Next Generation Innovation Talents

Deadline: Oct 4, 2023  
CALL EXPIRED

The objective of the ‘Next Generation Innovation Talents’ scheme is to enable researchers and aspiring innovators to better understand and gain direct experience of the complex process of taking innovation beyond invention and help them develop their entrepreneurial mindset. At the same time, this scheme aims to provide innovative start-ups with access to new ideas and insights from the cutting edge of research, thus accelerating the development of their breakthrough products and services.

The scheme will allow eligible researchers to carry out an innovation internship in a hosting company, and will be open to:

• As hosting companies: start-ups and SMEs supported by the EIC Accelerator (including H2020 SME instrument), EIC awarded Seal of Excellence companies, SMEs/ start-ups in EIC Transition; as well as start-ups/SMEs supported by EIT-KIC innovation and business creation services, including those created as a result of receiving support from KICs; the startups / scaleups that have been created out of KICs Innovation activities; the startups / scaleups / SMEs that have been partners of KICs for Innovation activities; the startups / scaleups that have at least one co-founder who is an EIT Alumni member
• As researchers eligible for internships: PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers participating in: projects funded by the European Research Council (ERC); the EIC Pathfinder; the Marie Sklodowska Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) postdoctoral fellowships, doctoral networks and COFUND programmes; the Research Infrastructures part of Horizon Europe, and relevant students in (and graduates from) EIT Label Masters and Doctoral programmes, EIT Alumni and EIT Jumpstarter beneficiaries and participants from other postdoctoral training programmes supported by the EIT KICs.

Additional partner programmes, including international partner programmes, may be included in eligibility for the internship in agreement between the Commission, the beneficiary of this call and the partner programme.

The winner of this call (hereafter ‘Beneficiary’) can be a single legal entity or a consortium of legal entities. The scheme will be implemented by the beneficiary in close cooperation with each of the original funding schemes (partner programmes) of the researchers (MSCA, EIT, ERC, EIC Pathfinder, the Research Infrastructure part of Horizon Europe). The costs of the internships will be covered by the partner programmes (with exception of ERC), in line with their work programmes. The hosting companies will not provide any direct payment to the interns. It is expected that approximately 600 innovation internships will be supported under this action, of approximately three to six months each, over a two-year period.

The Scheme has two main streams:

1. Deep tech talents: Internship duration of 3 to 6 months open to PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers currently working for ERC, EIC Pathfinder, MSCA, EIT and Research Infrastructure actions. These internships will be dedicated to highly specialised work on specific project or assistance to a senior executive (CEO, CTO, CSO) as requested by the hosting company.
2. Aspiring innovators: Internship duration of up to 6 months open to relevant students in (and graduates from) EIT Label Masters and Doctoral programmes, EIT Alumni, EIT Jumpstarter beneficiaries. These internships are for less specialist work experience in the host organisation.

The actions under this call should include as minimum the following key tasks:

• Support to the preparation and implementation of call(s) for expression(s) of interest to eligible researchers/ research organisations and eligible companies in coordination with the EU partner programmes;
• Creation of a matchmaking IT platform between interested researchers (candidate interns) and companies;
• Provision of guidance and support for candidate interns and companies;
• Handling of agreements with the research institutes and the companies, including standard agreements on intellectual property, conditions of work etc.;
• Follow up on any practical issues related to the internships;
• Organisation of information and dissemination campaigns;
• When relevant, organisation of financial support to internships to cover additional costs of interns (financial support to third parties, see below);
• Regular reporting back to each respective EU funding programme, companies and interns;
• Provision of feedback on the effectiveness and impact of scheme (e.g. through surveys, focus groups);

The selection of internships to benefit from this action should include the following procedure:

Step 1: call for expression of interest to eligible companies to host internships. The proposed internships must be assessed for their suitability and relevance to the objectives of this scheme

Step 2: call for expression of interest to eligible researchers to participate in the proposed internships.

Step 3: matchmaking between the researchers and the internship positions in the host companies. Applicants must specify in their proposals how they intend to undertake this matchmaking (which criteria, how to ensure a geographical and gender balance, etc). The application and matchmaking process must be lean and agile, creating as less as possible administrative burden for the applicants and the companies.

The interns selected for the internships must have the necessary approvals from their institutions and project leaders/ Principal Investigators to participate in the scheme (when relevant).

Financial support to third parties

The reimbursements of the internship expenses for the researchers funded by MSCA, HE Research Infrastructure, EIT/EIT KICs will be borne by the respective partner programmes.

The beneficiary may provide financial support to third parties (ERC and EIC Pathfinder researchers).

At least 50 percent of the total budget for this action must be allocated through financial support to third parties in form of grants (lump sums). The maximum amount to be granted to a third party is EUR [15 900].

For researchers working on ERC actions, the expenses incurred for the internship will not be eligible under the ERC grant, and all costs will be reimbursed as financial support to third parties under this action. The amount will be a flat monthly reimbursement of EUR 4300 for PhD students and EUR 5300 for Postdoctoral researcher^[1] for a maximum period 3 months (the internships may be of a longer period but without additional reimbursements through this action).

For researchers working on EIC Pathfinder actions, the personal costs are eligible under the Pathfinder grant (as specified in Section II). An additional mobility allowance will be reimbursed as financial support to third parties under this action. To be eligible for this mobility allowance, the location of the internship must be more than [150km] from the location of the normal place of work of the researcher. The amount will be a flat monthly allowance of EUR 2300 per month for a maximum period of 3 months (the internships may be of a longer period but without additional reimbursements through this action).

The beneficiary must ensure sound financial management and applicants must specify in their proposals how the management and control of this financial support will be organised in an effective and efficient way, including avoidance of any abuse.

• Support to at least 600 internships (deep tech talents and aspiring innovators) over the duration of the action. The final number of participants per programme may vary based on demand but assuming high demand from all partner programmes, there should be a minimum of 150 researchers from EIC Pathfinder actions
• Increased awareness and knowledge of researchers about potential career paths in startup companies or for creating their own companies;
• Improved access to research talent by EIC and EIT supported startups and SMEs.
• Increased visibility of the scheme, highlighting the role, funding instruments and opportunities provided by EIC and other EU partner programmes;
• High quality assessment of the impact of the scheme, including feedback from internees and host companies, and recommendations for further development of the scheme

The applicant must provide in its proposal SMART key performance indicators (KPI) to measure the expected impact. These KPIs must measure as minimum: number of matches and internships, impact and satisfaction rates (companies and interns).

For general award criteria please check Annex 2.

[1]The monthly lump sum reimbursements are baes on the respective rates for MSCA PhD and Postdoctoral living and mobility allowances.