As part of the EU’s collective efforts to tackle the COVID-19 crisis, the EIT has today launched the ‘EIT Crisis Response Initiative’ which is composed of several calls launched by the thematic KICs.
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is an EU body created by the European Union in 2008 to strengthen Europe’s ability to innovate. The EIT is an integral part of Horizon 2020, the EU’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. It supports the development of dynamic, long-term European partnerships among leading companies, research labs and higher education to foster the triple helix. These partnerships are called Innovation Communities and each is dedicated to finding solutions to a specific global challenge, from climate change and sustainable energy to healthy living and food. For more information check out the EIT website.
The EIT has mobilised 60 millions € of additional funding to support two kind of activities
- Venture Support Investment for Start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs
- Support for Pandemic Response Projects both in terms of the immediate health concerns and the wider response needed. These calls often require partners and the EEN may be able to help.
The funding is available through calls for proposals launched by the different EIT thematic Innovation Communities (KICs).
A table published on NCP Brussels website gives a short overview ordered by deadline, but it is not exhaustive and may be updated. Interested applicants are encouraged to read in depth all the calls documents and check in particular all requirements concerning
- Registration into the platform restricted for members
- Payback or other forms of backflows
- Membership of the KICs : some of calls are opened beyond the current EIT KIC members but there is often a requirement to join later or provide a kind of backflow
- Partners to be found in other countries notably with current members of the KICs.
For more information you can contact the regional innovation hub of the thematic KICs covering your country, the information is available on the EIT KIC thematic website. You can also contact your sectoral NCP and EEN advisers c/o hub.brussels.
See more explaination on EIT Website. The EIT Inno Energy has also published this overview.
