Now, let’s get down with the topic of this article instead: how does the EIC Accelerator deal with its evaluation criteria?
Here’s the official document.
After a quick search on the Net, you can easily find the blank form, but as you might imagine, filling it is not as easy as it looks. First and foremost, you need to fulfill all the requirements; any discrepancies could lead to your application not advancing.
What do you need to know
The applications are evaluated in, basically, three steps:
Short applications (Phase One): You can submit applications at any time, throughout the year, and they will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis;
Full applications (Phase Two): Companies that succeed in the short application stage (Phase One passers) receive invitations to prepare and submit a full application within the next 12 months (one day every three months);
Face-to-face interview: Companies that receive approval at the full applications stage are invited to the face-to-face interviews.
During the first two steps (Phase One and Phase Two), experts evaluate remotely, while the final step involves a face-to-face interview judged by a thematic panel of six jury members.
Who are the experts?
The European Commission’s database selects remote experts. Diverse profiles cover various fields and sectors for efficient evaluation criteria.
The EIC carefully selects a diverse group of experts to ensure a balanced match for the project, considering geographical diversity, gender, and background. Additionally, a rotation rule renews experts annually.
The list is published online and it is updated periodically.
If you want to know more about the expert position, you can visit the EU official page “Call for Expression of Interest” here.
Curious about application-expert matching? It’s done via the EIC AI-based platform for proposal submission. Keywords calculate affinity between submissions and experts. Applicants input up to three keywords for optimal matching.
The list of keywords covers a wide range of innovation fields and driving markets.
You can find the complete keyword nomenclature here.
Meanwhile, expert evaluators need to choose three main keywords and three sub-keywords from the list to aid proposal matching.
Next, the applications aget scored to determine whether they have passed Phase One. The experts use a specific evaluation criteria using a simple binary system of GO or NO GO for the proposals in each of the following categories:
Excellence: Degree of novelty; timing for the innovation.
Impact: scale-up potential; societal, economic, environmental or climate impact.
Level of risk, implementation, and need for Union support: Team capability and motivation.
Short Application – Phase One
It includes a 5-page proposal, alongside a pitch presentation and a video pitch. Furthermore, the four evaluators selected by the EIC artificial intelligence platform will have access to analyses. They will scrutinize the innovative/disruptive side of the idea, assess its impact, and delve into the team behind the project.
The result usually arrives in 4 weeks, as the EIC aims to offer constructive feedback to applicants, enhancing proposal success after rejections.
Full application – Phase Two
Applications undergo assessment during specific cut-off dates. Three remote experts review each application, assessing excellence, impact, and risk level. If all three evaluators approve all evaluation criteria, the application succeeds, progressing to a face-to-face interview with an EIC jury. In the event that any evaluator assigns a NO GO score for the proposal, the application faces rejection. However, companies have the opportunity to reapply with improvements in subsequent cut-offs, highlighting the significance of receiving and incorporating detailed feedback.
The evaluation of the full application generally takes 5-6 weeks.
Who are the jury members?
The full list is here.
Since their recruitment is an ongoing process, we regularly update the list.
Jury members, experienced in diverse areas, comprise entrepreneurs, global-scale innovators, investors, and innovation ecosystem experts.
The face-to-face interview
During this step, the companies pitch their projects in front of the members of the EIC Jury. The panel consists of six members who have prior access to the short and full applications and the evaluation results.
The Jury members base their decision (GO or NO GO) on the interview and their overall assessment of the project. If the proposal gets a GO, the panel can recommend negotiations on grant, investment, milestones, valuation, and coaching.
If the proposal gets a NO GO during the interview, the Jury can choose from the following application routes:
The applicant can resubmit a revised application directly to one of the next two face-to-face interviews if the project holds potential but requires significant improvement (resubmission is allowed only once);
The applicant is awarded a Seal of Excellence to facilitate funding from other sources and access to EIC Business Acceleration Services when the proposal meets all the evaluation criteria but has not adequately demonstrated the need for Union support or the level of risk needed;
The proposal can be directly resubmitted in the remote stage of one of the following two cut-offs but is expected to demonstrate significant improvements.
If it looks overwhelming… that’s because it is!
Why Consulting?
Preparing a satisfactory proposal is complex. Moreover, a compelling first impression is crucial. Candidates need a captivating video pitch, a comprehensive slide deck, and well-explained project details. However, having a good idea is not enough to obtain the funds needed.
Why Choose EuGrantMe?
EuGrantMe, a comprehensive financial boutique, specializes in securing grants for innovative startup companies. Here at the company we can offer a full range of services from Phase 1 to Phase 2. You can learn more about the individual services here.
How to know if the project is eligible for the consulting service
After filling an evaluation form with basic info about the company or the startup idea, our expert will send a feedback. If positive, then the company could be eligible for the funds and thus start a collaboration with EuGrantMe.
EuGrantMe’s team comprises experienced professionals who guide candidates through the Horizon Europe application process. They provide support with project description, pitch, and video presentation creation. During phase two, EuGrantMe aids with elements like company registration and proposal presentation to the European Commission.
Throughout the whole journey, EuGrantMe will provide full support, coaching, and interview simulations with our European consultants.
Besides, Mauro Andriotto, the CEO of the company, has great experience with the European Commission since he has been a jury member himself for the Horizon 2020 program. He personally worked with the European Commission from 2020 to 2021 as a jury member of the EIC programme. He serves on various global Advisory Boards, authors finance publications, and was a quantitative leader at EY for South Europe.
His experience, combined with the diverse team’s backgrounds – including PhDs, MBAs, entrepreneurs, bankers, and more – ensures exceptional service.
At EuGrantMe, we are passionate about fostering innovation and empowering ambitious minds to flourish. Our mission revolves around providing top-notch grant writing services for the EIC Accelerator and Horizon grants in Europe, enabling our customers to unlock the full potential of their groundbreaking ideas.
Do you have a project to turn into reality?