Higher Education Initiative (HEI) Call 3

For the first time, the call is open to both new organisations and existing partners from the Pilot Call and the second call for proposals. The call will select up to 16 projects, who will receive a maximum of EUR 750,000 with up to EUR 350,000 for Phase 1 (May−December 2023) and up to EUR 400,000 for 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.