Similar to Latvia, the European Union offers various support instruments to promote the entry of new, Europe-made technologies into the market. There are so many that it can be difficult to navigate them. Therefore, Egita Aizsilniece-Ibema, the head of the Technology Representation of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency in Brussels, has created a guide for Latvian companies to help them find the most suitable support instrument based on the company or technology development stage.
Technically speaking, companies in EU-level instruments are usually categorized according to the technology readiness level (TRL). There are nine levels in total.
E. Aizsilniece-Ibema has grouped the available support instruments into three categories:
- Early-stage technologies (TRL1–TRL4);
- “Overcoming the valley of death” (TRL5–TRL6);
- Market entry of the product (TRL7–TRL9).
These support instruments are suitable for both scientists and entrepreneurs. This article focuses on support instruments for very early-stage hypothesis research (TRL1–TRL4). In upcoming articles, we will look at the support instruments available for TRL5–TRL6 and TRL7–TRL9 stage technologies.
“EIC Pathfinder”
The European Innovation Council’s 300 million euro program “EIC Pathfinder” is designed for multidisciplinary research teams and visionary research that could potentially lead to technological breakthroughs. In this competition, a company or scientific institution cannot apply on its own – a consortium of partners from at least three countries is required.
"Considering the large amount of funding, the competition is fierce," warns E. Aizsilniece-Ibema.
There are two “EIC Pathfinder” competitions: "Open" and "Challenges". As the names suggest, there are no restrictions on topics in the "Open" competition, while "Challenges" defines specific problems for which technology solutions are sought.
This program is aimed at both researchers and companies to develop completely new technologies to at least TRL3 or TRL4 level. In this program, three partners in a three-year project can receive up to four million euros. The Latvian Organic Synthesis Institute, Riga Stradiņš University, and the company “Mircod” have already received funding through this program. For more information, visit the program's website.
Horizon Europe’s 2nd Pillar “Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness”
This "Horizon Europe" program is aimed at global challenges in various sectors, such as public health, information and communication technology, medicine, food, etc. It offers various competitions, and the national contact point for this program in Latvia is the Latvian Academy of Sciences. In this instrument, only consortia, not individual companies, can participate.
"Many companies find it challenging to find testing partners for their technology projects. The competitions in this pillar are a way to find industrial testing partners," says E. Aizsilniece-Ibema.
She explains that participants can find partners or consortia to join by attending face-to-face or online matchmaking events. These matchmaking events are organized by thematic platforms, national contact points, and Brussels-based offices. For example, in March, the Latvian Investment and Development Agency, together with offices from five other countries, will organize a matchmaking event in Brussels for agricultural and food systems companies planning to participate in this support instrument.
This program is aimed at research institutions, small, medium, and large companies, non-governmental organizations, local governments, public institutions, and other partners involved in solving global problems. Funding in this program can vary in size. In recent years, Latvian partners have received an average of 200,000 to 500,000 euros, but larger amounts are also possible. In 2023 and 2024, 21 Latvian companies have already received funding under this program, totaling more than five million euros. For more information, visit the program's website.
Cascade Grants
Cascade grants are funding announced by consortia funded by the European Commission, usually consisting of organizations from several regions with a specific goal. This funding is typically intended for a specific task, such as adapting or testing an existing technology in a specific environment. The main advantage is that there is less bureaucracy in the cascade grant documentation than in other European funding competitions.
In cascade grant competitions, you can receive 60,000, 100,000, or even 250,000 euros; the amount depends on the specific competition.
For more information on cascade grants, check out the "Labs of Latvia" article here. E. Aizsilniece-Ibema recommends watching a video about cascade grants.
This program is aimed at companies and sometimes researchers. You can receive 60,000, 100,000, or even 250,000 euros in this program. Several Latvian startups have received cascade grants, such as four Latvian companies – “Cenos,” “WinGo Deposit,” “Exponential Technologies,” and “Semantic Intelligence” – which received funding under the BOWI project, as reported by Labs of Latvia. Information on these competitions can be found on Fundingbox and the European Joint Procurement Portal.
European Defence Fund
The European Defence Fund has a budget of nearly eight billion euros for the period from 2021 to 2027. E. Aizsilniece-Ibema emphasizes that this support instrument is becoming increasingly rich every year, and companies can apply for various technological challenge calls.
“In today’s reality, this support instrument cannot be ignored,” stresses E. Aizsilniece-Ibema.
She recommends attending the in-person and online information day for this year's program, which will take place on April 2nd and 3rd in Brussels.
This program has two verticals: research and development.
It is aimed at researchers and companies developing products or researching defense-related issues. So far, 17 Latvian organizations, including 10 companies, have received funding through this program. In total, 24 projects from these companies and organizations have received 15 million euros. For example, the Latvian defense technology company “Origin Robotics” has received the European Commission’s approval for a 4.5 million euro grant from the European Defence Fund, as reported by Labs of Latvia. For more information, visit the program's website.
For any questions regarding European-level support instruments, you can consult with Egita Aizsilniece-Ibema, the head of the Technology Representation of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency in Brussels, at egita.aizsilniece-ibema@liaa.gov.lv.
