It can be useful to take a look at how evaluators are instructed to conduct their work. Here under you find some recommendations to evaluators from the German NCP and under the text you will find further instructions from the EIC (status Sept 2019).
1. The target group for the EIC Accelerator pilots (formerly the SME instrument) are primarily SMEs that are able to successfully position themselves in the market. The assessment focuses on the degree of risk, the evaluation of the business case and the operational capacity.
2. Even start-ups have good chances of success, if there is a convincing innovation and the companies are able to underpin their market potential with business figures (plausible figures!). In addition, the start-up growth planning must be understandable and how the start-up catches potential resources and / or skills bottlenecks (for example, by involving subcontractors).
3. Applications submitted by lone fighters without an economically active SME behind them, on the other hand, have no chance.
4. SMEs that only want to bring product variants onto the market are wrongly applying to this instrument.
5. Projects that aim to create new value chains, on the other hand, can be supported by the EIC Accelerator pilots.
6. Many applications put too much emphasis on the description of the innovative solution in the excellence section. This does not lead to success, as the business case should be in the foreground. It is therefore recommended that senior employees with a business or management background are involved in the writing process.
The application in the EIC Accelerator pilot must be similar to a request for funding from an investor, it is not explicitly a scientific proposal. Most reviewers are not experts in the topics of assigned applications.
7. The profiles of the employees must be presented in document 2, Annex 2 of the application. A strong understanding of existing competencies, capabilities and resources is essential to credibly communicate that the company is able to achieve its goals and that they fit in with its business strategy.
8. It is recommended to describe the project idea on the basis of history (excellence / approach), so that it becomes understandable that a substantial basis already exists in the company.
9. When the work plan shows that basic issues have not yet been addressed, this can be a critical factor in the rejection of the proposal.
10. Solutions must already be available as a functioning demonstrator for submission to the EIC Accelerator Pilot, i.e. the technology must function and be new to the respective market segment. This development level corresponds to the required technology maturity level 6 (TRL 6).
11. The application should be formulated in a generally understandable way, so that even non-specialist readers can understand the remarks. The application must contain all relevant information. Links to further websites, for example with a video for the demonstrator should not be inserted, as the Evaluators are encouraged to ignore them.
12. Applicants should bear in mind that the EIC Accelerator evaluators are not expecting to receive a scientific application but a business plan. The self-assessment form in the SME instrument gives an overview of the evaluation criteria and assessment bases and should be urgently taken into account when writing the application.
13. The selection process of the subcontractors ("best value for money") as well as their planned contribution must be described in detail in an application for the accelerator. Otherwise, this will result in applications not reaching the threshold (killer criterion). The subcontracts should be calculated realistically.
The amount of subcontracts to be awarded is not limited in the EIC Accelerator Pilot. Subcontracting is a key factor in the quality and efficiency of implementation criteria. In the evaluation, the best value for money for subcontracting is rated. Best value for money does not always require competitive competitions. However, if a beneficiary has not requested multiple quotes, he must demonstrate how the best value for money was ensured.
14. The level of innovation is often presented by the applicant company out of gut feeling or with the help of internet research. It is important to substantiate quantitatively and qualitatively by structured comparisons to what extent the desired solution is actually superior to existing solutions.
16 . Strategic / methodological planning tools such as the SWOT analysis or a Business Model Canvas can be helpful for applications in the EIC Accelerator Pilot.
17. The choice of distribution strategy (B2B or B2C) should be consistent.
19. To work out the European added value is fundamental. The essential question here is whether there is market potential at European level and in this way a European impact (ie "increasing European competitiveness") / European added value can be achieved. Here social acceptance and social benefits play a not insignificant role.
20. The "freedom to operate" must be guaranteed. If patenting is not sought, this should be justified and a patent search must precede it. When a company works with subcontractors, it is important to ensure that the distribution rights remain with the company.
21. A meaningful concept for the use of coaching is rated positively by the reviewers.