Geography and politics do not always coincide. Even if the map of Europe shows that geographically speaking Switzerland is part of the European continent, politics acts differently. Although Switzerland is not part of the EU, Swiss companies have been historically involved in EU research through the so-called research and innovation association agreements. However, since 2021, some EU Research and Innovation programs are not open to Swiss companies, as for example the EIC Accelerator program.
Innosuisse’s solution
This has derived in the creation of a new funding mechanism exclusively designed for Swiss SMEs and startups, given that the Swiss Innovation Agency could no longer stand idly by. As already mentioned in a previous article, this new program was announced on March 4th, but full information about it has not been released until last Friday, April 1, 2022. Since last week, Innosuisse has made available the application date, which opens on April 19 and closes on May 10.
Three-stage application process
From that moment, Swiss candidates willing to apply to the Swiss Accelerator must submit a short application that, if successful, will lead to the next step, consisting of the submission of a full application. After that, a presentation will be demanded in order to assess the projects, and the decision will be informed at the end of 2022 or the beginning of 2023.
Focus
It is focused on individual startups and SMEs that pursue an innovation project with a strong innovation potential and whose goal is to market innovative new products and services. The focus is on advanced projects that are linked with a high level of risk, but that also have great potential for impact and disruption.
Funding
Innosuisse will fund a maximum of 70 % of project costs, and the company will bear the remaining 30%. Per application, Innosuisse funding amounts to a maximum of 2.5 million Swiss francs, that are typically spread over two years.
Further information
Candidates interested in applying to this program and that seek to obtain further information can attend a webinar that will be held next Friday April 8, 2022, from 13:30 to 14:30. They can register for free through this link and expand their knowledge on this matter.
After all, this is going to be the first call for the Swiss Accelerator, but this is just the beginning, and it looks like the best is yet to come.
