On 18 November, the EIT’s HEI Initiative launched its second call for proposals – EIT HEI Call 2. Through this call, the initiative aims to help higher education institutions (HEIs) to design activities that will improve their entrepreneurial and innovation capacity.

Consortia of eligible HEIs are invited to apply and take this opportunity to unlock their potential for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Applicants’ activities can focus on several themes:

• Fostering institutional engagement and change;
• Strengthening partnerships;
• Developing innovation and businesses;
• Enhancing the quality of entrepreneurial education;
• Creating and disseminating knowledge.

Up to 40 consortia will be selected, and each selected project will be awarded a maximum of EUR 1.2 million. Funding Phase 1 will run from July to December 2022, and projects will be awarded a maximum of EUR 300,000 during this period. Upon successful completion of Phase 1, Phase 2 funding of up to EUR 900,000 will follow for the period from January 2023 to June 2024.

The initiative is also organising online info sessions to present the EIT HEI Call 2 in more detail and answer your questions. The webinars will cover eligibility requirements, evaluation, administration, and guidance on how to define an Innovation Vision Action Plan.

Select your preferred date and register for one of the free info sessions before the deadline.

• 7 December 2021, 14:00−15:15 CET (register by 4 December 18:00 CET)
• 8 December 2021, 10:00−11:15 CET (register by 5 December 18:00 CET)
• 10 December 2021, 13:30−14:45 CET (register by 7 December 18:00 CET)

In addition, on 13 December 17:00−18:15 CET, the HEInnovate Team will run a webinar to help potential applicants with the use of the HEInnovate website. This webinar will focus on the use of the website and the self-assessment instrument. The webinar will be recorded and later published on the HEInnovate website.

Earlier this year, the initiative’s Pilot Call funded 24 pilot projects, including 142 HEIs. The total maximum budget per pilot project was €1.2 million, broken down as follows: €400,000 for Phase 1 (July−December 2021) and €800,000 for Phase 2 (January 2022−July 2023).

Visit the EIT HEI Initiative website to learn more about the EIT HEI Call 2, including deadlines and eligibility criteria.