The EIC Accelerator funding (grant and equity, with a blended financing option) by the European Commission (EC) and European Innovation Council (EIC) awards up to €2.5 million in grants and €10 million in equity financing per project (€12.5 million total) and is designed for startups and Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), often supported by professional writers, freelancers, or consultants.

This article explores the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in EIC Accelerator grant proposal evaluations.

With AI tools becoming more capable, the number of grant submissions is expected to increase drastically. The creation of content, especially in written form, has never been easier, and it is a natural conclusion that nearly every applicant will use AI within just a few years (see ChatEIC).

This raises questions about the current EIC Accelerator evaluation process since it now faces a significant asymmetry between the number of submissions and the manual work done by the expert, remote evaluators. While it is likely that the EIC has already created a dam to stop the wave by integrating AI in Step 1 proposals (i.e., the first hurdle for applicants), it is only a matter of time until the workload caused by AI submissions will exceed all of their capabilities.

Out With The Old, In With AI

The future of proposal evaluations will be AI-driven, whether in a fully automated fashion or by simply automating 80% of the process and only using human assessments for the final scoring. Europe is notoriously behind in adopting new technologies, especially in government, but it is likely that it will be forced to move due to the sheer explosion in workload for its staff.

According to the Red Queen Hypothesis, organisms that are in direct competition with others have to evolve to avoid extinction. This arms race is not optional but mandatory since, even if you stay still, the other side will move rapidly.

In the same way, the EIC has no choice but to adapt, and it will be interesting to see how they will try to meet the challenge when any European company will be able to generate a proposal in under 10 minutes, and send a customized application to 50 different grant agencies, which will be as easy as writing an email (see ChatEIC).

Currently, the EIC receives thousands of submissions every year, and the number of interviewees for the EIC Accelerator’s Step 3 pitch week is rapidly growing, but how will it handle 10,000 or even 100,000 applications a year?

Redundant Redundancies

With the shift towards AI, there are new questions that need to be considered regarding the current evaluation process and criteria. The EIC has not shied away from making bold changes in the past, but it might have to make its boldest changes yet, focusing on what actually matters: the company and the technology.

As mentioned in a previous article, any proposal section that is generic should be removed since it does not require input from the applicant; thus, it is simply bloated text to appease the EIC. Core examples for such proposal sections are:

Mission and Vision

It seems counterintuitive that such important parts, such as the mission and vision, would be generic, but they certainly are. They are neither graded in an impactful way nor are they relevant to the project. The commercial strategy, global impact, and technology roadmap cover these segments much more clearly and are much more likely to impact the perception of the project.

Gender and Diversity

This is an obvious drop from the evaluation and proposal in general. The EIC is a public institution, which is why it is subject to policy targets and has to stick with whatever the political winds bring along with them, but from a proposal perspective, this section is entirely irrelevant. Why? Because it does not match its purpose. Many engineering and DeepTech businesses are mostly male. Gender ratios are usually 90%+, with women often being in entry positions. That is not a reflection of the evil nature of engineers, but it is a reflection of the applicant ratios.

The reason why this section is irrelevant is that it is too easily bypassed, independent of the gender ratio. A company can have a 51% female team with very diverse ethnicities and score the same way as a 5% female team with only pale German engineers. That is because there is a certain way to write this section that makes it impossible for evaluators to complain (as is done by ChatEIC). Thus, it is redundant and should be removed.

Need for the EIC

This is another counterintuitive opinion since arguing for the need a company has for EIC grants and EIC Fund equity should be very nuanced and specific to every single company. Yes, it should be - but it is not. In fact, this is one of the most generic sections in the proposal. That is because evaluators cannot handle real explanations or do not understand the reality of startups.

Startups will raise money with or without the EIC. Many funded EIC companies, if not all of them, raise money during the 12-month submission and evaluation process, which is a fact that is not often talked about simply because it destroys the EIC’s narrative. Companies cannot write that they will raise €5M in 4 months in their proposal because evaluators would immediately criticize them for it.

“Well, you have access to private markets, so you do not need the EIC.”

That is why applicants have to put realism aside and just tell the evaluators what they want to hear. It is an unfortunate part of the evaluation process, but it is also obvious considering ChatEIC has some of the most restrictive instructions in this section. There are about 5 phrases that must be mentioned there, and that pretty much bulletproofs it as much as humanly (or artificially) possible.

Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)

The EIC got hung up on TRLs a long time ago, which shows its alignment with the US and how it repeatedly tries to follow in its footsteps. Considering the recent tensions between the EU and the US (i.e., tariffs, Ukraine, NATO), it might be time for the EU to take a deep breath and emancipate itself from the concept of TRLs. On the surface, TRLs might seem like a great way to assess technologies, but they are way too subjective to be anything but a way to confuse applicants and make the evaluation even more random than it already is.

Based on experience, evaluators often see TRL validation differently, and jury members will likewise assess a TRL in a very different way due to a more commercial focus. For the EIC Accelerator, it is usually sufficient to identify the starting point (TRL6) as a prototype or prototype component, ideally tested by an end-user. Everything else, including obscure terms such as scaling, market-ready, validation, and demonstration, is just semantics. Here is how the EIC could restructure its technology levels for its flagship programs:

• EIC Pathfinder: Create your prototype.
• EIC Transition: Refine your prototype.
• EIC Accelerator: Scale your prototype.

Why Generic Sections Must Go

For a human-written proposal that is also evaluated by a human, generic sections are fine since evaluators know the deal. They know that they cannot reject an amazing technology and team just because they have zero female or diverse members. They will look away and give it a go, so to speak. That is the current reality. Everybody knows that these are lofty policies and not a reality.

But the AI does not know that. If the assessment of diversity and gender ratio is a serious part of the AI criteria, then it will be part of the criteria. And that would significantly degrade the quality of the applications since companies would just hire temporary contractors or add future team members that happen to be the right demographic to rig the system, then drop them after they got the grant.

The EIC continuously tries to improve the quality of applicants, but the quality of applicants directly correlates to the quality of the EIC's evaluation process. If the process is poor, the applicant quality will be poor. Using AI in grant evaluations is a matter of survival for the EIC but it is also a significant opportunity to streamline its process and decide on what really matters.

But how should an AI evaluator assess proposals then? This will be discussed in Part 2.

These tips are not only useful for European startups, professional writers, consultants and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) but are generally recommended when writing a business plan or investor documents.

Deadlines: Post-Horizon 2020, the EIC Accelerator accepts Step 1 submissions now while the deadlines for the full applications (Step 2) under Horizon Europe are listed below. The Step 1 applications must be submitted weeks in advance of Step 2. The next EIC Accelerator cut-off for Step 2 (full proposal) can be found here. After Brexit, UK companies can still apply to the EIC Accelerator under Horizon Europe albeit with non-dilutive grant applications only - thereby excluding equity-financing. Switzerland has resumed its participation in Horizon Europe and is now eligible for the EIC Accelerator.

Contact: You can reach out to us via this contact form to work with a professional consultant.

AI Grant Writer: ChatEIC is a fully automated EIC Accelerator grant proposal writer: Get it here.

Eureka Network: The Eureka Network delivers various international collaborative R&D initiatives such as Network Projects, Clusters, Eurostars, Globalstars, and Innowwide, providing funding from €50K to €6.75M per project based on the specific initiative. This network emphasizes market-driven innovation and deep-tech advancement across multiple technology sectors including ICT/Digital, Industrial/Manufacturing, Bio/Medical Technologies, Energy/Environment, Quantum, AI, and Circular Economy. Eligible participants include SMEs, large enterprises, research organizations, universities, and startups, with Eurostars particularly focused on R&D-performing SMEs. Get Started

EIC Transition: EIC Transition delivers up to €2.5 million in funding to overcome the 'valley of death' gap between laboratory research and market deployment, emphasizing technology maturation and validation. The initiative supports single legal entities or small consortia of 2-5 partners including SMEs, start-ups, spin-offs, and research organizations. Key technology domains include Health/Medical Technologies, Green/Environmental Innovation, Digital/Microelectronics, Quantum Technologies, and AI/Robotics. Get Started

EIC STEP Scale-Up: EIC STEP Scale-Up delivers significant equity investments of €10-30 million for established deep-tech companies prepared for hyper-growth and large-scale expansion. The initiative targets SMEs or small mid-caps with up to 499 employees who have obtained pre-commitment from qualified investors. Primary focus areas include Digital & Deep Tech (Semiconductors, AI, Quantum), Clean Technologies for Net-Zero objectives, and Biotechnologies. Get Started

EIC Pre-Accelerator: EIC Pre-Accelerator represents a 2025 pilot initiative delivering €300,000-€500,000 in funding for early-stage deep-tech development and preparation for the EIC Accelerator program. This program is exclusively accessible to single SMEs or small mid-caps from 'Widening countries' to foster regional innovation development. The initiative encompasses deep-tech innovations across physical, biological, and digital domains. Get Started

EIC Pathfinder: EIC Pathfinder delivers up to €3 million for Open calls and up to €4 million for Challenge-based calls to support early-stage research and development with proof-of-principle validation. The initiative requires research consortia with a minimum of 3 partners from 3 different countries, including universities, research organizations, and SMEs. Primary technology focus areas include Health/Medical, Quantum Technologies, AI, Environmental/Energy, and Advanced Materials. Get Started

EIC Accelerator: EIC Accelerator delivers flexible funding options including blended finance (€2.5M grant + €0.5M-€10M equity), grant-only (up to €2.5M), or equity-only arrangements for scale-up and market deployment of breakthrough innovations. The initiative targets SMEs, start-ups, and small mid-caps with up to 499 employees, with MedTech/Healthcare representing 35% of funded projects. Additional technology areas include Biopharma, Energy, AI, Quantum, Aerospace, Advanced Materials, and Semiconductors. Get Started

Innovation Partnership: Innovation Partnership enables collaborative innovation between public and private sectors with typical funding of €1-5 million per project. The initiative supports cross-sectoral strategic technologies through public-private partnerships and consortia. Projects concentrate on addressing societal challenges through collaborative innovation approaches. Get Started

Innovation Fund: The EU Innovation Fund delivers substantial funding of €7.5 million to €300 million for large-scale demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies. The initiative targets clean energy, carbon capture, renewable energy, and energy storage technologies to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. Eligible participants include large companies, consortia, and public entities capable of implementing large-scale demonstration projects. Get Started

Innovate UK: Innovate UK delivers various programs with funding ranging from £25K to £10M depending on the specific initiative, supporting business-led innovation, collaborative R&D, and knowledge transfer. The organization funds projects across all sectors with particular emphasis on emerging technologies and supports UK-based businesses, research organizations, and universities. Programs are designed to drive economic growth through innovation and technology commercialization. Get Started

Industrial Partnership: Industrial Partnership delivers €2-10 million in funding for industrial research and innovation partnerships focusing on manufacturing, industrial technologies, and digital transformation. The initiative supports industrial consortia and research organizations in developing collaborative solutions for industrial challenges. Projects aim to strengthen European industrial competitiveness through strategic partnerships. Get Started

Eurostars: Eurostars represents a joint EU-Eureka initiative delivering €50K-€500K for international R&D collaboration specifically led by SMEs. The program adopts a bottom-up approach, accepting projects from all technology fields without predefined thematic restrictions. R&D-performing SMEs must lead the consortium and demonstrate significant R&D activities. Get Started

LIFE Programme: The LIFE Programme delivers €1-10 million in funding for environmental protection, climate action, and nature conservation projects across the European Union. The initiative supports environmental technologies, climate adaptation strategies, and biodiversity conservation initiatives. Eligible participants include public authorities, private companies, NGOs, and research institutions working on environmental and climate challenges. Get Started

Neotec: Neotec represents a Spanish initiative delivering €250K-€1M in funding for technology-based business creation and development, supporting the growth of innovative Spanish SMEs and start-ups. The program covers all technology sectors and aims to strengthen Spain's technology ecosystem. Funding is specifically targeted at Spanish technology-based SMEs and start-ups to enhance their competitiveness and market presence. Get Started

Thematic Priorities: EU Thematic Priorities encompass various programs aligned with EU strategic priorities including green transition, digital transformation, health, and security initiatives. Funding amounts vary based on the specific program and call requirements, with projects designed to address key European challenges. Applicant eligibility varies by specific program and call, with different requirements for different thematic areas. Get Started

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