Deadline: 23-Mar-22
The European Commission (EC) is seeking proposals for the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Challenge: Technologies for ‘Fit for 55’ to support the development and scaling up of technologies and boosting breakthrough innovations that strengthen the green transition. Breakthrough innovations for this Challenge should have the potential to create significant economic, competitiveness and employment benefits for Europe.
Goals
This Challenge targets ground-breaking innovations in any field of technology that have a high potential to meet the following goals:
- Higher clean energy conversion and use through energy harvesting, conversion and storage, including renewable energy carriers, their integration into energy systems and hybrid energy generation;
- Decarbonisation of hard-to-abate industries including carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions capture/conversion, transport, storage and utilisation/valorisation , process-integrated energy harvesting, recovery and storage, use of renewable hydrogen, waste heat recovery and valorisation of by-products for co-production of energy and materials;
- Energy efficiency and safety in the built environment including the use of innovative climate-neutral materials, smart windows, technology and natural carbon removal solutions, design and engineering concepts that increase the energy performance, comfort and safety, indoor air management, the integration of renewable energy, facilitate the development of energy communities and smart grid, circularity and integrated food-energy-water management;
- Zero emission mobility solutions for all modes of transport, both for passenger vehicles and for light and heavy duty vehicles, with a particular focus on automation, connectivity solutions, and solutions that enhance interaction with the energy system;
- Climate neutrality in the land use to increase climate resilience, decontaminate soils, and abate nitrogen and methane emissions, increase carbon stock in the soil and, other carbon pools on land and coastal zones;
- Water, gas and indoor air management/monitoring systems both for quality and indexing purposes (global warming measurements) and early warning tools, gas leakage monitoring systems, treatment systems, sustainable gas grids (for hydrogen);
- Green digital technologies to enhance energy system integration to enable supply and demand side management and costs optimisation, real time monitoring, control, digitalised maintenance; tools to enhance digital protection of energy systems, smart grids and net zero energy communities; blockchain concepts adapted to energy performance in buildings and to power systems increased reliability; quantum computing for energy systems; digital solutions/sensors to improve efficiency.
Funding Information
- Grant component Investment component
- maximum EUR 2.5 million (equal to a maximum of 70 % of total eligible costs)
- innovation activities supported should be completed within 24 months
- small mid-caps are not eligible for grant (but can apply for investment)
- Investment component
- minimum EUR 0.5 million and maximum EUR 15 million
- usually in the form of direct equity or quasiequity
- maximum 25% of the voting shares of the company
- “patient capital” principle (indicatively 7-10 years perspective)
Expected Impacts
This EIC Accelerator Challenge seeks to support highly innovative SMEs (including start-ups, spinouts) and small midcaps that are developing novel and breakthrough innovations that can contribute effectively to the goals enshrined in the ‘Fit to 55’ plan accelerating decarbonisation by having high potential impact on reducing net CO2 emissions as per the specific objectives set out and assist further innovation. The expected impact of this Challenge is a more inclusive and steady acceleration towards climate neutrality by 2050 while considering design and aesthetics of proposed solutions (where relevant).
Eligibility Criteria
In order to apply you must meet one of the following eligibility conditions:
- A single company classified as a SME and established within a Member State or an Associated Country;
- A single company classified as a ‘Small mid-cap’ (up to 500 employees) established in a Member State or an Associated Country, but your application can only be for rapid scale up purposes (e.g. Technology Readiness Level 9) and only for the investment component;
- One or more natural persons (including individual entrepreneurs) or legal entities, which are either:
- from a Member State or an Associated Country (for Associated Countries other than EEA, this possibility will be subject to the related association agreements) intending to establish an SME or small mid-cap in a Member State or Associated Country by the time of signing the Accelerator contract or, in the case blended finance is awarded, at the latest when agreeing on its investment component;
- intending to invest in an SME or small mid-cap in a Member State or an Associated Country and who may submit a proposal on behalf of that SME or small mid-cap, provided that a prior agreement exist with the company. The contract will be signed with the beneficiary company only;
- from a non-associated third country intending to establish an SME (including start-ups) or to relocate an existing SME to a Member State or an Associated Country, by the time of submitting a full application. Your company must prove its effective establishment in a Member State or an Associated Country. The Commission may set specific conditions and milestones in the contract to ensure that the interest of the Union is met.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3K9WNbA