Frequently Asked Questions

While a strong business proposition is important, it's not enough on its own. The EU also wants to see that your project aligns with their broader goals for social, environmental, and economic development in Europe. Showcasing this alignment is key to securing funding.

Improving infrastructure is an important consideration for the EU. Projects that enhance transportation, communication networks, and other essential infrastructure are often supported. These projects contribute to economic development and improve the quality of life for European citizens.

Yes, environmental sustainability is a major priority for the EU. Projects that address climate change, promote sustainable practices, and protect the environment are strongly favored. Demonstrating a commitment to environmental responsibility is essential.

The EU is interested in projects that promote gender equality, integrate ethnic minorities, and reduce unemployment. Projects that create opportunities for marginalized communities and contribute to a more inclusive society are highly regarded. Be sure to highlight these aspects in your application.

Research current EU policies and directives to identify relevant issues. Then, clearly outline in your application how your project addresses these issues and contributes to the EU's broader goals. Demonstrating a clear understanding of the EU's priorities is key.

While ROI is important, the EU also heavily considers the project's alignment with current EU policies, directives, and agreements. Highlighting how your project addresses key issues and contributes to the EU's broader goals will significantly strengthen your application. Make sure to research current EU priorities.

No, the EU is not solely focused on financial returns. They are equally interested in projects that create positive social and environmental impact. Projects that contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future for Europe are highly valued.

If your proposal is rejected, don't worry! Our services include resubmissions. We'll analyze the feedback, revise the proposal accordingly, and resubmit it through the EC portal. We're committed to helping you secure funding, even if it takes more than one attempt.

Absolutely. We understand that every project is unique. Our approach involves crafting a proposal that is specifically tailored to your business model, technological developments, and market. This personalized approach ensures that your proposal accurately reflects the value and potential of your project.

We offer a free 20-minute consultation to assess your project's suitability for grant funding. This allows us to understand your project's goals and determine if it aligns with current funding opportunities. Simply fill out the form in the contact section to schedule your consultation.

Yes, absolutely! Once the grant proposal is written, it's yours to keep and reuse. You can adapt it for presentations to investors, applications for other grants, or even to share with potential partners involved in your project, making it a valuable asset.

The first step is to schedule a free 20-minute consultation. This allows us to discuss your project in detail and determine the best approach for your grant proposal. You can find the contact form on our website to request your consultation.

While the EC provides templates, they are often very general and lack specific guidance on crafting high-quality content. A professional grant writer can tailor the proposal to your unique project, ensuring it addresses all the necessary criteria and stands out from the competition, which is crucial for success.

Our grant writing services are comprehensive. We handle the entire proposal, including project design and definition, create a professional company profile document, and write a compelling abstract. We also manage the submission process through the EC portal and handle any necessary resubmissions if the proposal is initially rejected.

Professional grant writers understand what evaluators are looking for in a proposal. They can help you craft compelling content that highlights the strengths of your project, something that general templates often miss. This expertise significantly increases your chances of securing funding by presenting your project in the most effective way possible.

The timeline for writing a grant proposal can vary depending on the complexity of the project and the specific requirements of the grant. However, we work efficiently to deliver high-quality proposals within a reasonable timeframe. We'll discuss the estimated timeline during our initial consultation.

During the initial consultation, we'll discuss the specific information needed for your proposal. Generally, you'll need to provide details about your project's goals, methodology, budget, and team. We'll guide you through the process and help you gather the necessary information.

The time saved varies depending on how much work the applicant puts in. Using existing data can save up to 99% of the time, while filling out a template beforehand can save around 90%. Even generating sections individually can still save about 70% of the time compared to writing without AI.

Companies often lack the specific data needed for a comprehensive EIC Accelerator application, such as a complete customer list or a clear overview of their Unique Selling Points (USPs). Unlike a consultant who can develop this information from scratch, AI struggles to extract details that the company itself doesn't readily provide.

One of the biggest challenges is extracting detailed information from the applicant company. EIC proposals require a high level of detail, which may not be readily available. AI tools need a frictionless way to gather this data, otherwise, the process becomes as time-consuming as writing the proposal manually.

There are two main approaches: having the applicant fill out a detailed template or using less detail and relying on placeholders in the AI-generated proposal. The first requires more work from the applicant, while the second may result in a less detailed and potentially weaker proposal.

AI tools can significantly enhance productivity in grant writing. They can be used for researching proposal information, structuring the proposal based on EIC templates, and even writing sections by restructuring existing documents like pitch decks. These tools can save time and effort, especially for applicants who are busy building their businesses.

The EIC Accelerator, offered by the European Commission and the European Innovation Council, provides funding to startups and SMEs. It offers up to €2.5 million in grant funding and €10 million in equity financing, totaling a potential €12.5 million per project. This funding supports innovative projects with high growth potential.

The tradeoff is between the amount of work the applicant puts in and the quality of the proposal. Providing more data to the AI results in a more detailed and tailored proposal, while providing less data saves time but may lead to a less competitive application. It's about balancing effort and potential reward.

Usability comes down to effective prompting and high-quality input data. The AI should be adaptable, versatile, and capable of handling both structured and unstructured data. It should also be able to add placeholders or be vague when data is missing, depending on the context.

The key is to strike a balance between restrictive instructions that align with the EIC's evaluation process and the ability to integrate critical data. The AI should be adaptable enough to handle varying levels of input quality and detail, ensuring that the final proposal is both comprehensive and tailored to the applicant's specific circumstances.

If the AI lacks sufficient data, it should either add placeholders or be vague, depending on the specific section and context. This allows the applicant to later fill in the missing information or refine the vague statements with more specific details during the editing process.

If the jury believes a company will never be funded due to significant red flags, the ESR should include a clear recommendation advising the applicant that the chances of receiving funding are very low. It should suggest applying with a different project or not reapplying at all.

The EIC Jury could quantify the number of flaws identified in each application and discuss their severity, assigning a weighting factor to each flaw. This would translate the subjective conviction of individual Jury members into a quantifiable score for a fairer ranking of companies.

If a grant recipient establishes a new US or Chinese subsidiary within 2 years after completing the grant project, the grant could convert to a loan and require repayment with interest. This encourages companies to prioritize scaling in Europe before expanding to other markets.

The EIC could include a clause in the Grant Agreement stating that if a grant recipient is acquired by a non-EU entity within 10 years of receiving the grant, the grant converts to a loan and must be repaid with interest. This discourages the loss of EU DeepTech to other territories and returns the grant funding if a foreign acquisition occurs.

The EIC can leverage grant funding by including clauses in the grant agreement that incentivize desired behaviors, such as prioritizing European expansion and discouraging foreign acquisitions. Converting the grant to a loan under certain conditions can be a powerful tool for influencing company decisions.

Avoiding quotas per panel ensures fairness to all applicants by prioritizing the selection of the best companies overall, rather than forcing each panel to fund a minimum number of projects. The final decision should be centralized to ensure the most promising companies receive funding.

The EIC Accelerator program, backed by the European Commission and EIC, provides funding to startups and SMEs for DeepTech innovations. It offers up to €2.5 million in grant funding and up to €10 million in equity financing, totaling a potential €12.5 million per project.

For narrowly rejected applicants, the EIC could consider a remote follow-up interview about 4 weeks after the initial interview, allowing them to report on the identified flaws and their mitigation. This could be part of a "Runners-Up" announcement with a delayed timeline.

When rejecting a proposal with flaws, the jury should suggest a resubmission and clearly indicate the nature of the flaws in a realistic manner. The feedback should justify why the applicant is being sent back to the proposal stage, highlighting critical areas for revision.

The Seal of Excellence is a certificate given to companies, but its meaning has become diluted over time. To improve its value, the EIC Board could attach a recommendation document to the SoE, categorizing the company into a clear bucket with a timestamp, signaling its attractiveness for private capital investments.

To determine if your company is eligible for funding from the EU, you should consult the provided resource: 'Can My Company Receive Funding from the EU?'. This resource will provide detailed information on eligibility criteria and requirements for the SME Instrument and other EU funding programs.

After Phase 2, companies can leverage Phase 3 for support with market entry. This phase provides access to the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) for guidance and advice. While Phase 3 doesn't offer direct financial support, it helps SMEs navigate the challenges of commercializing their innovation.

Phase 3 provides non-financial support for market entry. This support is offered through the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), which provides guidance and advice on various project-related topics. This helps SMEs navigate the complexities of entering the market with their newly developed innovation.

While Phase 1 is officially optional, it's highly recommended. Successfully completing Phase 1 significantly increases the chances of securing funding for Phase 2. Projects that struggle to gain approval in Phase 1 are unlikely to succeed in the subsequent phase.

Phase 1 of the SME Instrument provides €50,000 in funding to support the feasibility study. This funding helps SMEs conduct the necessary research and analysis to determine the viability of their project. It's a crucial step in securing further funding in later phases.

The SME Instrument is divided into three phases. Phase 1 focuses on feasibility studies, Phase 2 supports innovation development and demonstration, and Phase 3 provides support for market entry. Each phase has a different purpose and level of funding available to SMEs.

Phase 2, known as Innovation Development & Demonstration, focuses on bringing a technology from the prototype level to commercial readiness. This phase involves significant development work and receives the largest amount of funding, ranging from €0.5 to 2.5 million. The goal is to prepare the innovation for market entry.

Phase 1 projects typically last around 6 months. This timeframe allows SMEs sufficient time to conduct a thorough feasibility study, develop a robust Business Plan, and assess the overall potential of their project. Proper planning and execution during this phase are essential for success.

Phase 1, also known as the Feasibility Study, aims to assess the technical, commercial, and financial viability of a project. It involves developing a comprehensive Business Plan to determine if the project is a worthwhile investment. This phase helps SMEs understand the potential of their project before moving to larger-scale development.

The H2020 SME Instrument is a €3 billion funding scheme within the EU's Horizon 2020 program, which has an overall budget of €80 billion. It aims to support Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in their research and innovation efforts. Over six years, it has provided funding to thousands of SMEs.

Your company is likely eligible if it's registered in an EU-28 country or one of the associated countries listed. Additionally, you must be an SME (less than 250 employees, under €50 million turnover, and under €43 million balance sheet). You'll also need three task leaders covering the technical, commercial, and financial aspects of your project, and your technology should be at Technology Readiness Level 6, meaning it's been tested in a relevant environment.

Increasing your chances of securing EU funding requires careful planning and a strong application. To find out how to increase your chances for funding, please read How To Improve Your Chances of Getting Funded. This resource will offer valuable tips and strategies to enhance your proposal.

Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL 6) means your technology has been tested in a relevant environment and has proven its efficacy. This indicates that your technology is beyond the initial research phase and is ready for real-world application. It's a crucial factor in demonstrating the maturity and potential of your project to EU funding bodies.