Frequently Asked Questions

Compare your product to your closest competitors. You should be able to clearly identify at least one or two unique features that set your product apart and provide a competitive advantage.

Innovation and traction are strong indicators of a project's potential for success. They quickly reveal whether the project has a unique value proposition and a viable market opportunity, which are key for grant approval.

A great idea is a good starting point, but you also need to demonstrate traction. This means showing that there's a real market need and that customers are interested in your solution.

Market-disrupting innovation means your product or service fundamentally changes how a market operates. It often introduces new business models or technologies that render existing solutions obsolete.

While revenue is ideal, it's not always mandatory. Focus on demonstrating strong customer interest through pilot studies, letters of intent, or documented customer interactions to prove market traction.

Ideally, you should have written proof of customer intent, ongoing pilot studies, or existing revenue. Demonstrating active engagement with potential customers is crucial to showcase market demand.

The two most critical factors are innovation and traction. Innovation refers to the market-disrupting or market-creating nature of your project. Traction demonstrates clear market need and customer interest in your product or service.

If a large company could easily replicate your product within a year, it suggests your innovation might not be substantial enough. The EIC Accelerator seeks projects with significant barriers to entry.

Carefully review your submitted application to ensure all sections are correct, especially the Abstract. If you find any errors, immediately contact support@accelerator.eismea.eu to report the issue and request a correction before the evaluation process begins.

No, the geographic diversity requirement, which would have ensured interview invitations proportional to applications received from each country, was ultimately removed from the final EIC Accelerator Work Programme.

The changes to the budgeting and evaluation process were minor and are not expected to significantly impact the success chances of applicants. Focus on the core elements of your proposal and ensure it meets the EIC's criteria.

Yes, if you select blended financing, the EIC Accelerator will automatically cover the 30% co-financing of the grant with equity financing. Any equity you request from the EIC Fund will be in addition to this 30%.

Yes, the TRL descriptions were adjusted after the call opened on April 9th. Specifically, the requirements for TRL6 changed regarding the number of customers needed, potentially affecting applicants who applied based on the initial description.

The EIC Accelerator initially considered non-binary gender options but reverted to a single 'Unspecified' option, which is treated as male. The program aims to fund 35% female CEOs, so this change impacts how gender is considered in the evaluation process.

Several glitches were reported, including long loading times, errors during proposal saving, and in some cases, the Abstract section of the proposal being replaced by the Solution section. It's crucial to review your submitted application for these errors.

Applicants need to estimate the co-financing for their Series A or similar funding round and identify potential outside contributors. This is an important aspect of the budgeting and evaluation process.

The AI tool's scoring for technical breakthrough and scientific breakthrough changed after the call opened. The difficulty in achieving high scores in these areas was reversed, potentially impacting the perceived strength of proposals submitted early.

If you encounter any glitches or errors on the EIC Accelerator AI platform, you should immediately contact support@accelerator.eismea.eu to report the issue and seek assistance.

The specific dates for each deadline are announced by the EU. Check the official SME Instrument website or related EU funding portals for the most up-to-date information.

While you can't shorten the review times, you can ensure your application is complete and well-prepared. This minimizes the chances of rejection and the need for resubmission, ultimately saving time.

Yes, each resubmission adds approximately three months to the overall time needed to receive the grant. This is because you must wait for the next available deadline.

Yes, the Phase 2 application process mirrors Phase 1. It has similar deadlines throughout the year and comparable waiting periods for results and grant agreement signing.

After your Phase 1 application is approved, it can take 6 to 12 weeks to finalize the grant agreement contract. Only after this is signed will you receive the initial grant funds.

There are typically four deadlines per year for submitting applications. These usually fall in February, May, September, and November, so plan accordingly.

You should dedicate about one month to preparing your Phase 1 application. This allows sufficient time to gather all necessary supporting documents and craft a compelling proposal.

Expect to wait between 4 to 8 weeks to receive the results of your Phase 1 application after submitting it. Keep this timeframe in mind when planning your project timeline.

Once Phase 1 is funded, allocate approximately 3 to 5 months to complete the feasibility study and prepare for a potential Phase 2 application. This includes research, analysis, and documentation.

If your application is rejected, you'll need to wait until the next available deadline to resubmit. This is typically three months later, so factor this delay into your overall timeline.

Even if the importance of a feature seems obvious, briefly explain its significance. Don't assume the evaluator has the same level of technical understanding. Clearly articulating the value of each feature reinforces your expertise and ensures everyone is on the same page.

While detail is important, use clear and concise language. Avoid jargon when possible, or define it clearly. Focus on the benefits and impact of your technology, rather than just listing features. A well-structured and easy-to-understand proposal is more likely to be well-received.

When comparing your technology to competitors, explicitly state why yours is superior. Focus on quantifiable benefits and unique features. Back up your claims with evidence and data whenever possible to strengthen your argument.

Present milestones in a chronological order, highlighting key achievements and breakthroughs. Quantify the impact of each milestone whenever possible. Use visuals like timelines or charts to illustrate the progress and demonstrate the project's momentum.

If there are no direct competitors, compare your technology to existing solutions that address similar problems. Highlight how your approach is more effective, efficient, or innovative compared to these alternatives. Focus on the advantages of your unique solution.

Avoid oversimplification. List all significant milestones that led to your current stage. This demonstrates the evolution of your project and the progress you've made. Showing the journey builds credibility and highlights your team's dedication.

Be very detailed. List every hardware and software feature, explaining the importance of each. Evaluators need to see the depth of your development efforts and expertise, even within page limits. Don't be superficial; showcase your thorough understanding.

Briefly acknowledge setbacks or failures, but frame them as learning experiences. Explain how these challenges led to improvements in your technology or development process. Demonstrating resilience and adaptability is important.

Detailed explanations of your technology and its development process showcase your team's expertise. Clearly articulate the challenges you overcame and the innovative solutions you implemented. Emphasize the depth of knowledge and experience within your team.

Prioritize the most crucial features and milestones. Use concise language and focus on the impact of each element. Consider using diagrams or tables to present complex information efficiently within the limited space.

If you can't compete on price or quality, focus on offering a unique feature or solving a problem that current alternatives don't address. A unique value proposition can be just as compelling as cost savings or superior performance.

Focus on clearly communicating your unique value proposition. Highlight what makes your project different and better, and tailor your marketing efforts to resonate with your target audience's specific needs and desires.

Both are equally important and should be considered in tandem. A unique project without market demand will fail, and a project with market demand but no unique selling point will struggle to stand out. Strive for a balance of both.

Conduct thorough market research to validate your assumptions. Talk to potential customers, analyze market trends, and assess the competitive landscape to determine if there's a genuine need for your product or service.

I primarily look for two key components: whether the project is ahead of the competition with a unique aspect, and if there's a strong market demand for the product or service being offered. These factors help determine the potential for success.

Market demand refers to a clear and compelling reason for users to purchase your product. There needs to be a tangible benefit, such as lower cost, higher quality, or a unique feature that addresses a specific need or desire in the market.

Consider whether you can educate the market about the benefits of your innovation. If the market is truly not ready, you might need to pivot or adjust your strategy to align with current needs and trends, or wait until the market matures.

Tangible reasons include saving money, improving efficiency, solving a specific problem, enhancing convenience, or providing a better user experience. These are concrete benefits that users can readily understand and appreciate.

Slight advantages can be enough, but you need to clearly articulate and demonstrate the value of that advantage. Focus on how that small difference translates into a significant benefit for the user.

Uniqueness is crucial. Your project needs to offer something that competitors don't. This could be a novel feature, a different approach, or a significant improvement over existing solutions. Identify at least one unique selling point.

Prove that your product functions as intended. Then, try to get commitments from retailers or companies if you're targeting businesses (B2B). If you're selling directly to consumers (B2C), aim for pre-sales to gauge interest and validate demand.

Quantifiable feedback is crucial. For an app, track active users and gather specific feedback on how your solution benefits them, ideally with measurable results like cost savings. For a physical product, focus on proving functionality and securing commitments from potential buyers.