Call for applications for the selection of members of the EIC Board 2025

1. Background

The European Innovation Council (EIC) is the EU’s most ambitious innovation initiative with a budget of over €10 billion (2021-27) as part of Horizon Europe with the objective to identify, develop and scaleup breakthrough technologies and disruptive innovation. 

The EIC aims to put Europe at the forefront of the next wave of strategic technologies, support a new generation of leading companies – in particular in deep tech, stimulate greater gender balance and diversity in innovation, and scale disruptive innovations to accelerate the transition to a green and digital economy. As the leading early-stage investor in deep tech, the EIC plays a crucial role in financing and scaling Europe’s most promising startups and breakthrough technologies. 

The EIC is implemented through funding instruments, notably: the EIC Accelerator providing grants and investments to individual startups and SMEs, the EIC Pathfinder supporting research teams to develop emerging technologies, and the EIC Transition to transform research results into innovation opportunities. All EIC-supported projects and companies receive access to a wide range of Business Accelerator Services, including coaching, mentoring, and events with corporates, investors, procurers, and more. The EIC also implements a number of prizes to recognize outstanding innovators. 

In line with the legal framework, the high-level European Innovation Council (EIC)

Board was established by Council Decision (EU) 2021/764, which sets out the Specific Programme implementing Horizon Europe. The Board advises the European Commission on the EIC’s strategy and implementation.

The Board operates under the Commission’s Directorate-General for Research & Innovation (DG RTD), which provides the Secretariat and manages coordination. In addition to DG RTD, the Board advises the Commission’s Directorate-General Communications Networks, Content and Technology (‘CNECT’), as well as the European Innovation and SME Executive Agency (EISMEA) on implementation matters. 

Furthermore, it supports EIC Programme Managers, and collaborates with bodies like the ERC Scientific Council and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Governing Board. 

Acting as the “voice of the innovator”, the Board ensures EIC actions reflect the needs of Europe’s innovators and contributes to positioning the EIC as the investor of choice for breakthrough ideas. The Board will be instrumental in ensuring that the EIC remains a key driver of innovation and competitiveness, in line with the Political Guidelines of President der Leyen and the mandate letter to Commissioner Zaharieva to expand the EIC. 

More specifically, the Board shall advise the Commission in relation to: 

1. the overall strategy for the EIC component under Pillar III 'Innovative Europe, 
2. the work programme for the implementation of the EIC actions, 
3. the criteria for assessment of the innovativeness and risk profile of the proposals and the appropriate balance of grants, equity and other forms of financing for the EIC accelerator; 
4. the identification of strategic portfolio of projects;   
5. the profile of programme managers. 

Furthermore, the Board may upon request address recommendations to the Commission on: 

• any matter which from an innovation perspective may enhance and foster innovation ecosystems across Europe – including the attractiveness of the EU as a place for start-ups and scale-ups, the achievements and impact of the objectives of the EIC component and the capacity of innovative firms to roll out their solutions; 
• identifying in cooperation with relevant Commission services and, where appropriate, national and regional authorities and other relevant entities, such as the EIT Governing Board, possible regulatory barriers faced by entrepreneurs, in particular those awarded support under the EIC component; 
• emerging technology trends from EIC's portfolio, to inform the programming in other parts of Horizon Europe; 
• any other specific issues where advice from the EIC Board is needed. 

EIC Board members shall also contribute to outreach and communication activities including those oriented towards establishing connections between the EIC Community of funded innovators and the wider ecosystem, particularly investors, corporates and public procurers. Overall, member should contribute to raising the overall prestige of the EIC brand, acting as “EIC ambassadors”.   

In addition, the Board shall provide advice for the design and implementation of new inducement prizes and recognition awards. It shall also advice the Commission on innovation trends or initiatives needed to enhance and foster the European Union’s innovation ecosystem, including potential regulatory barriers. The EIC Board's advice shall also identify emerging areas of innovation likely to be taken into account in the activities under the pillar 'Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness' and missions. 

Members are appointed for a two-year period, renewable twice. 

A first EIC Board membership was appointed in 2021 following a call for expressions of interest. A second membership was appointed in 2023 as a result of the renewal of the mandate of some of the members and the appointment of additional members from the reserve list established following the 2021 call. 

The mandate of the current members of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Board will come to an end in December 2025. In preparation for its renewal, the European Commission is launching a call for expressions of interest to select new members. 

To ensure a balanced composition that combines continuity with fresh insights, the Commission intends to automatically renew the mandate of approximately 10 to 12 existing members. Priority will be given to those who have served only one term, have made significant contributions to the Board’s work, and have demonstrated a strong commitment to continue. 

The remaining positions - up to a total of 20 Board members - will be filled through this open call. 

2. Features of the Group

2.1. COMPOSITION 

In accordance with Article 12.3 of the Council Decision, the group shall consist of up to 20 members, who are high-level experts drawn from various parts of Europe's innovation ecosystem, including entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, investors, public administration experts and researchers, including academic experts on innovation.   

Members shall be individuals appointed in a personal capacity. They shall act independently and in the public interest, and should not represent any private or public interest. 

2.2. APPOINTMENT  

Members shall be appointed by the Director-General of DG RTD from applicants complying with the requirements referred to in chapter 4 of this call.  

Members shall be appointed for two years. 

In order to ensure continuity and the smooth functioning of the group, DG RTD shall establish a reserve list of suitable candidates that may be used to appoint replacements. DG RTD shall ask applicants for their consent before including their names on the reserve list. 

Members who are no longer capable of contributing effectively to the group’s deliberations, who in the opinion of DG RTD do not comply with the conditions set out in Article 339 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union or who resign, shall no longer be invited to participate in any meetings of the group and may be replaced for the remainder of their term of office. 

2.3 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF THE Board 

The group shall be chaired by a full time President of the EIC Board, who is recruited through a separate process and whose appointment is not subject to this call. 

The group shall act at the request of its Chair with the agreement of DG RTD,  in compliance with the Commission’s horizontal rules on expert groups (‘the horizontal rules’).

In principle, the Board shall meet four or five times per year,  physicallly on Commission premises in Brussels or at another location agreed with the Chair and DG RTD. Ad-hoc meetings are possible either on the initiative of the Chair or at the request of a simple majority of members, in any case following the agreement of DG RTD. Each Board 

meetings will typically last for a maximum of two working days, with the possibility of organising virtual meetings over teleconference.   

Members should be prepared to attend meetings systematically, to contribute actively to discussions in the group, to be involved in preparatory work ahead of meetings, to examine and provide comments on documents under discussion, and to act, as appropriate, as 'rapporteurs' or members of sub-groups of the Board on ad hoc basis. 

As a general rule, working documents will be drafted in English and meetings will be conducted in English. 

In principle, the group shall adopt its opinions, recommendations or reports by consensus. In the event of a vote, the outcome of the vote shall be decided by simple majority of the members. The members that voted against or abstained shall have the right to have a document summarising the reasons for their position annexed to the opinions, recommendations or reports. 

Around 20 days of working time per year is expected, of which approximately half for Board and ad-hoc meetings and half for remote working days for additional tasks outside the Board meetings. At the request of the DG RTD, Board members should be prepared to attend some meetings, events and workshops outside the scope of Board meetings in order to contribute actively to communicating about EIC activities and to establishing connections between the EIC and key stakeholders (investors, corporates, research organisations). strictly in their advisory capacity, not as representatives of the European Commission. 

Members of the Board shall be remunerated for the services they offer. This remuneration will consist of flat fee honoria of EUR 2,200 for full attendance at a plenary meeting, and EUR 1,100 for partial attendance, in accordance with the financing decision. Participants in the activities of the Board and its sub-groups other than members of the EIC Board shall not be remunerated for the services they offer. 

Travel and subsistence expenses incurred by Members of the Board and its sub-groups shall reimbursed by the Commission. Reimbursement shall be made in accordance with the provisions in force within the Commission and within the limits of the available appropriations allocated to the Commission departments under the annual procedure for the allocation of resources. 

The members of the group as well as invited experts and observers, are subject to the obligation of professional secrecy, which by virtue of the Treaties and the rules implementing them applies to all members of the institutions and their staff, as well as to the Commission's rules on security regarding the protection of Union classified information, laid down in Commission Decisions (EU, Euratom) 2015/443 and 2015/444. Should they fail to respect these obligations, the Commission may take all appropriate measures. 

On a proposal by and in agreement with DG RTD the group shall adopt its rules of procedure on the basis of the standard rules of procedure for expert groups. 

DG RTD may invite experts with specific expertise with respect to a subject matter on the agenda to take part in the work of the group or sub-groups on an ad hoc basis. 

Individuals, organisations or public entities other than Member States’ authorities may be granted an observer status, in compliance with the horizontal rules,  by direct invitation. Organisations and public entities appointed as observers shall nominate their representatives. Observers and observers’ representatives may be permitted by the Chair to take part in the discussions of the group and provide expertise. However, they shall not have voting rights and shall not participate in the formulation of recommendations or advice of the group. 

DG RTD may set up sub-groups for the purpose of examining specific questions on the basis of terms of reference defined by DG RTD. Sub-groups shall operate in compliance with the horizontal rules and shall report to the group. They shall be dissolved as soon as their mandate is fulfilled. The members of sub-groups that are not members of the group shall be selected via a public call for applications. 

2.4. TRANSPARENCY  

The group and its sub-groups shall be registered in the Register of Commission expert groups and other similar entities (‘the Register of expert groups’). 

As concerns the group and sub-groups composition, DG RTD shall publish the following data on the Register of expert groups: 

-     the name of individuals appointed as members in a personal capacity; and  -          the name of observers. 

DG RTD shall make available all relevant documents, including  the agendas, the minutes and the participants’ submissions on the Register of expert groups. In particular, DG RTD shall ensure timely publication of the agenda, minutes and other relevant background documents following Board meetings. Exceptions to publication shall only be foreseen where it is deemed that disclosure of a document would undermine the protection of a public or private interest as defined in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) N° 1049/2001. 

Personal data shall be collected, processed and published in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 2018/1725. 

3. Application procedure

Interested individuals are invited to submit their application. 

Applications must be completed in one of the official languages of the European Union. However, applications in English would facilitate the evaluation procedure. If another 

language is used, it would be helpful to include a summary of the application in English. 

An application will be deemed admissible only if it is sent by the deadline and includes the documents referred to below. 

Applicants selected to be appointed as members will be requested to register in the EU expert database. Applicants can register any time, and if done already, they may provide their registration number in the application form. 

Supporting documents 

• a cover letter explaining the applicant's motivation for answering this call and stating what contribution the applicant could make to the group; 
• a classification form duly filled in specifying the member category for which the application is made (Annex I); 
• a selection criteria form duly filled in documenting how the applicant fulfills the selection criteria listed in chapter 4 of this call (Annex II). 
• a curriculum vitae (CV), preferably not exceeding three pages and preferably submitted in the European format (Home | Europass).

Furthermore, applicants must disclose any circumstances that could give rise to a conflict of interest by submitting a declaration of interests (‘DOI’) form on the basis of the standard DOI form for expert groups attached to this call (Annex III). Submission of a duly completed DOI form is necessary in order to be eligible to be appointed in a personal capacity. Individuals who answer in the affirmative questions included in the DOI form are required to supply further details by filling in the section ‘Description’. DG RTD shall perform the conflict of interest assessment in compliance with the horizontal rules. 

Additional supporting documents (e.g. publications) may be requested at a later stage. 

Deadline for application 

The duly signed applications must be sent by e-mail to the European Commission, DG Research and Innovation, to the following e-mail address: RTD-EIC-BOARDec [dot] europa [dot] eu (RTD-EIC-BOARD[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu), by 12h00 (Brussels time) on 19^th May 2025.  The date of the email will be the date of sending. 

4. Selection criteria

The Commission seeks a diverse group of high-level individuals including: 

1. entrepreneurs who have started up and scaled up innovative enterprises at 

   European / global level; 

   1. investors and venture capitalists; from early stage to late funding. 
   2. corporate leaders and individuals experienced in corporate venturing and corporate-startup relationships; 
       
2. researchers and academics with leading expertise in fields relating to future and emerging technologies; 
   1. individuals with a strong track record in developing the wider innovation ecosystem, in particular in knowledge/technology transfer, in building start-up communities, and in managing innovation agencies/ incubators/ accelerators; 
   2. experts on public sector and social innovation and academic experts on innovation. 
   3. expertise in the main areas of “deep tech” (e.g. digital, clean and lifescience technologies) . 

The Commission will take the following criteria into account when assessing applications: 

• Vision, creativity and passion towards innovation and the capacity to ensure impactProven and relevant competence and experience, including at European and / or international level in areas relevant to disruptive and breakthrough innovation 
• A leadership position of the applicant in his/her organisation 
• Recognition of authority and/or achievements, for example in the form of prizes and awards obtained at national, European or international level 
• Expertise in the main areas of “deep tech” (e.g. digital, clean and lifescience technologies). 
• Strong communication and advocacy skills and good knowledge of the English language allowing active participation in discussions. 

Selection procedure 

The selection procedure shall consist of an assessment of the applications performed against the selection criteria listed in chapter 4 of this call, followed by the establishment of a list of the most suitable applicants, and concluded by the appointment of the members of the group. 

When defining the composition of the group, DG RTD shall aim at ensuring, as far as  possible, a high level of expertise, as well as a balanced representation of relevant knowhow and areas of interest, while taking into account the specific tasks of the group, the type of expertise required, as well as the relevance of the applications received. 

The Commission will strive to ensure an adequate balance of expert profiles, particularly with regard to young and women experts (the latter comprising at least 40% of the members, with the goal set on 50% female membership), as well as those stemming from the less developed regions of the European Union.   

For       any      further  information     please  contact,            RTD-EIC-BOARD-APPLICATIONSec [dot] europa [dot] eu (RTD-EIC-BOARD-APPLICATIONS[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)