. What is the difference between the Entrepreneurship and Venture Building Programmes? How do I know which one is suited for me?
The EIC Tech to Market Entrepreneurship Programme offers support on the journey leading towards the maturation of an entrepreneurial project. It is conceived in a modular way, going from the fundamentals of deep-tech entrepreneurship to market and investor readiness, where the solutions and business ideas are challenged by experienced mentors, investors and market representatives.
The EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme will onboard EIC beneficiaries and take them on a journey that will comprise 4 main phases (Exploration & Validation, Feasibility assessment, Team creation, and Venture support services), lasting up to 10 months. The objective is to identify needs to build start-ups and provide expertise and advisory services for venture building (e.g., on recruitment, finance, legal, tech transfer).
The main difference between the two programmes consists in the fact that the Entrepreneurship Programme provides trainings and coaching for entrepreneurial endeavours and for definition of business idea and business model through customer discovery, while the Venture Building Programme provides specialised services to support in the creation of a venture.
Who is the target of EIC Tech to Market (Entrepreneurship and Venture Building Programmes)?
EIC Tech to Market activities are targeted at EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition projects and EIC Seal of Excellence holders to support in their transition from lab to market: provide tailored support to entrepreneurial researchers for the market deployment of research results. Each Tech to Market activity can have specific requirements depending on the objective of the action.
Can beneficiaries from the UK and Switzerland apply?
The services to be delivered will cover EIC beneficiaries from all the countries participating in the EIC programme, namely, all the 27 EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries
Where can I apply?
Please check the available Open Calls in the EIC Tech to Market dedicated page.
How do the Programmes deal with projects’ confidentiality?
The instructors and coaches act under confidentiality clauses. In specific cases, a non-disclosure agreement at the start of the Programme is put in place.
How the Tech to Market activities do fit with other activities proposed by the EIC? Is this rather done before, or can it be done in parallel?
The EIC gives access to its beneficiaries to a diversity of services through its Business Acceleration Services, partnerships available through the EIC Partners’ Service Catalogue and other EC services such as Horizon Result Booster. It is advised to discuss with your Project Officer to understand what are the most relevant services for you based on your level of readiness.
Do the attendees of the programmes receive certificates after their successful participation?
A certificate is delivered at the end of the following activities for successful participants: EIC Pioneer Programme, EIC Business Validation Programmer, EIC Bootcamps and EIC Venture Building Journey.
How often will these services be offered during the year?
6 sessions per year for Innovation Discovery Training. 2 sessions per year for all the other courses.
Is any selection process envisaged or does a “first come first served” principle apply?
For Innovation Discovery Training the “first come first served” principle applies. For the other courses, a selection process is foreseen with assessment of the application form and, where necessary, interviews with the Entrepreneurship Programme management team.
Can more beneficiaries from the same project apply? From the Pathfinder projects more than one single idea can stem-out as a marketable result
Yes, the call is open to more participants from the same project. Participation is open to the same course or to different courses
Yes, the call is open to more participants from the same project. Participation is open to the same course or to different courses
Yes. Strong motivation and time to be devoted to all training and support activities. Furthermore, for some courses it will be necessary to have a preliminary business idea and the application form may ask to enclose a pitch.
What is the ideal size and composition of teams?
Ideally, teams will be made up of two to three people who will take on the following roles: Scientific Expert (or Technical Lead, TL) and Project Leader (or Entrepreneurial Lead, EL)
Do participating teams interact with one another?
Yes. Teams are expected to interact in collective or group sessions and during feedback sessions.
Can technology transfer officers attend training sessions together with the researchers?
This is not required; however, it is highly advised to involve your technology transfer office.
Where are the trainers coming from? How are they recruited? Who is selecting them (EISMEA)?
Trainers come from the Programme management team made up of European organisations dealing with similar programmes offered to researchers and innovators at EU level. Training sessions will also engage a pool of mentors and business stakeholders to allow for project ideas and business model validation by successful entrepreneurs, market and business experts, investors, EIC alumni.
With the limited slots per session per year. Can you apply multiple times in case you get rejected?
Yes. It is possible to apply multiple times as long as the reason for rejection is related to the maturity level of the project idea and that from one application to the other there is a progress.
Are there options for consulting/support in medical device regulatory issues?
Yes. Specific expertise in different fields will be ensured according to applying projects sectoral and technological needs, including issues related to the regulatory framework.
Will the schedule be similar every year in the near future?
The Programme is scheduled on a two-year period with sessions on a six-month basis. The calendar of sessions may vary each year. Permanent communication will announce the upcoming sessions.
Can we participate only once per program during the project duration?
No. It is possible to apply to the different Programme components according to the specific needs of the project idea at different stages of development.
What is the EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme?
The EIC Tech to Market Venture Building (EIC T2M VB) is a programme, offered in the frame of the EIC Business Acceleration Services (BAS), which mission is to help building start-ups to exploit promising research results through venture building, including services comprising a range of activities from the identification of promising business ideas to venture creation and development.
To what kind of participants is this programme directed?
The EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme is targeted at EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition to help them build start-ups to exploit promising research results through venture building services, comprising a range of activities from identification of promising business ideas to venture creation and development.
The EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme is also targeted at experts and external stakeholders that will be onboarded during the duration of the programme to provide expertise at different levels. These individuals will assess the potential of the EIC beneficiaries’ innovations, act as mentors and also contribute as experts in different business-related fields
Which thematic areas are targeted?
The EIC T2M VB targets specific innovation areas and technologies (indicative):
- advanced materials for energy and environmental sustainability
- architecture engineering construction technologies
- energy systems and green technologies
- food chain technologies, novel and sustainable food
- health and biotechnology
- medical technologies and medical devices
- quantum tech and electronics
- renewable energy conversion and alternative resource exploitation
- responsible electronics
- space systems and technologies
How does the Venture Building process work?
The Venture Building programme is estimated to comprehend a duration of 10 months, comprising 4 main phases:
Tech Demo Days
You will have the opportunity to present your technology to innovation experts and receive their feedback in terms of market potential and time to market.
Opportunities’ exploration
Successful results, selected by the EIC, should move on to validate their market attractiveness, corporate interest and team expertise for their targeted applications, exploring potential market opportunities.
Support for team creation
If your team requires certain skillsets, particularly but not only on the business level, tailor-made scouting will be provided with particular attention to matchmaking and bonding with existing members over the succeeding months.
Venture support services
Finally, if your case is among the most mature ones, you will gain access to on-demand venture support services to shape your business, ranging from legal to financial advisory, branding and human resources among others. There will also be the option of joining for specific on-demand services through EIC proactive management. The services include
- branding
- finance
- human capital
- market intelligence
- regulation & standardisation
- tech transfer
- venture creation
I am an expert interested in joining the programme. What roles are you looking for?
- Market expert to validate the most promising research and technology results from the EIC Beneficiaries enrolled in the programme.
- Analyst to assess each case’s feasibility from a technical, team, and business perspective, guiding the participants into the right path for successful venture building.
- Mentor to offer valuable recommendations that will enable result owners to develop their case further.
- Expert for needs analysis in pre-venturing services (market intelligence, finance, venture incorporation, technology transfer, human capital, branding, regulatory, certification and standardisation).
- Supplier providing venture support services (market intelligence, finance, venture incorporation, technology transfer, human capital, branding, regulatory, certification and standardisation.
Join us as an expert and support innovative researchers in their entrepreneurial journey
What is the involvement of Entrepreneurs in Residence?
The "Entrepreneurs in Residence" will help transfer a technology from the laboratory to a real environment and shape it into a marketable product, thereafter, a profitable business.
More precisely, Entrepreneurs in Residence main goals will be to:
- bring entrepreneurial skills and market knowledge to highly scientific teams
- help pave the vision and strategy for the company
- support in the management of the team, including high senior profiles
- support in the management of the relationship with shareholders
- set the execution quality bar and a cohesive work ethic
- ensure the survival of your team beyond the venture builder
What is the difference between the roles of Entrepreneurs in Residence and mentors?
- Embedded entrepreneurs will actively join result owners as team members to provide critical business and strategic expertise to their ventures. This relationship shall initially be set for an agreed period of time (6 to 12 months) although it can be extended upon mutual agreement.
- Mentors on the other hand, are appointed to oversee and inspire each team’s progress on a regular basis providing general advice and momentum to result owners. This accompaniment service shall extend for six months after the start of the venture support services.
Can I take part in the programme, if I am part of a Pathfinder project, but I already have an established company at a very early stage?
In principle, companies at a very early-stage of development can be considered to onboard on the Venture Building programme. Still, this should be assessed in greater detail on a case-by-case basis.
I did not find the reply to my question within this FAQ. Who can I contact?
Please send your query to the EIC Community Helpdesk and our team shall get back to you. You can do it by selecting the category “EIC T2M Venture Building Programme” as the subject. The helpdesk can reply to any question regarding your application, eligibility, selection process and the programme.