94 million.
Accepted applications will be awarded a Research and Innovation Action grant to help with the eligible expenses that must be paid in order to carry out research. Proposals with a proposed EU contribution of more than EUR 0.5 million but less than EUR 2.5 million, and a period of one to three years, as appropriate, are considered by the EIC for this call. However, if properly stated, applicants can ask for more money.
The funding rate will cover 100% of the qualified expenses. The review procedure will determine the amount of eligible costs, which will be paid in lump sums.
The submission deadline for proposals is September 18, 2024 at 17h00 Brussels local time.
