On October 13, 2025, the Măgurele Science Park Association organized the hybrid event “EEN2EIC – Capacity Building in Bucharest”, hosted at BT Stup, Bucharest. The event focused on training and the exchange of good practices, aiming to support innovative SMEs in accessing European funding through the EIC Accelerator programme.
The event was targeted at advisors and partners from the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), as well as professionals seeking to enhance their support mechanisms for innovative SMEs. It was also open to innovative SMEs interested in developing their projects and exploring funding opportunities through the EIC Accelerator.
📌 Main theme:
Building capacity for accessing EIC funding and supporting innovative SMEs from widening countries through hands-on training and experience sharing.
💡 Benefits for participants:
• Advanced training to improve advisory skills for innovative SMEs;
• Access to best practices and direct interaction with European experts in funding and innovation;
• In-depth understanding of the EIC Accelerator process – including application steps and evaluation criteria;
• Strengthening collaboration between EEN advisors, National Contact Points (NCPs), and other innovation ecosystem stakeholders.
🎙️ Event facilitator:
Michael Kerschbaumer – Business Development Advisor, SFG – Steirische Wirtschaftsförderung
👥 Key contributions included:
• Alessia Rotolo, coordinator of Access2EIC, presenting the annotated EIC Accelerator template;
• Elena Ungureanu, NCP EIC & EIE Romania, outlining how NCPs can support applicants and beneficiaries of the EIC;
• A debate on optimizing support systems for applicants – both public and private – and defining what a “functional innovation support ecosystem” looks like;
• Insights into identifying suitable SMEs for the EIC Accelerator and how to guide them throughout the application process.
📢 The outcome?
Participants left the event with concrete tools, a clearer understanding of the EIC requirements, and a stronger support network for innovative SMEs, particularly in widening regions.
🤝 The synergy created between the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) – the world’s largest support network for SMEs – and the European Innovation Council (EIC) is becoming a powerful model of collaboration, helping increase both the quantity and quality of applications submitted for EU innovation funding.
#EEN2EIC #EICAccelerator #EENcanHelp #CapacityBuilding #WideningParticipation #MSPcommunity
