On ChatEIC and Common Misconceptions About the EIC Accelerator

ChatEIC allows EIC Accelerator Step 1 applicants to generate a proposal quickly and with the benefit of a detailed input helper. I am always happy when a company contacts me after it has passed Step 1 with its help since it shows that, with a good turnkey structure, many of the usual pitfalls are avoided.

If I use ChatEIC myself, which I do a lot, I still rewrite some sections to enhance the quality (i.e., technology, customers, competitors) but it always saves me about 80-90% of the time compared to starting from scratch. That's how useful it is.

One of the biggest improvements of ChatEIC 2.0 compared to its predecessor is that it adds input helpers to make sure all data is present. It also creates a more comprehensive proposal draft compared to the official template.

Still, some applicants seem to misunderstand what it takes to obtain EIC Accelerator funding at all. Here are some misconceptions I have observed among some ChatEIC users that needed to be clarified:

• Funding Amount: ChatEIC starts at a minimum grant request of €1.5 million. This is intentional even though the EIC officially sets the minimum range to €500K instead. I am not aware that a grant this low has been approved in recent times (or ever) since the EIC looks for capital intensive DeepTech projects that move from TRL6 to TRL8. A €500K grant would be unable to support that.
• Step 1 Template: The official template is very short. It simply lists just a few sentences for each section. This is insufficient if one wants to create a competitive proposal. ChatEIC follows the exact header structure of the EIC but introduces key subsections that help add all the necessary content. The EIC is mischievous in this regard since the template neither mentions "risk" nor "commercialization" yet both are heavily scrutinized by evaluators as seen in the Evaluation Summary Report (ESR) criteria. ChatEIC helps avoid such pitfalls.
• Equity Requests: Requesting equity through the EIC Accelerator is optional. Yet, companies must be aware of the TRL rules. The grant is only able to bring a project from TRL6 to TRL8 but there needs to be a story around the transition from TRL8 to TRL9. This story can build on equity financing from the EIC Fund or it can be based on private capital. Regardless, future funding must be discussed which is often a confusing aspect for applicants. ChatEIC automatically switches the narrative based on the funding request and uses the future investors added by the applicant to craft a narrative.
• General Requirements: ChatEIC has a detailed input helper. This includes customers, competitors, investors, Intellectual property (IP) assets and more which simplify the information gathering during the project development. Yet, some applicants are confused about this and might even try to ignore the warnings provided by the ChatEIC interface. The EIC guidelines are very broad. They are so broad that they can give applicants a wrong sense of hope since it does not explicitly say that companies without customers cannot get funded. Yet, a company that has a product with no customer interest at all will have a hard time reaching and passing the final interview stage.
• Innovation: The innovation presented to the EIC must be groundbreaking and disruptive. There is no space for "incremental innovations" since this term is frequently used by evaluators to reject companies. One applicant actually added this term thinking it was a good thing. It's not. The innovation must be a big step forward, not a small one.
• Realism: Much of what ChatEIC is based on is experience. You should include customer names (future or present). You should include investors. You should include competitors. You should include quantified Unique Selling Points (USP). A proposal that lacks these things will simply be bad.

Yes, you can stick to the official guidelines and hand in a proposal that only follows the official template and documentation without customers, a grant request that is too small, no funding plans to reach TRL9, no IP assets, no risk discussion and no commercialization strategy, but you will likely fail.

Evaluators are not trained to enforce a template. They are trained to grade according to ESR criteria.

While ChatEIC is not perfect, it helps avoid most of the issues that first-time applicants face. It can still be misused if one does not include sufficient data but, through input validation, it does its best to help you avoid that.

Not sure if you have the necessary data at hand? Create a project for free and see if you have what it takes.

Get Support

Need help with the EIC Accelerator? Here are some options:

• Starter Pack (lowest-risk entry with AI writer): The Starter Pack contains all the templates you will need and detailed instructional modules in video and text form. This is a very comprehensive package that will tell you everything you need to know based on previously successful applications. This includes free credits for ChatEIC, the EIC Accelerator AI writer. Learn more about the Starter Pack.
• Advisory (personalized support): You write in-house but receive personal 1-on-1 support from me, templates, instructions, and reviews of all documents. Personal strategy calls and reviews to perfect every section. This also includes an AI tool for Step 1 as well as guidance on using AI for proposal writing. Strategy calls cover the specific templates as well as the EIC criteria and use of AI tools. Pitch coaching for the interviews and support for all resubmissions are included as well. Learn more about the Advisory service.
• Writing (complete end-to-end service): All proposal sections are written for you and submitted on your behalf with minimum input from your side. Pitch coaching for the interviews and support for all resubmissions are included as well. Learn more about the Writing service.
• Review (personal review): Get a personal review of your grant proposal with detailed comments. Learn more about the Review service.

Other resources:

• Subsdy: Looking for the perfect grant opportunity in the EU? There are about 1,000 active grants and tenders (usually multiple added a day!), so feel free to try out Subsdy, the AI tool for grant discovery.
• Subsdy News: Find the newest Grant Updates here: Subsdy News
• Sharing: Recommend this newsletter to a friend: Newsletter

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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