Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The EIT HEI Initiative: Innovation Capacity Building for Higher Education was launched by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and it is part of the 2021-2027 EIT Strategic Innovation Agenda. The EIT HEI Initiative (hereinafter referred to as the “HEI Initiative”) has been designed with the aim of increasing the innovation and entrepreneurial capacity in higher education by bringing together HEIs in innovation value chains and ecosystems across Europe. More specifically, the HEI initiative aims to encourage these institutions to reflect on their own practices and develop concrete actions to increase their impact on their ecosystems.
Detailed Call Description
HEIs selected to participate in the HEI Initiative will also leverage and use the Knowledge Triangle Model (interaction between business, education and innovation) as an enabler, facilitating the creation of systemic, institutional change.
This HEI Initiative Call 3 will incorporate a thematic focus on the capacity of HEIs to foster deep tech talent at HEIs in order to respond to the identified importance of deep tech talent development for the future of innovation in Europe. This means that while the Call remains framed within the underlying HEI Initiative objective of boosting the innovation and entrepreneurship capacity of European HEIs, a significant portion of HEI Initiative-funded activities will be geared towards doing so within the Deep Tech talent development area. The indicate list of deep tech fields, in which EIT aims at mobilising the one million talents within include: advanced materials and manufacturing; aerospace, including drones; artificial intelligence and machine learning; biotechnology; blockchain; Web 3.0; electronics; photonics; quantum computing; robotics; semiconductors (microchips); sustainable green energy and clean technologies.
All HEI projects selected for funding under the HEI Initiative are required to create an Innovation Vision Action Plan (IVAP) as the core of their application. The IVAP will take a long-term view towards increasing the innovation and entrepreneurial capacity within the corresponding HEIs, at institutional level, with a view to 2030.
Applicants must incorporate in their IVAP six Actions from Domains 1 – 4, as well as the mandatory Domain 5 Action, and set out the vision and supporting implementation plan for achieving them during and beyond the HEI project funding period. The Domains are divided as follows:
- Domain 1 – Fostering institutional engagement and change
- Domain 2 – Strengthening partnerships (knowledge triangle integration)
- Domain 3 – Contributing to developing innovations and businesses
- Domain 4 – Enhancing the quality of innovation and entrepreneurial education
- Domain 5 – Knowledge sharing
The majority of the HEI Initiative Call 3 funding must go to HEI organisations that are not partnered with any EIT Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC).
The duration of the HEI projects selected from this call will be distributed across two phases. Only if certain criteria (see call document, page 18) are fulfilled may an HEI project be extended from Phase 1 into Phase 2. The activities in the HEI application to be funded should be designed for a 15-month period but include a clear distinction between the activities and results in Phase 1 and those in Phase 2.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
The funding rate of all eligible costs is 100% but co-funding is encouraged.
Thematic Categories
- Education and training
- New Entrepreneurship
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- Educational Institutions
- Large Enterprises
- Local Authorities
- NGOs
- Non Profit Organisations
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Semi-governmental organisations
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
- Training Centres
Eligibility For Participation Notes
To be eligible for participation and funding, a participant must be a “legal entity” established in a Horizon Europe eligible country. An organisation involved as a full partner in a successful HEI project selected from the HEI Pilot Call or Second Call for Proposals may participate as a full partner in an HEI application submitted to HEI Call 3. Organisations eligible for participation and funding can be:
- Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) – These are institutions which offer recognised degrees or other tertiary level qualifications and other comparable institutions at tertiary level, if recognised by the national authorities. These institutions must be recognised as higher education institution by the national authority of its country. The applicant/coordinator must be an HEI.
- Public or private, small, medium or large enterprises (including social enterprises);
- Research institutes;
- Public bodies at local, regional or national level;
- Intermediary organisations or associations which represent Higher Education Institutions(HEIs).
Consortium composition:
An HEI project consortium must consist of a minimum of four organisations and must include at least three HEIs from three different countries as follows:
- 1 (one) HEI must be the applicant/coordinator;
- at least 2 (two) other HEIs must be full partners;
- at least 1 (one) HEI must be an existing partner of an EIT KIC;
- the majority of HEIs must not be partners of an EIT KIC;
- at least 1 (one) HEI must be a ‘new’ partner (not participating in a cohort 1 or 2 project).
The consortium must also include a minimum of 1 (one) actor from another side of the Knowledge Triangle (e.g. regional authorities, VET organisations, RTOs, SMEs and start-ups). These actors may be full partners or associated partners.
A broad geographical scope, especially involving organisations established in RIS-eligible countries (Cyprus, Greece and Czechia are part of the RIS-eligible countries), is strongly encouraged.
Existing consortia of HEIs, such as the European University Alliances funded by the European University Initiative, are encouraged to submit an application.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia
P.O.Box 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Email Address: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Mr. Marinos Photiades
Scientific Officer
Telephone: +357 22205048
Contact Email: mphotiades@research.org.cy
Dr Charalambos Papatryfonos
Scientific Officer
Telephone: +357 22205016
Contact Email: cpapatryfonos@research.org.cy
(Publish Date: 18/11/2022-for internal use only)
EU Contact Point
Applicants are invited to send in any questions they might have on the EIT Call for Proposals until 3 February 2022 via the following functional mailbox: EIT-KICs-Call-2021@eit.europa.eu.