Deadline: 17 April 2025
Applications are now open for the Open Call for EIC Awardee + Buyer (Wave 1) to support the pilot testing of innovative solutions provided by the EIC Awardees for public and private procurement customers (Buyers).
Objectives
- The objective of this open call is to help public and private buyers find innovative, tailored solutions by funding pilot testing or proof-of-concept (PoC) demonstration. It will facilitate the deployment of pilots or PoCs, pairing EIC Awardees with committed Buyers to test and validate innovative solutions in the Buyers’ premises, with the aim of optimising the potential post-pilot adoption of the innovative solutions.
Funding Information
- The maximum InnoMatch grant available is up to €60,000. If selected, an EIC Awardee can receive up to this amount, based on the budget requested in the Proposal Template.
- Additional Funding: applicants may indicate in their Proposal, and co-finance, any additional costs related to the pilot implementation, that is beyond the maximum InnoMatch grant available (up to €60,000). However, the timeplan of the co-funded/additionally funded activities must comply with the timeline of the InnoMatch Programme. The origin of the additional funding must be described in detail in the Proposal.
Duration and Implementation
- The pilots or proof of concept demonstrations must be implemented for 6 months, within the scope of the 12-month InnoMatch Programme.
Eligible Costs
- The total amount requested by the applicant must not exceed €60.000, and can cover different types of costs needed to implement the foreseen activities. For example:
- Direct personnel costs (work performed according to the presented Action Plan for the pilot/PoC deployment).
- Participation in external events and training.
- Direct purchase costs (for example, travel for meetings with the InnoMatch team, buyers and events/conferences).
- Direct subcontracting costs in line with the project objectives (for example, legal services, market surveys, renting space for meetings, etc.).
- Equipment, software, hardware and data justified for the needs of the project implementation.
- Other goods, works and services justified for the needs of the project.
- Audio & visual materials for promotion of the activities and the InnoMatch project.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible entities:
- The eligible applicants under this open call must be:
- Single legal entities who are EIC Awardees, as per the definition in the EIC Work Programme 2023, namely “beneficiaries of the EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition or EIC contract or investment agreement for EIC Accelerator, as well as winners of EIC Prizes”.
- Entities that are able to facilitate the commercial exploitation of the solution, in case the pilot is successful, and to bring the innovation to the market.
- The eligible applicants under this open call must be:
- Eligible sectors:
- EIC Awardees must team up with public or private Buyers, and can apply with a solution to be piloted in any sector. A non-exhaustive list of possible sectors includes:
- Agriculture, Food, and Beverage
- Construction, Infrastructure, and Manufacturing
- Digital Transformation
- Energy, Water, Environment, Sustainability, and Mobility
- Health and Life Sciences
- Security, safety and dual industries
- Buyers’ eligibility:
- In order for the application to be eligible, the Buyers that the EIC Awardee applies in pair with, must be: Public body (according to the definition given in Directive 2014/24/EU) or private body (SME or large corporation).
- Buyers from any country are eligible.
- One Buyer can commit to up to two (2) proposals, with different EIC Awardees. Each proposal must be addressing a different innovation challenge of the Buyer.
- The Buyer needs to present a Letter of commitment in English (Annex 3), signed by its official representative (top management), and declaring its commitment to support the applicant (EIC Awardee) in case the proposal is selected. It must be attached to the application form by the applicant (EIC Awardee) at application stage.
- In order for the application to be eligible, the Buyers that the EIC Awardee applies in pair with, must be: Public body (according to the definition given in Directive 2014/24/EU) or private body (SME or large corporation).
For more information, visit InnoMatch.