Prizes

EU Prizes under the European Innovation Council

The EIC Prizes have an ambitious goal to solve a major challenge facing society, without detailing how this should be achieved or who should achieve it.

These prizes are open to anyone willing to think outside the box across sectors and disciplines. The prize is awarded to whoever best meets the challenge.

If you want to use your creativity and expertise to develop breakthrough solutions to society's challenges – have a go!

See the Work program here and submit through the calls for proposals.

There are four optional prizes-

EU Prize for Women Innovators

The EU Prize for Women Innovators is awarded to the most talented women entrepreneurs from across the EU and countries associated to Horizon Europe, who have founded a successful company and brought innovation to market. The prize is launched and managed by the EIC Executive Agency , and the winners are chosen by an independent expert jury.
In the “Women innovators” main category, three prizes are awarded to the women who, in the opinion of the jury, have excelled in all award criteria and stood out amongst the other applicants. A fourth prize is awarded to a promising ‘Rising Innovator’ aged 30 or younger. Applicants can apply for the prize in the main category or the Rising Innovator category, but not both.
 

Eligibility criteria:
All applicants must comply with the following eligibility criteria to participate:
1. The applicant must be a woman. 
2. The applicant must be an ordinary resident in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe.  
3. The applicant must be the founder or co-founder of an existing and active innovative company registered at least two years before the submission deadline.
4. Applicants that have already received an EU or Euratom prize cannot receive a second prize for the same activities.
Applicants for the ‘Rising Innovator’ prize must be aged 30 or younger on 1 January 2021. There is no age limit to apply for the main category, although applicants who meet the eligibility criteria for both categories can only apply for one.

Award criteria:
The prize is awarded to the applicants who in the opinion of the jury best address the following criteria:
1. Breakthrough innovation – the company founded or co-founded by the applicant provides a truly innovative product or service.
2. Impact – the product or service addresses a specific societal need or challenge, with significant benefits to citizens and to the economy.
3. Inspiration – the applicant has shown active leadership and has played a pivotal role in the success of the company. The applicant has the potential to inspire others.
The jury will review and score eligible applications, and invite the shortlisted applicants to a hearing in front of the jury members to defend their application. 
Further details on the evaluation and award criteria, as well as promotional activities, will be specified in the rules for this contest published at the launch of the yearly contest. For the common ‘Rules of Contest for Prizes’ please see the Funding and Tenders Portal. 

Expected results: 
The prize will boost public awareness of the potential, importance and contribution of women to the innovation ecosystem and create strong role models, inspiring other women to become innovators themselves.

Type of Action: Recognition Prize

Indicative Timetable:

Stages

Indicative period

Opening of the contest

First quarter of 2021

Deadline for submission of applications

30.06.2021

Award of the prize

Third or fourth quarter of 2021

Indicative Budget for 2021 Edition : 

Category

Amount

‘Women Innovators’ main category

EUR 300,000 (Three prizes worth EUR 100,000 each)

‘Rising Innovator’ category

EUR 50,000

 

Submit through calls for proposals.

The European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital)

In 2021, the European Capital of Innovation Awards will feature two categories. The first one, the European Capital of Innovation category, would include cities which have a population of minimum 250,000 inhabitants and, based on the below cumulative criteria, would reward the winner with EUR 1 million and two runners up with EUR 100,000 each one. 
The second and newest category, the European Innovative Rising City category, would include towns and cities which have a population of 50,000 and up to 249,999 inhabitants; and, based on the below cumulative criteria, would reward the winner with EUR 500,000 and two runners up with EUR 50,000 each one. 
Each application must contain a specific endorsement to apply signed by the city Mayor (or the equivalent highest political representative).
 

Eligibility criteria
1. The candidate cities must be located in one of the EU Member States or in a country associated to Horizon Europe. 
2. For the category of European Capital of Innovation, the candidate city must have a population of minimum 250,000 inhabitants. In countries where there are no such cities, the biggest cities are eligible and can only apply to a single category, provided that their population is of minimum 50,000 inhabitants. The candidate cities for the European Innovative Rising City category must have a population of 50,000 and up to 249,999 inhabitants.
3. Winners of former European Capital of Innovation Awards editions, as well as runners-up of the edition organised one year prior to the current edition are not eligible. This does not apply to previous finalist cities. 
4. Applicants that have already received an EU or Euratom prize cannot receive a second prize for the same activities.
 

Award criteria
The award is launched and managed by the EIC Executive Agency. For this yearly competition, six prizes will be awarded after closure of the contest to the applicants who, in the opinion of the jury, best address the following cumulative criteria:    
1. Experimenting – innovative concepts, processes, tools, and governance models proving the city's commitment to act as a test-bed for innovative practices, while ensuring the mainstreaming of these practices into the ordinary urban development process. 
2. Escalating – accelerating the growth of highly innovative start-ups and SMEs by establishing innovation friendly legal framework, creating an environment that stimulates growth, private and public investments, resources and talents; and driving innovation demand through efficient innovation public procurement. The city is expected to provide details on concrete results of the showcased initiatives.
3. Ecosystem building – unlocking cities potential as local innovation ecosystem facilitators by fostering synergies among different innovation ecosystem players, from public, industry, civil society, citizens to academia, to contribute to the development of an innovation ecosystem within the city.
4. Expanding – acting as a role model for other cities by supporting the dissemination and replication of tested solutions that boost the local innovation ecosystem; by promoting mutual learning, knowledge transfer and capacity building; and by enhancing cooperation and synergies between cities that are front-runners in driving the local innovation ecosystem, and those that are still exploring and testing their role as innovation enablers.   
5. City innovative vision: applicants should demonstrate their long-term strategic vision/plan, highlighting the innovative initiatives that have positively contributed to the transformation of the city and which will further support the development of a robust and sustainable innovation ecosystem. 
The jury will review and score eligible applications, and invite the shortlisted applicants to a hearing in front of the jury members to defend their application. This hearing may take place remotely.
Further details on the evaluation and award criteria, as well as promotional activities will be specified in the rules for this contest published at the launch of the yearly contest. For the common rules of contest for prizes, please see the Funding and Tenders Portal.
 

Expected results
A European prize to the most innovative cities ecosystems. The award will raise the profile of the cities that have developed and implemented innovative policies; established frameworks that boost breakthrough innovation; enhanced the city attractiveness towards investors, industry, enterprises and talents; helped to open up connections and strengthen links with other cities, promoting the replication of best practices in the innovation field; enhanced citizens' involvement in the decision-making process; and supported cities resilience. 
 

Type of Action: Recognition Prize

Indicative budget: the following 2021 budget will be allocated as follows:

European Capital of Innovation

EUR 1 000 000

European Capital of Innovation 1st runner-up

100.000

European Capital of Innovation 2nd runner-up

100.000

European Innovative Rising City

500.000

European Innovative Rising City runner-up

50.000

European Innovative Rising City runner-up

50.000

Indicative timetable of contest(s)

Stages

Date and time or indicative period

Opening of the contest

First quarter of 2021

Deadline for submission of application

15.07.2021

Award of the prize

Fourth quarter of 2021

 

Submit through calls for proposals.

 

The European Innovation Procurement Awards

The European Innovation Procurement prize aims to recognise public and private buyers across Europe in their efforts to promote innovation procurement and the innovative ways the solutions are procured. It also aims to emphasise the importance of close buyer – supplier cooperation in bringing the innovative solutions to market. This prize complements other EIC initiatives aimed at supporting and fostering innovation procurement in the European Union. 

Categories
In 2021, the European Innovation Procurement Awards will feature the following three categories: 
• Innovation procurement strategy award: to reward long-term strategy/action plan that triggers different innovation procurements and sustainable solutions and practices. 
• Facing societal challenges award: to reward innovative procurement practise aimed to face covid-19 pandemic .
• Procurement leadership award: to reward the outstanding individual(s) who empower(s) their team to succeed and trigger innovation procurement practices. 
Each category would reward the winner with EUR 75,000 and one runner-up with EUR 25,000. 
Eligibility criteria
1. Eligible applicants are any public and/or private procurer, as well as individuals/natural persons, located in one of the EU Member States or in an Horizon Europe Associated Country
2. The awarded procurement practice must have taken place in the EU Member State or in an Associated Country 
3. The awarded procurement practice must relate to completed or ongoing initiatives started by 1 January 2017
4. Applicants that have already received an EU or Euratom prize cannot receive a second prize for the same activities.

Award criteria
The award is launched and managed by the EIC Executive Agency. The prize will be awarded after closure of the yearly contest, to the applicants who, on the opinion of the jury, best address the following cumulative criteria:     
1. Transformation – adapting procurement practices towards innovation procurement, by introducing new processes and tools, by promoting the establishment of an innovation friendly legal framework towards sustainable growth and development.
2. Uptake – the innovative way of procuring the solution is replicable and scalable, and, at the same time, contribute to achieving more efficient and effective services. Special attention should be paid to the promotion of best practices and to the efforts to share knowledge across stakeholders within the different territories, and to support capacity building.
3. Collaboration – the proven track of collaboration that led to the procured solution. Promotion of synergies and cooperation between actors from different countries and at different state of maturity in procurement practices. 
4. Societal impact – practices with a positive quantitative and qualitative impact on society and people, with especial emphasis to the support of digital transformation and green deal priorities.  
 
The jury will review and score eligible applications, and invite the shortlisted applicants to a hearing in front of the jury members to defend their application. This hearing may take place remotely.
Further details on the evaluation and award criteria, as well as promotional activities, will be specified in the rules for this contest published at the launch of the yearly contest.  For the common rules of contest for prizes, please see the Funding and Tenders Portal
Expected results
The awards would stimulate innovation procurement; acknowledge and support the efforts done by procurers, SMEs and start-ups to bring products to the market in the innovative way; and build a community of European procurers to share, work together and inspire each other in the design of innovative procurement processes, and particularly in the delivery of public services.
 
Indicative timetable of contest(s)

Stages

Date and time or indicative period

Opening of the contest

Second quarter of 2021

Deadline for submission of application

Third quarter of  2021

Award of the prize

Fourth quarter of  2021

 

Type of Action: Recognition prize 
 
Indicative budget: the following 2021 budget will be allocated as follows:

Innovation procurement strategy award winner

EUR 75,000

Innovation procurement strategy award runner up

EUR 25.000

Facing societal challenges award winner

EUR 75,000

Facing societal challenges award runner up

EUR 25.000

Procurement leadership award winner

EUR 75,000

Procurement leadership award runner up

EUR 25.000

 

Submit through calls for proposals.

The European Social Innovation Competition

The Competition aims at stimulating social innovation's potential to provide solutions to societal challenges and foster sustainable and inclusive growth in Europe. It will directly support ideas best illustrating this rational. It will engage citizens, businesses (including start-ups) in a large range of sectors, as well as universities, business and engineering schools, thereby creating new connections, sources of sustainable growth and meaningful job opportunities. 
The competition has a yearly thematic focus, related to different societal challenges. Applicants are invited to submit their proposals independently of its degree of maturity. All ideas related to the annual theme are welcome, and we particularly encourage concept or early stage ideas as well as those that have begun the prototyping stage. 
 

Categories 
The prize jury will review and score eligible applications, and shortlist a maximum of 30 applicants. During a period of four months, these semi-finalists will be supported with training, mentoring and coaching, including through the Social Innovation Academy , in order to develop their ideas towards reaching implementation and market stages.
Afterwards, on the basis of the development plans submitted by the semi-finalists, the jury will select 10 finalists and propose 3 winners in the category of ‘Challenge Prize’, rewarding with EUR 50,000each one. 
Moreover, one ‘Impact Prize’ of EUR 50 000 will also be awarded to the project which has developed the best impact methodology and demonstrated the best results amongst the semi-finalists from the previous year. The impact prize is open for the participation of all semi-finalists of the previous edition, who will also receive training and coaching to support them to further gear their idea towards impact. 
The Competition provides other benefits for semi-finalists and finalists, such as visibility for the ideas and networking opportunities, namely through the Alumni network. 
 

Eligibility criteria
1. The applicant must be a legal entity (including single persons or group of legal entities except public administrations) located in one of the EU Member States or in an Horizon Europe Associated Country. 
2.  Ideas and proposals from all sources, sectors and all types of organizations including for-profit, non-for-profit, or private companies are welcome. 
 

Award criteria
The prize will be awarded, after closure of the contest, to the applicants who, in opinion of the jury, best address the following cumulative criteria in the dedicated prize category:
 

For challenge prize category: 
1. Degree of Innovation - the degree to which any new product, service or model addresses unmet needs more effectively. The idea must be new and innovative within its given socio-economic and geographical context;
2. Impact - the potential of the proposal to tackle the competition challenge. The applicant must demonstrate how the proposed solution will contribute to solving the challenge;
3. Sustainability- the financial and environmental sustainability of the proposal 
4. Scalability and replicability - the idea's potential to scale and be replicated, be it at regional, national, European or global level.
 

For the impact prize:
1. Quality and clarity of the theory of change and of the impact measurement methodology with relevant indicators developed by the applicant; 
2. Demonstrated results over the previous year, on the basis of the chosen indicators. 
Further details on the evaluation and award criteria, as well as promotional activities, will be specified in the rules for this contest published at the launch of the yearly Competition.  For the common Rules of Contest for Prizes please see the Funding and Tenders Portal.
 

Expected results
The Competition aims at raising awareness about social innovation across a wide audience in Europe, sparking the creation of new socially innovative ideas across Europe, creating a network of like-minded practitioners across Europe and supporting semi-finalists to transform early stage ideas into structured businesses. More specifically, the prize money aims at providing a further incentive to the development of the winners’ ideas to become fully fledge impact driven businesses.
 

Indicative timetable of the competition

 

Stages

Date and time or indicative period

  • Opening of the 2021 contest

First quarter of 2021

  • Deadline for submission of applications for 2021 contest
  • Announcement of the 30 semi-finalists of 2021 edition

Second quarter of 2021

  •  
  • Submission of detailed plans by semi-finalists of 2021 edition

Third quarter of 2021

  • Opening of the impact prize category of the 2020 edition
  • Deadline for submission of applications for impact prize category of the 2020 edition

Third quarter of  2021

  • Award of the challenge prize of edition 2021 & impact prize of edition 2020

Fourth quarter of  2021

Type of Action: Recognition Prize 
Indicative budget: the following 2021 budget will be allocated as follows:

Challenge prize category

EUR 150.000 ( 50.000 x 3 winners)

Impact prize category

EUR 50.000

 

Submit through calls for proposals.