The Fund accepts four types of project proposals that relate to different level of maturity of the proposed solution. Co-funding or in-kind contribution are also welcome and should be mentioned in the application form.
For technology-oriented projects, requirements for the TRL (technology readiness levels) are identified (see definitions). Types of projects:
1. Proof of concept
The goal of this project is to get early evidence to support the applicant’s idea and see if there is any proof of feasibility as fast as possible with as little resources as possible. The expected outputs are validated problems worth solving and identification and validation of proposed solutions. Technology-oriented projects should produce a result at TRL 3 within three months and can be allocated a total of 5000€.
2. Prototype
The goal of the prototype is to support the development of an early solution that starts with technology of at least TRL 3 and delivers a result with TRL 6. The expected outputs are prototype solutions that are validated in a closed environment. Projects should take no longer than 6 months and can be funded with a maximum of 15,000€.
3. Major innovation
Major innovation projects should start with technology of at least TRL 6 and delivers a long-term result of at least TRL 8. The expected outputs are production-ready solutions that are validated and can be directly deployed in the live environment. Projects should have a duration of 12 months and can be allocated a total of 50,000€.
4. Patch
A patch project aims at providing a temporary or permanent solution to an existing problem and it usually requires a limited software development. The expected output is a patch that is validated and can be directly deployed in the live environment. Projects for a Patch should take no longer than 3 months and can be funded with a maximum of 5000€.
Priority topics
Each year, EGI will define priority topics for investment. Proposals for these priority topics can cover any of the four project categories. To stimulate open and bottom-up innovation, the Fund will also accept projects with open topics, proposed by the applicants. Projects on open topics can be of type proof of concept, prototype and patch. The priority topics for 2018 are available in the Call for Projects document.
