EU-Wide Advantages & Opportunities of the “BOOST Call for Proposals”

1. Single Market Access – 450 + Million Consumers

• Pan-European commercial roll-out: Successful BOOST pilots can immediately leverage the EU’s customs-free market to launch products/services without additional tariffs or national re-certification costs.

• Public‐procurement gateway: BOOST outcomes that target societal challenges (e.g. energy efficiency, digital health) can tap into the €2 trillion EU public-procurement market enabled by the Utilities & Concessions Directives.

• Early standardisation engagement: EIC-backed results enjoy fast-track channels with CEN/CENELEC & ETSI, accelerating CE-marking and market entry across 30 + countries.

2. Cross-Border Collaboration & Knowledge Exchange

• Cascade funding model: SMEs, mid-caps and research teams from multiple Member States & Associated Countries can be funded under one proposal, drastically reducing bilateral negotiation time and legal complexity.

• Virtual European labs: BOOST encourages the creation of cross-border innovation testbeds, letting consortiums access unique infrastructures (e.g. IMEC in BE, LEITAT in ES, Fraunhofer in DE) under a single grant agreement.

• Talent circulation: Researchers can move under the Marie-Skłodowska-Curie mobility rules embedded in Horizon Europe, ensuring IP stays within the consortium while expertise flows EU-wide.

3. Alignment with Flagship EU Policies

• European Green Deal: Priority scoring for solutions that cut GHG emissions ≥55 % by 2030, dovetailing with Fit-for-55 & ETS.

• Digital Decade & Digital Europe: BOOST funds next-gen AI, semiconductors and cybersecurity projects, pre-qualifying them for later DEP & Chips Act calls.

• EU Industrial Strategy: Supports strategic autonomy in critical supply chains (batteries, quantum, health).

• Open Strategic Autonomy: Cross-border IP ownership models reduce dependency on third-country suppliers.

4. Regulatory Harmonisation Benefits

• Single ethics & data-protection review: One Horizon Europe ethics clearance valid EU-wide; GDPR compliance recognised in all Member States.

• Unified state-aid clearance: Granted directly by the Commission under the General Block Exemption Regulation, removing the need for 27 national notifications.

5. Access to the EU Innovation Ecosystem

• EIC & EIT pipelines: BOOST awardees can fast-track into EIC Accelerator blended finance (€2.5 M + equity) and EIT KICs, reducing funding gaps between TRL 6-9.

• Research infrastructures: Priority access to ESFRI sites (e.g. Euro-BioImaging, CERN) facilitated through umbrella agreements in the grant.

• European Innovation Council (EIC) Community: 8 000+ innovators, investors and corporates for matchmaking, procuring first customers and co-development.

6. Funding Synergies & Leverage

• Complementarity matrix:

- ERDF/Interreg: regional co-funding for pilot deployments.

- InvestEU: scale-up debt/guarantee instruments post-BOOST.

- LIFE Programme: extra funding for environmental validation.

- EU4Health & DEP: thematic extensions without duplicating costs.

• Blending rules already aligned: BOOST’s Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) ceiling (<€60 k/entity) counts as non-repayable aid, simplifying later equity rounds.

7. Scale & Impact Potential

• Multi-cut-off flexibility (Apr–Nov 2025): Allows rapid iteration—proposers can resubmit improved business cases within the same calendar year.

• Portfolio approach: BOOST incentivises bundling of complementary projects, enabling systemic EU-level impact rather than isolated pilots.

• KPI amplification: EU-wide deployment can target Green Deal & Digital Decade KPIs (e.g. 20 + % of world-leading patents, 80 % household gigabit coverage) rather than national metrics.

8. Strategic EU-Level Value Proposition

1. Cost efficiency: Single set of Horizon Europe rules lowers transaction costs by up to 30 % vs. parallel national grants.

2. Risk diversification: Multinational consortia distribute technical, market and regulatory risks across jurisdictions.

3. Enhanced visibility: EIC branding boosts credibility with EU investors and corporates, accelerating Series-A/B fundraising.

4. Policy influence: Participation provides a channel to shape future EU standards and calls through feedback to EIC Programme Managers.

9. Actionable Recommendations for Applicants

• Form trios of at least three Member/Associated Countries to maximise evaluation scores on excellence & impact.

• Map BOOST work packages to specific EU policy targets (e.g. Sustainable Finance Taxonomy) to demonstrate alignment.

• Secure letters of intent from EIT KICs or regional ERDF authorities to evidence funding synergies.

• Include a dissemination plan targeting EU standardisation bodies early (M6) to shorten time-to-market.

• Exploit the multiple cut-off dates: submit a minimal viable proposal in April, gather evaluator feedback, and enhance for September if needed.