Up to €17.5 million in financing for innovative companies under the European Innovation Council
This comes following the announcement in March by the Juncker Commission of a €2 billion Enhanced EIC pilot, to turn Europe’s scientific discoveries into businesses that can scale up faster.
Carlos Moedas, EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation said:
When we designed the European Innovation Council our top priority was to focus on the needs of our European innovators. This kind of entrepreneurs often need more funding and support than grant schemes alone can offer; the EIC Accelerator pilot will test a grant and equity blended financing model, paving the way for a fully-fledged European Innovation Council in the next EU research and innovation framework programme, Horizon Europe
The Accelerator pilot will support high-potential enterprises (mainly small and medium-sized – SMEs), with financing as well as coaching and mentoring, to develop and bring to market new products, services and business models that could drive economic growth, filling the market gap by support innovation considered ‘high-risk’ for private investors. It is complemented by the EIC Pathfinder Pilot, which supports advanced technologies/early-stage innovation. Together both instruments of the EIC cover the entire innovation chain.