In response to feedback, the EIC has loosened the ties between grant and equity investment in its Accelerator programme. Companies that win grants can now bid for EIC equity funding when the time is right

During a debate at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the research commissioner called for EU programmes to be more SME-friendly. Separately, she was also grilled on Swiss association to Horizon Europe

The newly released 2024 work programme will introduce lump sum funding and revised intellectual property rules, while the budget is going down from €1.6B to €1.2B

A partnership with the Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium is one of the latest moves to try and improve success rates in getting finance from the EU start-up funder

SynergistEIC supports start-ups to give them a better chance of success in the EIC Accelerator. But high demand means getting selected for the scheme is almost as competitive as the EIC Accelerator itself

Israeli researchers, some still under rocket fire, have said it was impossible to meet application cut-off points during a state of war. Now the ERC and EIC are pushing back four deadlines for all applicants

The continuing roll out of lump sums across Horizon Europe is coming to the €10B European Innovation Council in 2024. Meanwhile, EU auditors are calling for ‘technical changes’ to this approach to disbursing grants

A debate on how the EU’s Widening measures, which aim to close the east/west innovation divide, should be reformulated in the next framework research programme is heating up, with the Commission already hinting at possible changes

UK companies can now get grants of up to €2.5M from the EIC Accelerator programme but are still excluded from its equity fund - and investments of up to €15M

The EU’s €10B innovation fund has been riddled with problems since launching in 2021. Christian Ehler MEP says it’s too early to say it doesn’t work - but without more independence from the Commission, the EIC won’t fulfil its mission