The European Innovation Council (EIC) under the Horizon Europe framework offers three distinct programmes to support the entire innovation lifecycle: EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition, and EIC Accelerator. Each programme targets different stages of technology development, providing tailored funding and support to help breakthrough innovations reach the market. This overview explains the differences between these programmes, their specific requirements, and how they are connected through their Technology Readiness Level (TRL) expectations.
The EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition, and EIC Accelerator programmes are intricately designed to provide comprehensive support across the entire innovation lifecycle, enabling companies to benefit from continuous grant nurturing from TRL 1 to TRL 9. EIC Pathfinder supports early-stage, high-risk research to explore novel ideas and achieve proof of concept (TRL 1-4). Successful Pathfinder projects can then progress to EIC Transition, which helps validate and demonstrate the feasibility of these technologies in relevant environments (TRL 3-6), bridging the gap between research and market readiness. Finally, the EIC Accelerator offers targeted support for market-ready innovations (TRL 5-9), providing both grants and equity investment to help companies commercialize their products, scale their operations, and disrupt existing markets. This seamless progression ensures that innovative companies can continuously develop their technologies from initial concept to full market deployment, leveraging the EIC’s comprehensive funding and support mechanisms at each critical stage.
EIC Pathfinder
Purpose
EIC Pathfinder supports visionary research and the exploration of bold ideas to create breakthrough technologies. It focuses on early-stage research to lay the groundwork for transformative innovations.
Key Features
- Funding Scope: Supports high-risk, high-gain research projects that explore new technological possibilities.
- TRL Focus: Primarily targets TRL 1 to TRL 4.
- TRL 1: Basic principles observed.
- TRL 2: Technology concept formulated.
- TRL 3: Experimental proof of concept.
- TRL 4: Technology validated in lab.
Requirements
- Eligibility: Open to consortia of at least three independent legal entities from different Member States or Associated Countries. Single entities like high-tech SMEs and research organizations can also apply.
- Proposal: Must outline a visionary, high-risk research project with a strong potential for scientific and technological breakthrough.
Funding
- Grant Amount: Up to EUR 3 million for Pathfinder Open, up to EUR 4 million for Pathfinder Challenges.
- Funding Rate: 100% of eligible costs.
EIC Transition
Purpose
EIC Transition aims to bridge the gap between early-stage research and market readiness. It focuses on maturing and validating technologies developed under EIC Pathfinder and other EU-funded projects.
Key Features
- Funding Scope: Supports activities to validate and demonstrate the feasibility of new technologies in application-relevant environments.
- TRL Focus: Targets TRL 3 to TRL 6.
- Starting TRL: TRL 3 (Experimental proof of concept) or TRL 4 (Technology validated in lab).
- Ending TRL: TRL 5 (Technology validated in relevant environment) to TRL 6 (Technology demonstrated in relevant environment).
Requirements
- Eligibility: Open to single entities (SMEs, spin-offs, startups, research organizations, universities) or consortia (2-5 entities) from Member States or Associated Countries.
- Proposal: Must build on results from previous EIC Pathfinder, FET (Future and Emerging Technologies), or other EU-funded projects. Proposals should include a detailed work plan for technology validation and business development.
Funding
- Grant Amount: Up to EUR 2.5 million, with higher amounts possible if justified.
- Funding Rate: 100% of eligible costs.
EIC Accelerator
Purpose
EIC Accelerator supports individual SMEs, including startups and spin-offs, to develop and scale up high-impact innovations with the potential to create new markets or disrupt existing ones.
Key Features
- Funding Scope: Provides both grant funding and equity investment to help SMEs bring their innovations to market.
- TRL Focus: Targets TRL 5 to TRL 9.
- Starting TRL: TRL 5 (Technology validated in relevant environment) or TRL 6 (Technology demonstrated in relevant environment).
- Ending TRL: TRL 8 (System complete and qualified) to TRL 9 (Actual system proven in operational environment).
Requirements
- Eligibility: Open to individual SMEs from Member States or Associated Countries. Mid-caps (companies with up to 500 employees) can also apply for blended finance (grant + equity).
- Proposal: Must present a high-potential innovation with a strong business case and clear market potential. Proposals should include a plan for commercialization and scaling.
Funding
- Grant Amount: Up to EUR 2.5 million for grant-only support, with additional equity investment available up to EUR 15 million.
- Funding Rate: 70% of eligible costs for grant component, equity component determined based on investment needs.
Connecting the Programmes through TRL Expectations
From Early Research to Market Readiness
The three EIC programmes are designed to support the full innovation lifecycle, from early-stage research to market entry:
- EIC Pathfinder (TRL 1-4): Focuses on basic research and experimental proof of concept, laying the scientific and technological foundation for future innovations.
- EIC Transition (TRL 3-6): Bridges the gap between exploratory research and market readiness by validating and demonstrating technologies in relevant environments.
- EIC Accelerator (TRL 5-9): Supports the development, commercialization, and scaling of market-ready innovations, helping SMEs bring their products to market.
Seamless Progression
- EIC Pathfinder to EIC Transition: Projects that achieve successful proof of concept and lab validation under EIC Pathfinder can progress to EIC Transition for further validation and demonstration in relevant environments.
- EIC Transition to EIC Accelerator: Once technologies are validated and demonstrated in relevant environments, they can advance to EIC Accelerator for final development, market entry, and scaling.
Summary
- EIC Pathfinder: Early-stage research (TRL 1-4), visionary and high-risk projects.
- EIC Transition: Bridging research and market (TRL 3-6), technology validation, and demonstration.
- EIC Accelerator: Market readiness and scaling (TRL 5-9), commercialization support for SMEs.
By understanding the distinct roles and TRL expectations of each EIC programme, innovators can strategically plan their project development pathway, ensuring seamless progression from groundbreaking research to successful market introduction.
About
The articles found on Rasph.com reflect the opinions of Rasph or its respective authors and in no way reflect opinions held by the European Commission (EC) or the European Innovation Council (EIC). The provided information aims to share perspectives that are valuable and can potentially inform applicants regarding grant funding schemes such as the EIC Accelerator, EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition or related programs such as Innovate UK in the United Kingdom or the Small Business Innovation and Research grant (SBIR) in the United States.
The articles can also be a useful resource for other consultancies in the grant space as well as professional grant writers who are hired as freelancers or are part of a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME). The EIC Accelerator is part of Horizon Europe (2021-2027) which has recently replaced the previous framework program Horizon 2020.
This article was written by ChatEIC. ChatEIC is an EIC Accelerator assistant that can advise on the writing of proposals, discuss current trends and create insightful articles on a variety of topics. The articles written by ChatEIC can contain inaccurate or outdated information.
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