EIC work programme 2024 adopted

The EIC Work Programme 2024 details the funding in three main schemes:

• EIC Pathfinder (€256 million) for advanced research to develop the scientific basis to underpin breakthrough technologies (grants up to €4 million).
• EIC Transition (€94 million) to turn research results into innovation opportunities, following up on results generated by EIC Pathfinder projects, European Research Council Proof of Concept projects and open for the first time to project results from Horizon collaborative projects from Pillar 2 (grants up to €2.5 million).
• EIC Accelerator (€675 million) for start-ups and SMEs to develop and scale up innovations with the potential to create new markets or disrupt existing ones (grants below €2.5 million, investments from €0.5 to €15 million). €405 million is earmarked for investments to be managed by the EIC Fund, which will receive an additional €180 million to follow on investments in companies selected under previous EIC Accelerator calls.

All of the main calls (Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator) provide for “Open” funding which can support technologies and innovations in any field without any predefined priority areas.

 In the case of the Pathfinder and Accelerator, this Open funding is complemented by a set of “Challenges” which target specific technologies and innovations of strategic interest for the Union, including to support initiatives such as Net Zero Industry, Critical Raw Materials, the Chips Act, and Health Emergency Responses.

The summary table includes the main characteristics and deadlines for each of the calls.

Simplification and other novelties

Building on the advice of the EIC Board, the work programme introduces a number of simplifications and improvements:

• The introduction of lump sum funding in most EIC calls that will remove financial reporting requirements for beneficiaries.
• The update of specific rules on Intellectual Property to empower Technology Transfer Offices, following the recommendations of the EIC Board.
• The introduction of consensus meetings for EIC Accelerator applications to improve the robustness of the evaluation process.
• Flexibility for the EIC Fund to increase or delay investments in selected companies to better respond to their needs and market developments.
• The opening of EIC Transition funding to follow up results from Horizon collaborative projects, in addition to results from ERC Proof of Concept, EIC Pathfinder and European Defence Fund projects.

Full information, WP24 and other resources: here