What is the EIC Forum?
The EIC Forum brings together representatives of Member States’ and Associated Countries’ public authorities and bodies in charge of innovation policy and programmes. Its main role is to promote the coordination and dialogue on the development of the Union’s innovation ecosystem.
The EIC Forum has been established under Pillar III of Horizon Europe and was formally launched on 23 November 2021. It serves as a place to collect, discuss and test new ideas and proposals from stakeholders and their possible uptake and scaling up at national and European level.
High-level representatives meet three-to-four times a year in the Plenary formation, to which the EIC Board and EIT Board are also invited. The work of the Plenary is supported by five working groups, discussing issues of a more technical nature on an ad hoc basis:
- EIC Forum Working Group on Innovation Policy
- EIC Forum Working Group on Innovation Procurement
- EIC Forum Working Group on Employees’ Stock Options
- EIC Forum Working Group on Plug-in scheme to the EIC accelerator
- EIC Forum Working Group on EIC Prizes Alumni network
Latest meetings of the EIC Forum Plenary
4 and 12 February 2026, online
Main topics covered:
- Policy update on the European Innovation Act and the EIC Forum work plan for 2026
- Provisions on access to public and private procurement markets
- Draft definitions of innovative enterprises, startups and scaleups
- European Startup and Scaleup Scoreboard
27 November 2025, online
Main topics covered:
- Adoption of the EIC Forum’s position paper and wishlist for the European Innovation Act
- Draft definitions of innovative companies, startups and scaleups
- Status update on the European Startup and Scaleup Scoreboard
- Lessons on innovation coordination, including the Plug-In scheme to the EIC Accelerator and Sweden’s Ecosystem Playbook
15 September 2025, Brussels, Belgium
Main topics covered:
- Progress update on the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy’s implementation
- State of play of the study developing definitions for startups, scaleups and innovative companies
- European Innovation Act (I): innovation policy coordination and possible strengthened role of the EIC Forum
- European Innovation Act (II): regulatory sandboxes
- Presentation of Luxembourg’s 10-point action plan for the development of a startup and scaleup ecosystem
2 April 2025, Brussels, Belgium
Main topics covered:
- The EIC Forum’s response to the Start-up and Scale-up Strategy’s Call for Evidence
- Study on the definition of start-ups, scale-ups, and innovative companies
- Study on the relocation of start-ups
- Savings and investments Union
6 February 2025, Brussels, Belgium
Main topics covered:
- EIC Forum 2024 Policy Orientations
- Startup and Scaleup Strategy and European Innovation Act – consultation of the EIC Forum
- Discussion on the EIC Forum’s future role
14 November 2024, Lisbon, Portugal
Main topics covered:
- New European Innovation Agenda implementation
- 10th anniversary of the EIC iCapital Award
- Political Guidelines of the 2024-2029 Commission
Contact
Should you have any further question about the EIC Forum or EIC Forum Working Groups, contact RTD-EIC-FORUM
ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (RTD-EIC-FORUM[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) .