EIT ‘s HEI Initiative ( Innovation Capacity Building For Higher Education)
Applications will close in February 2023.
EIT ‘s HEI Initiative launched a third call for proposals, building on the success of our first two, and urging higher education institutions to create initiatives that will enhance their potential for innovation and entrepreneurship.
About this call for proposals
For the first time, both new organizations and current partners from the Pilot Call and the Second Call for Proposals are eligible to participate in the call. Up to 16 projects may be chosen from the call, and each project will receive a maximum of 750 000 euros, with 350 000 euros going toward Phase 1 (May–December 2023) and 400 000 euros going toward 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.
The application system for the third call for proposals is now open. Apply now!
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: 17 November 2022, 11:00-12:15 CET (register by 16 November, 13:00 CET)
- Quality expectations and the deep tech focus: 5 December 2022, 15:00-16:30 CET (register by 2 December, 13:00 CET)
- Open question-and-answer session: 10 January 2023, 15:00-16:00 CET (register by 9 January 2023, 13:00 CET)
- Open question-and-answer session: 7 February 2023, 11:00-12:00 CET (register by 6 February, 13:00 CET)
General enquiries
All general enquiries regarding the call should be directed to hei@eitrawmaterials.eu.
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:
- EIT RawMaterials: Ferdinand Bulmer, ferdinand.bulmer@eitrawmaterials.eu
- EIT Health: Stefania Amorosi, stefania.amorosi@eithealth.eu
- EIT Urban Mobility: Antoine Berwart, antoine.berwart@eiturbanmobility.eu
- EIT Manufacturing: Taylor Hall, taylor.hall@eitmanufacturing.eu
- EIT Digital: Mattia Bellotti, mattia.bellotti@eitdigital.eu
- EIT Food: various: hei-cbi@eitfood.eu
- EIT Climate: Catherine Laurent-Polz: catherine.laurent-polz@climate-kic.org
