High demand for EIC Green Deal call

Over 2,000 sustainable innovation companies set to support the European economic recovery plan have applied for financial support of €7.8bn from the one-off EIC Accelerator Green Deal call. The majority of companies applied with ideas contributing to Green Deal goals of increasing the EU’s climate mitigation and/or adaption ambition, transitioning of industry to a clean and/or circular economy and realising a zero pollution ambition and a toxic-free environment. Approx. 41% of proposals requested blended finance (grant and equity), 73.8% of the overall financial request. Applications were received from 38 different countries, with IT, DE, ES, IL and FR hosting the highest number of applicants and a good participation of H2020 widening countries (10.6%).

At least 19% of the start-ups/SME CEOs are female. Following the recent EIC work programme update, if, following the first-round remote evaluation, a minimum of 25% of companies selected for the final-stage interviews are not led by women, additional interviews will be scheduled. Interviews are expected to take place in the first and/or second week in July.