Frequently Asked Questions

The effort invested in preparing a grant application shouldn't be wasted. The documents can be repurposed and restructured into business plans for investors, marketing materials, content for social media, and other pitching opportunities.

The EIC Accelerator provides blended financing (grant and equity) up to €17.5M for single beneficiaries. It features an online submission process and support from the European Innovation Council (EIC), making it attractive for innovation startups. However, it's crucial to understand the eligibility criteria and treat it as part of a broader funding strategy.

Relying solely on a single grant application is risky due to the competitive nature of grants and the potential for rejection. It's wiser to view grants as one component of a larger, diversified financing strategy that includes other funding sources.

Grant programs vary significantly in competitiveness. The success rate, calculated by dividing successful applicants by total applicants, determines your realistic chances. It's essential to research the specific grant's success rate to understand the likelihood of securing funding and avoid relying solely on a single application.

Creating a precise financial plan that relies on a future grant is challenging due to unpredictable timelines. Government bodies often have slow bureaucratic processes, which can delay funding disbursement even after approval. Therefore, grants should be considered optional and not the sole basis of a financial plan.

The evaluation process timeline varies, but popular grant programs often have lengthy and multi-stage evaluations. This can lead to delays, making it difficult to accurately predict when funding will be received, even if the grant is ultimately awarded.

A strong support system exists for grant applicants through organizations like the European Innovation Council (EIC) and specialized consultancies. These resources offer grant writing services and template support to help companies prepare successful applications, but success is never guaranteed.

If a grant has a success rate below 50%, it should be considered an optional part of your company's financial strategy. Pursue grant applications as part of a broader roadmap that includes private funding sources to mitigate the risk of not securing the grant.

A score in this range suggests the proposal is generally well-written but missing specific details needed to surpass the unofficial threshold. Identifying and addressing these specific flaws is crucial for improving your chances of success in the next submission.

A low Excellence score likely means the product or service isn't considered sufficiently innovative. It could also indicate a lack of clarity in presenting the Technology Readiness Level (TRL), the current stage of development, or how it compares to competing offers.

With a score below 12, you need to extensively rework your proposal. Re-evaluate the innovation aspect of your project and ensure it aligns with the EIC Accelerator's goals. Also, significantly improve the proposal's writing, design, quantifications, and explanations.

The ESR's structure doesn't directly align with the official proposal template, and there's overlap between the sub-criteria being evaluated. This can make it challenging to understand the specific reasons behind the scores and identify areas needing improvement in your application.

A low Implementation score suggests weaknesses in the work packages, development stages, tasks, team, partners, timing, budget, or other concrete development steps. This could stem from a lack of clarity on how the grant financing will be used or inconsistencies within the application.

Refer to the linked articles within the blog post, such as the 'Visual Guide for an EIC Accelerator Application,' 'Preparing an Application Internally,' and 'TRL for the EIC Accelerator.' These resources provide valuable insights and guidance for strengthening your proposal.

Under Horizon Europe (2021-2027), the European Commission (EC) and European Innovation Council (EIC) are expected to provide more detailed comments in the ESR, even for rejections in the first step. This will offer applicants more clarity on the reasons for rejection and areas for improvement.

The ESR provides feedback to EIC Accelerator applicants (formerly SME Instrument) regarding the quality of their proposal. It breaks down the scores for Impact, Excellence, and Implementation, offering insights into areas for improvement. However, it lacks specific comments for rejected applications in the first step of the evaluation process.

While the official threshold for success is above 13, an unofficial threshold of above 13.6 is often cited. A score below 12 indicates the need for extensive revisions, potentially suggesting the project isn't innovative enough or the proposal quality is lacking.

A low Impact score suggests the proposal hasn't adequately addressed commercial aspects like customer needs, market analysis, commercialization strategy, intellectual property, and regulatory considerations. It may also indicate a neglect of the European dimension of the project.

No, this visual guide is not a substitute for the official EIC Accelerator template. It provides a general approach to structuring the 'Technology' section and focuses on arguing for the EIC's support. It omits key sections of the official template, so consult the official guidelines for a complete application.

Present the EIC Accelerator as the ideal solution to provide the necessary financing for your innovation project. Explain how it acts as a springboard to reach commercialization and solve the identified EU problem. Highlight the necessity of the work packages, implementation, and desired outcomes.

Explain in detail why your project has the potential to reach a global scale and become a future EU unicorn startup. Highlight financials, company growth projections, and your overall future vision. Quantify the potential impact on the environment, industry, and the EU.

The 'missing link' refers to the problem or gap in the market that your innovation addresses. The 'solution' is your technology or product that directly fills this gap. Your proposal should clearly demonstrate how your solution is essential for fixing the problem.

Highlight any existing traction, such as pilot customers, validations, and Letters of Intent (LOI). Demonstrate significant interest from relevant stakeholders to turn the perception of a new technology into a desired commercial product. This helps to show the viability and market demand for your innovation.

The EIC Accelerator, offered by the European Commission and the European Innovation Council, is a highly competitive grant program designed to support startups and SMEs in the EU and associated countries. It provides blended financing (grant and equity) to help innovative companies scale up and commercialize their technologies.

Clearly present your innovative technology and its unique selling points (USPs). Emphasize how these USPs directly address the 'missing link' or problem you've identified, and why existing market alternatives don't adequately solve it. Show that your product or service is a 'must-have' rather than a 'nice-to-have'.

Highlight the high-risk nature of your innovation project and explain why financing cannot be obtained elsewhere. Emphasize the need for further de-risking and validation at scale. While showcasing the competence of your team, also demonstrate the specific challenges preventing you from securing private investment.

The 'Technology' section should answer why the EIC Accelerator's funding is necessary for the project's success, as opposed to seeking funding from a private investor. It should highlight the unique aspects of the project that make it a good fit for the EIC's specific priorities.

'Non-bankability' refers to the project's inability to secure funding from traditional sources like banks or investors. The EIC Accelerator prioritizes high-risk projects that require further de-risking and validation at scale, making them less attractive to conventional financing options.

Identify several consultancies offering grant writing services and discuss their pricing models. Compare their fees and services to find the best fit for your budget and project needs. Look for consultants with a proven track record of success.

If you can't afford a consultant, carefully assess the internal costs of preparing the application yourself. Consider the time spent by your team, the potential impact on product development, and whether you have the necessary expertise in-house.

Hiring a consultant removes the time-consuming effort of preparing the application, allowing you to focus on your core business. It reduces your workload to gathering data and providing feedback, potentially saving valuable time and resources.

A strong track record of obtaining research grants, extensive experience in writing business plans, crafting commercial strategies, and receiving exhaustive feedback from investors are all good indicators. If you have these, you may be well-positioned to write the proposal yourself.

Assess your project's suitability for the EIC Accelerator, your team's internal skill level, your ability to divert focus from core business activities, and your financial resources. Carefully weigh these factors to make an informed decision.

Even the most innovative company needs excellent proposal writing to secure the EIC Accelerator grant. The application template is simplified and doesn't fully reflect what the application should contain. Strong writing skills are essential to clearly communicate your project's value and impact.

Preparing an application, including potential resubmissions, can take a significant amount of time, potentially 30 to 60 days initially, and even longer with revisions. Consider the time needed to research the evaluation process and prepare for the evaluation interview.

Consider your budget for the writing process and the opportunity cost of internal team members spending time on the application. Compare the cost of a consultant to the potential revenue generated by product development activities during that same time.

Assess your project's innovativeness, commercial traction, European impact, and the strength of your team. It's recommended to get a free assessment from multiple consultancies regarding your project's quality, especially its innovative character, to gauge its suitability.

The EIC Accelerator Grant is a funding opportunity for early-stage startups and established SMEs. It aims to support the further development of innovative products with significant commercial and European impact. This grant is highly competitive, so a strong application is crucial for success.

The newest Horizon Europe grant proposal template now requires applicants to select their gender from the options of male, female, or non-binary. This is a significant change that could impact how the EIC Accelerator's gender equity targets are met in the future.

The author advises female entrepreneurs to apply to the EIC Accelerator as soon as possible. They suggest that the current high funding rates for female-led companies (around 35%) might not last indefinitely due to evolving policies and political pressures.

The European Commission defines gender identity as a person's deeply felt internal and individual experience of their own gender, whether as a man, a woman, or non-binary. This identity may or may not correspond to the sex assigned at birth.

When the beneficial treatment of female CEOs was introduced, the EIC stipulated that the person must have been in the CEO position for a reasonable amount of time. This was to prevent applicants from simply appointing a female CEO solely for the purpose of the EIC Accelerator application.

If a male CEO identifies as non-binary, it could potentially allow them to dismiss jury questions about their gender identity by stating they prefer not to discuss it. This could be used to deflect scrutiny and potentially gain an unfair advantage in the evaluation process.

The EIC Accelerator program has implemented gender equity targets to increase funding rates for female entrepreneurs. Historically, female-led companies received a small percentage of funding, but these targets aim to boost that number significantly, giving female CEOs a competitive advantage during the evaluation process.

In the past, applicants to the EIC Accelerator could choose to omit their CEO's gender or select 'undisclosed' in the Funding & Tenders Portal. However, in practice, selecting 'undisclosed' was often treated the same as selecting 'male' during the evaluation process.

The European Commission defines 'non-binary' as an umbrella term for people whose gender identity is not fully encompassed or represented by 'man' or 'woman'. Non-binary identities are varied, and individuals may identify with some aspects of binary identities or reject them entirely.

Potentially, yes. The article suggests that if being non-binary is treated similarly to being female in the evaluation process, there might be an incentive for male CEOs to identify as non-binary to gain an advantage, as there are no specific lifestyle or behavioral requirements associated with being non-binary.

The author suggests that political pressure could lead to changes in how the EIC Accelerator handles gender equity targets. Democratic government organizations may prioritize political considerations over existing policies, potentially impacting the advantages currently offered to female entrepreneurs.

The EIC Accelerator applicants declare the gender of their CEO within the submission forms. If the gender is not declared, it is considered to be male by default, so be sure to declare the correct gender.

The EIC Accelerator is looking for innovative technologies with significant scale-up potential. If you are a woman working on such a project, you should consider applying, as you may have a substantial advantage.