Call for Proposals: November 2022

Building on the success of our previous two calls, we have announced a third call for proposals, inviting higher education institutions to design activities that will improve their entrepreneurial and innovation capacity.

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About this call for proposals

For the first time, the call is open to both new organisations and existing partners from the Pilot Call and the second call for proposals. The call will select up to 16 projects, who will receive a maximum of EUR 750 000 with up to EUR 350 000 for Phase 1 (May−December 2023) and up to EUR 400 000 for Phase 2 (January−July 2024)

The selected consortia should show how they will build innovation capacity through the integration of deep tech talent-fostering activities. They must also demonstrate how their applications align with the Deep Tech Talent Initiative and contribute to deep tech innovation.

The goal of the Deep Tech Talent Initiative is to train at least 1 million deep tech talents by 2025 through pan-European talent and skill development programmes. This will broaden Europe’s labour force and expand the operations of high-growth companies working in the deep tech fields, such as advanced materials and manufacturing, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, blockchain, robotics, aerospace, photonics, electronics, quantum computing, sustainable energy and cleantech.

All organisations in the selected projects from this call will submit an official expression of interest to join the Deep Tech Talent Initiative Pledge, given the close alignment of the EIT HEI Initiative’s third call and the objectives of the Deep Tech Talent Initiative.

A few examples of deep tech activities include:

integrating deep tech fields in course curricula;
supporting deep tech start-ups and spin-offs;
facilitating deep tech innovations going to market.

The majority of the available funding will be awarded to organisations that are not partners of an EIT Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) at the time of the call launch. For any organisations that participate in a Cohort 1 or 2 project, all their call 3-funded activities must be exclusively deep tech focused.

Networking and Matchmaking platform

The initiative has opened a Conversation Starter platform exclusively for Call 3, where you can register now. This platform supports you to meet & match with the participants who best fit your HEI project proposal concept. It enables you to browse participants and send invitations for meetings, helping you form your perfect consortium!

Information sessions

The initiative is also organising a series of online info sessions to present the call for proposals in more detail and answer applicants’ questions. The specific contents, registration links and dates for the info sessions are listed below. Make sure to sign up before the deadline!

Call general overview: Watch the full Info Session 1 video
Quality expectations and the deep tech focus: 5 December 2022, 15:00-16:30 CET (register by 5 December, 12:00 CET)
Intro to the HEInnovate self-assessment tool: 7 December 2022, 11:00 – 12:15 CET (register by 7 December, 9:00 CET)
Open question-and-answer session: 10 January 2023, 15:00-16:00 CET (register by 10 January 2023, 12:00 CET)
Open question-and-answer session: 7 February 2023, 11:00-12:00 CET (register by 7 February 2023, 9:00 CET)

General enquiries

All general enquiries regarding the call should be directed to [email protected].

KIC contact persons

If you would like to reach out to a specific KIC to find out more about KIC-specific activities and opportunities and/or KIC strategic agendas, please use the following contact information:

Please note that only the KICs listed below participate in the EIT HEI Initiative: