The EIT HEI Initiative: Innovation Capacity Building for Higher Education is an EIT Community activity coordinated by EIT RawMaterials. The initiative is central to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) as part of its new strategy, the EIT Strategic Innovation Agenda 2021−2027. The initiative aims to make higher education institutions (HEIs) more innovative and entrepreneurial. It supports HEIs with expertise and coaching, access to the EIT innovation ecosystem and funding, enabling them to develop innovation action plans complementing their needs.
The EIT HEI Initiative has already achieved remarkable results, training over 90,000 students and staff, and supporting over 1,700 start-ups and scale-ups.
The first three years of the EIT’s HEI Initiative, 2021−2023, were assigned as a pilot phase, and it launched three calls for proposals and funded three cohorts of projects. Under the first 3 calls, the EIT HEI Initiative granted EUR 69 million to a total of 65 projects, supporting 359 HEIs and 380+ non-academic organisations across Europe. The third call had a particular focus on capacity building and training talents in deep tech domains, thereby supporting the objectives of the new European Innovation Agenda and contributing to one of its flagship actions, the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative.
On 19 September 2024, the Call for Proposals 2024 was launched, the first in the EIT HEI Initiative’s post-pilot phase and the most ambitious call yet. The open call has a strong focus on enhancing the quality and competitiveness of European higher education, improving research and technology transfer from higher education, and supporting business creation through strengthening collaboration between HEIs and business partners across Europe.
This call aims to fund up to 42 projects, with each selected project having a total duration of 25 months and an overall budget of EUR 1.34 million. It will incorporate a two-strand approach, where applicants will need to select one of the following strands to apply to:
- Strand A: Innovation and entrepreneurship capacity building at higher education institutions (HEIs)
- Strand B: Innovation and entrepreneurship capacity building at HEIs for the enhancement of Deep Tech
Similarly to previous years, the EIT HEI Initiative has launched a networking and matchmaking platform on Conversation Starter. This platform allows organisations to connect with potential partners for joint applications to the call for proposals. Create your profile now and let the matchmaking begin!
What is the role of HEInnovate in the EIT HEI Initiative?
The use of the HEInnovate self-assessment tool allows HEIs to explore their innovation and entrepreneurial potential before applying under the EIT HEI Initiative. The result of the self-assessment allows them to focus their application on their concrete innovation needs. Therefore, all projects selected for funding under the EIT HEI Initiative are required to create an Innovation Vision Action Plan (IVAP) as part of their application. The IVAP will provide them a long-term vision towards increasing their innovation and entrepreneurial capacity at institutional level. The IVAP is based on the HEInnovate self-assessment for each HEI consortium member, to drive the choice of actions proposed for funding and institutional change within the HEIs.
For more information, please consult the EIT HEI Initiative website.