Frequently Asked Questions

Refer to the European Commission's official website for the EIC Accelerator program. You can also find helpful resources and guidance on writing a strong proposal, including information on business models and evaluation criteria, from reputable consulting firms.

Yes, reapplying is a good idea. The threshold for interview invitations is lower for female CEOs, potentially giving your application a better chance of success in future cut-offs. Make sure your proposal is professionally written and of high quality.

While not as advantageous as having a female CEO, having female team members can still positively influence your application. The evaluation process considers gender equality policies within the company, so highlighting these efforts is beneficial.

The EIC Accelerator requires applicants to declare the gender of their CEO in the submission forms. If the gender is not declared, it is considered to be male by default. This information is used to ensure the selection quotas for female-led companies are met.

Having a female CEO can significantly improve your chances. The EU has implemented policies to increase the number of women-led companies receiving funding, even reducing the minimum score needed for an interview invitation for female CEOs.

The main areas to assess are the origin of the innovation (technical or industry-driven), how well it solves a customer pain point, the status of its intellectual property rights (IPR), and the barriers that prevent competitors from easily copying the innovation.

No, it's unlikely. The EIC Accelerator prioritizes innovations that are not only different but also provide tangible benefits to customers, such as being easier to use or more cost-effective than existing alternatives. Simply being different isn't enough.

The EIC Accelerator defines innovation as something unique and new that has the potential to disrupt or create markets. They are looking for companies that can become future European unicorns, valued at over €1 billion, through groundbreaking innovations.

Most innovative companies come from either a technical background (like university spin-offs) or an industry background (with close ties to stakeholders experiencing the customer pain point). These origins often indicate the quality and potential of the innovation.

No, a patent alone doesn't guarantee a high score. While IPR is important, the application needs to clearly demonstrate how the innovation addresses customer needs and is superior to market alternatives. The patent is just one piece of the puzzle.

Understanding this relationship helps determine if the innovation is truly valuable and profitable. It reveals whether customers will actually want the innovation because it effectively addresses their needs and offers a compelling advantage over existing solutions.

Not necessarily. Sometimes, keeping an innovation secret can be a better strategy than patenting it. A patent can reveal too much information to competitors, potentially jeopardizing the startup's success, especially if the innovation is easily reverse-engineered.

Strong innovations should have barriers that prevent competitors from easily copying them. These barriers can include proprietary know-how, unique methods, strong IPR, a significant head start, or established commercial relationships and exclusivity agreements.

Innovation is the most important factor. The EIC Accelerator, managed by the European Innovation Council, prioritizes market-disrupting and market-creating companies. Therefore, a thorough assessment of the project's innovative nature should always be the first step.

If extensive collaboration with tracked changes and comments is essential, Microsoft Word might be a better choice despite its formatting limitations. Consider assigning one person to finalize the formatting in InDesign after collaborative editing in Word.

Document 1 (Main proposal), Document 2 (Annexes), and Document 3 (Financial documents) each have a maximum file size of 10MB. Document 4 (Pitch deck) also has a 10MB limit.

Yes, InDesign is significantly better for handling documents with numerous embedded PDFs, such as CVs or support letters in Document 2. Its design focus and robust PDF handling capabilities make it superior to Word for managing large, visually rich documents.

InDesign offers greater control over design, formatting, image quality, and PDF export, which can be crucial for meeting page and file size limitations. It avoids frustrating formatting glitches common in Word, especially during revisions. InDesign ensures a superior final outcome in terms of visual presentation.

InDesign's collaboration features, such as commenting and tracked changes, are less intuitive than Word's. It's best suited for individual writers or teams where one person is responsible for all edits to the master document. There is also a learning curve if you are not familiar with Adobe products.

Document 1 is the main proposal document. The page limit is 30 pages, but this extends to 33 pages when including the cover page and summaries. Section 1 can begin on page 4 and extend to page 33.

No, the choice of software itself doesn't directly impact the evaluation. However, a well-designed and formatted proposal created with InDesign can present your information more effectively, potentially improving the overall impression and readability for the evaluators.

InDesign uses an artboard-type layout, requiring you to place text boxes before writing. While this may seem inconvenient initially, creating a template with connected text boxes allows for a Word-like typing experience. The added control over fonts and formatting outweighs this initial setup.

Yes, if you already have experience with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, you'll likely find InDesign relatively easy to pick up. The interface and many concepts are similar, making the transition smoother.

The EIC Accelerator has a strong focus on disruptive innovations and the creation of new markets because these types of projects often have the highest potential for scalability and profitability. However, other innovative projects can also be considered if they demonstrate a clear path to significant growth and return on investment.

Scalability is crucial because the EU wants to fund projects with a wide-reaching impact. They look for business models that can efficiently serve a large customer base without a proportional increase in resources. Demonstrating scalability shows your project's potential for significant growth and market penetration.

Evaluate profitability by considering the revenue generated per deployment or customer. Determine how many customers or sales are needed to reach a substantial revenue target, like €20 million annually. Also, analyze whether securing a single key customer could sustain your operations and future technological advancements.

The EU's threshold for 'profitable' is higher than what most businesses consider profitable. They're looking for projects that can generate a multi-fold return on their investment, requiring substantial accumulated profits in the years following market introduction. This reflects their focus on high-impact, scalable ventures.

Yes, it's possible, but you need to demonstrate that the manual labor doesn't hinder scalability or profitability. Explain how you can still achieve significant growth and a high return on investment despite the reliance on manual processes. Highlight any plans to automate or optimize these processes in the future.

To showcase scalability, explain how your revenue scales with resource investment. Highlight whether increased operations lead to higher profit margins and if there's a linear or exponential relationship between profits and customer numbers. Emphasize any automation that reduces manual labor and increases efficiency.

When selecting a business model for your EIC Accelerator application, focus on scalability and profitability. The EU prioritizes projects that can demonstrate significant growth potential and a strong return on investment. Your chosen model should clearly outline how you'll achieve both.

The combination of scalability and profitability is more important than the specific business model itself. The EU is interested in high-impact projects that generate a multi-fold return on investment. Focus on demonstrating how your chosen model, regardless of its type, achieves these goals.

The EIC Accelerator seeks projects with the potential for substantial accumulated profits following market introduction. Given the investment sizes (often over €1 million), the EU expects to see the potential for accumulated profits exceeding €10 million in the years following the technology's market launch.

Acknowledge and address any potential conflicts or trade-offs. Explain how you plan to mitigate negative impacts and maximize positive contributions. Transparency and a balanced approach are essential.

Refer to the official websites of the European Commission and relevant EU agencies. These resources provide detailed information on EU policies, strategies, and funding priorities. Use these resources to inform your application.

Clearly articulate how your project supports specific EU policies and targets. Provide concrete examples and data to showcase the positive impact of your innovation on the EU's agenda. Highlight the alignment throughout your application.

Letters of support/intent are valuable proof of customer interest. They provide tangible evidence that potential customers are engaged with your innovation and see its potential value. Include specific details about their interest and intended use.

A well-positioned value chain means having suppliers, logistics, and other necessary components in place. This demonstrates that you've thoroughly planned the project's execution and can deliver your innovation effectively. It shows a well-supported and thought-out project.

Demonstrate 'willingness to pay' through signed letters of intent to purchase, pre-orders, or documented market research indicating demand at a specific price point. Even informal surveys showing price sensitivity can be helpful.

Traction isn't solely about revenue. Material contributions, access to facilities, and even strong support letters can demonstrate customer interest. The key is showing that your innovation is highly sought after and better than the competition.

Promising feedback highlights the benefits and potential of your innovation. It should address how your product solves a problem, improves efficiency, or offers a unique advantage. Quantifiable results and testimonials are particularly strong.

For long sales cycles, focus on demonstrating progress through key milestones. Highlight signed agreements, pilot projects, or successful demonstrations of your technology. Emphasize the commitment and engagement of potential customers throughout the sales process.

While you can summarize key customer interest points in the main document, include detailed evidence (letters, data, etc.) in the appendix. This allows evaluators to delve deeper and verify your claims. Reference the appendix in your main text.

While the success rate varies, the high volume of applications for the March deadline suggests a success rate below 1% or close to it. This makes the competition very intense.

The European Innovation Council (EIC) announced the postponement of the interview week on Twitter. You can check their official Twitter account for the specific announcement.

Yes, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EIC Accelerator interviews are being conducted remotely via video calls.

The March 2020 deadline received a record number of applications, almost 3,968, which is significantly higher than the regular ~1,900 applications.

Applicants rejected in step 1 have the advantage of being able to reapply for the May deadline, unlike those who are invited to interview but ultimately rejected.

The interview week has been extended to 10 days, likely due to a significantly larger number of applicants being invited for interviews. This suggests a very low success rate for the March call.

Each updated template includes a list of changes at the beginning of the document. This list highlights the new requirements and modifications, making it easier to update your application accordingly.

Provide references that support your claims about the project's impact on the Green Deal. This could include scientific studies, industry reports, market data, or other credible sources that validate your assertions.