Following the launch of the European Innovation Council (EIC), the European Commission opened the first EIC Accelerator calls.

The funding worth over €1 billion aims to help scale up start-ups and small and medium-sized businesses that have the potential to achieve high impact. While over half of the funding is open to breakthrough innovations in any field, €495 million are earmarked for innovations that support the European Green Deal as well as digital and health technologies.

• Strategic Digital and Health technologies (Deadlines: 9 June 2021 and 6 October 2021)
• Green Deal innovations for the economic recovery (Deadlines: 9 June 2021 and 6 October 2021)

The European Commission also opened the EIC Pathfinder programme, with a budget of €168 million. Interdisciplinary teams of researchers can apply for research and innovation grants that will support them to realise their breakthrough ideas and have a transformative positive effect on our economy and society. The grants that vary from €3 to €4 million will focus on game-changing technologies that will address global challenges and improve our lives.

• EIC Pathfinder Open 2021 (Deadline: 19 May 2021)

Other EIC calls include:

• EU Prize for Women Innovators (Deadline: 30 June 2021)
• The European Capital of Innovation Awards (Deadline: 15 July 2021)

The full EIC Work Programme is accessible here.

If you have any queries, please contact the Malta Council for Science and Technology on horizon.malta@gov.mt