Tips and tricks for applying to the EIC Accelerator (full and short proposal):

1. Start-ups have a good chance of success if they have a convincing innovation and their market potential can be substantiated with plausible business figures. In addition, the growth plans of the start-up must be comprehensible and it must be described how the start-up will compensate for possible bottlenecks in resources or know-how (e.g. by using subcontractors or hiring new staff). The EIC Accelerator is not suitable for SMEs that only want to launch new product variants.
    
2. It is recommended that the development history of the project idea is described. If the work plan shows that fundamental issues have not yet been addressed, this is problematic as TRL 5 must be achieved for submission and research must be largely completed.
    
3. The application should be written in general terms so that it can be understood by non-specialists. The application must include all relevant information. The application should be written in English. To ensure clarity, it is recommended that the application text is proofread by a native speaker and someone familiar with the evaluation criteria. Applicants should note that the EIC Accelerator expects a business plan rather than a scientific proposal.
    
4. The degree of innovation is often presented by the applicant company based on a gut feeling or with the help of internet research. It would be important to demonstrate quantitatively and qualitatively, through structured comparisons, the extent to which the proposed solution is actually superior to existing solutions.
    
5. The competitive situation is often not sufficiently presented. It is essential to present the competitors' solutions and to emphasise the unique selling point (USP) of the own solution compared to existing (technology) solutions. The product should fit into the company's strategy.
    
6. The selection of the distribution strategy (B2B or B2C) should be coherent. Existing contacts with potential customers who are interested in and willing to spend money on the new product are a strong advantage and should be documented in the proposal. Letters of Intent (LOI) can be attached to the full application.
    
7. It is fundamentally important to elaborate the European added value. The key question here is whether there is a market potential at European level and whether an impact (i.e. an "increase in European competitiveness") or added value for Europe can be achieved. Social acceptance and social benefit also play a role that should not be overlooked.
    
8. You need to ensure "freedom to operate" for your innovation. It must therefore be clear that there are no obstacles to the development and market launch of the innovation in terms of property rights. If a company is not seeking to patent its own innovation, this should be justified and preceded by a patent search. If a company works with subcontractors, one should make absolutely sure that the distribution rights remain within the company. An FTO analysis is required as an annex to the full application.
    
9. Note that the pitch deck submitted with the short application should be updated for the submission of the full application. Since the pitch deck cannot be changed after the full proposal has been submitted, make sure that your pitch deck is suitable for the 10-minute pitch interview and is not overloaded with too much text. In your pitch deck, explain the "Need for EU" support and the work packages that are to be financed by the grant and, if applicable, by equity. Check which financing option (blended finance, grant only, equity only) is best suited to your project. Please note that the investment by the EIC Fund must generally be matched by a co-investor at 50%. If you are applying for the investment component, you should be in dialogue with potential co-investors in advance.
    
10. Being selected for funding by the EIC Accelerator is a mark of quality and can also be useful when applying for further venture capital.

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