Open CALL EIT Climate-KIC Innovation 2022

EIT Climate-KIC is inviting proposals for new activities due to commence in 2022. Under our strategy, Transformation, in Time, we have worked to engage challenge owners across Europe to map their systems and understand the innovation gaps where greater experimentation is needed to accelerate climate action. This work has led us to define a range of innovation areas where there is an opportunity to take a new approach to breaking through on the toughest climate challenges. Through experimenting with these new approaches, we hope to learn together with you about how to trigger system change and how to achieve our mission of a net-zero, resilient and just society by 2030 – now just nine years away.

This call for proposals sets out ‘positions’ in our innovation portfolio that we are seeking to fill with new commercially viable projects. A ‘position’ refers to a space or area that sits within our wider innovation portfolio where a specific project or innovation activity may sit within. We invite our community, including any new organisations that may wish to join, to prepare proposals for up to 22 months between March 2022 and December 2023 that address one of the identified open positions. There may be multiple projects accepted in any one position, and we may not be able to fill all positions via this call.

Under this call, partial funding is available to support the development of new highly innovative commercial products or services that seek to launch on the market and achieve climate impact through entrepreneurship and commercial means. We aim to support innovators, researchers, scientists, coaches, and experts to join forces in projects that aim to bring innovative solutions to the European market. We will also support existing innovations that may seek to expand into new markets across Europe and require support to do so.

Publication Date: 20 September 2021
Deadline: 18 November 2021, at 23.59 (CET – Brussels time)
Expected duration of participation: Up to 22 months
Total EU funding available: We anticipate making €4m to €5m of 2022 funding available with a 20% to 40% EIT contribution toward each project’s total budget (for example, if a total project budget is €1m and the EIT reimbursement rate is 30% then the EIT contribution would be €300 000 and co-funding €700 000.) For 2023 we anticipate making €2m to €3m of funding available at 20% to 30% EIT contribution. Funding for this call is sourced from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) which falls under the Horizon Europe framework and EIT Innovation Financial Sustainability Principles. This includes a principle of shared success where successful commercial outcomes would result in a financial contribution to EIT Climate-KIC to support the next wave of innovations. This is achieved by a financial return mechanism agreed with each project funded.

Submission & evaluation process:

How to apply

Read our call guidelines, which contains detailed information about the types of projects we can support via this call for proposals.

Join our webinar introducing the call on 27 September – 13.00 CEST – further information available in Call Guidelines, Section 3 Call Timeline.

Register to pitch your concept to EIT Climate-KIC – links available in Call Guidelines, Section 3 Call Timeline.

Submit an application via our online grant management platform, Plaza: climate-kic.org (note: the specific Form in Plaza for responding to this Call will be available from 1 October 2021)

Evaluation Process

Three stages (involving Climate-KIC and external experts):

1. Eligibility;
2. Assessment;
3. Strategic Selection,

with results due 28 January 2022 for a 1 March start.

Further information: communitydesk@climate-kic.org

Call can be accessed at https://www.climate-kic.org/get-involved/apply-for-a-grant/