While the final work programme for the EIC Accelerator is still under preparation, with expected delays due to the corona pandemic, the programme drafts have been created that allow us to establish what the EIC Accelerator may look like from 2021 on:

• In terms of funding, no major changes are envisaged, as activities will continue to be funded at 70%.
• The blended finance (up to €2.5 mio grant and up to €15 mio in equity) will become a standard (not an option).
• The application process will involve a preliminary stage with a short application, pitch deck and motivation video pitch. The aim of the preliminary stage is to pre-select the companies and increase their chances of success in the full proposal submission.
• Each application step (short application, full proposal) can be done twice, which limits the number of resubmissions from 2021 onwards. If the company fails, it is blocked from further re-submissions for a longer period of time – how long exactly is still unclear.
• The fixed deadlines only apply to the full proposal, while short applications can be submitted at any time and will receive feedback after a short period of time.