EIT Health Innostars Awards 2021

Do you have an entrepreneurial mind-set with a prototype or minimum viable product (MVP) in the healthcare field? Join us to validate your prototype or MVP in the market, enhance your knowledge and extend your professional network in the InnoStars Awards programme!

Take part and gain the following support:

• 25.000 € smart money¹ or mentoring with 4.000 € value²
• mentoring (individual mentoring for four months)
• trainings (two physical bootcamps throughout Europe)
• invitation to the InnoStars Final pitch event
• opportunity in the later stage EIT Health programmes
• opportunity during the later stages to
  • have access to EIT Health’s Investor network
  • have access EIT Health’s Living Labs and Test Beds network

¹Top 15 InnoStars Awards applicants – evaluated by an international expert body – receive 25.000 € tied aid (subgrant) to spend on travel and accommodation, individual mentoring and training.

² Applicants ranked between 16th and 35th by external evaluators will receive MCN vouchers with 4.000 € value

Additional benefits of the programme:

• receive support in realizing next steps towards the market and shorten time-to-market for products and services
• verify the need/benefit of the product/service for users/customers/payers/partners
• increase the possibility to attract private investment

Is it for me? Eligible applicants and projects

InnoStars Awards programme is suitable for micro and small enterprises (according to EU SME definition), spin-offs and start-ups that already have a prototype or a MVP, but product/service is not on the market yet (no income) . The company must be incorporated/registered before the subgranting agreement initiation.

Additional eligibility criteria are:

• All documents must be delivered and oral pitch should be presented in advanced level English
• Applicants must be available to spend at least 15 days traveling for educational and mentoring purposes.
• Participation in bootcamps and mentoring sessions are obligatory for a stable team (same team members should be involved in the bootcamps and mentoring sessions).
• Start-ups should be willing and capable to travel to other European locations during the training and mentoring.
• Submitted through EIT Health InnoStars registration platform, Optimy. Incomplete submissions, late submissions, or submissions via any other routes (e.g., email) will not be accepted.
• Applicants can apply only with legal entities from the following countries: Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Spain (only Principado de Asturias, Castilla y León, Castilla la Mancha, Extremadura, Illes Balears, Andalucía, Ciudad Autónoma de Ceuta, Ciudad Autónoma de Melilla and Canarias regions), North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herczegovina
• Companies who have received a grant for the same project/service/product in 2018, 2019 or 2020 from InnoStars Awards, European Health Catapult, EIT Health Headstart, Startups Meet Pharma or RIS Innovation Call funding are not eligible to apply for InnoStars Awards in 2021.
• Applicants cannot apply parallel for European Health Catapult or EIT Health Headstart funding in 2021.

In order to be eligible, proposals must contain all the required information, be completed via the online form and be received by the deadline 27th March, 2021, 16:00 (CET). Late or incomplete submissions, or submissions via any other routes (e.g., email) will not be accepted.

Program elements and selection process

InnoStars Awards offers a 2-stage program structure where both stages offer challenges, opportunities and valuable prizes for the best performing applicants.

Stage 1 – Mentoring and Training

After the completion of “Mentoring and Training” part, submit your business plan by 30th September and potentially qualify for the final pitch of InnoStars Awards. Business plans of the 15 selected companies will be evaluated by a panel of international experts. Top 10 companies will be invited to the pitch event.

Stage 2 – InnoStars pitch

Pitch your business plan to an international jury consisting of healthcare professionals, representatives of EIT Health core industrial partners and market experts. Win up to 25 000 €³ to launch your product or service, to find first customers and to get in connection with EIT Health Partners from all over Europe. Present your success story in the local and European media.

³Best 3 companies will be awarded at the pitch event (1st: 25.000 €; 2nd: 15.000 €; 3rd: 10.000 €)

Practical issues

The following rules will be applied for all applicants and winners of InnoStars Awards:

• The language of the competition is English.
• Selection criteria:
  • Well-defined prototype or MVP
  • Fit with EIT Health strategic objectives
  • Novelty and feasibility of the approach
  • Value proposition
  • Potential market impact of the product/service
  • Qualified team with the capacity to bring the innovation to market
  • Impact of the opportunity in the local InnoStars Region
• Winners will sign a grant agreement with EIT Health InnoStars. Only established legal entities can sign the grant agreement.
• The purpose of the programme is to accelerate market entry and create new economic activity therefore applications to support research will be rejected.
• Clear IP and IP protection strategy needs to be reported
• Exit or growth strategy needs to be presented

Submit your application here by 27th March 2021.