Periodic Reporting for period 1 - InnoMatch (Matching innovators with buyers)
Reporting period: 2024-09-01 to 2025-08-31
Overcoming the challenge of finding initial customers is a significant obstacle for the commercialization of innovative solutions developed by SMEs, particularly EIC awardees. This challenge is especially pronounced when the target market involves public administration or large private corporations (Buyers). To mitigate these challenges and broaden the scope of innovation procurement in Europe, InnoMatch facilitates the pilot testing/proof-of-concept demonstration of innovations, focusing on addressing the unmet needs of committed Buyers. The offered support includes not just the identification of needs and the facilitation of connections between EIC awardees and buyers for pilot deployment, but also strategies to enhance the likelihood of adoption by buyers and commercial advancement of the innovative solutions.
To fulfil this vision, InnoMatch will invest €2.28M in grants to EICs (76% of project budget), supporting 38 pilots which will be distributed through several types of open calls:
OC1: Call for EIC Awardee +Buyer, where EIC awardees are invited to apply with a committed Buyer to pilot test an innovative solution tailored to the buyer’s needs (pilot / PoC). This call will be launched in two waves.
OC2 for Public and Private Buyers where public and private customers of innovative solutions apply within 5 thematic areas with an unmet innovation need. The submitted needs will be polished into publishable challenges, following the InnoMatch methodology.
OC2 for EIC Awardees where EIC backed companies apply with a solution to the pre-defined buyers’ challenges (OC2), which has been identified as a result from the OC1 for Public and Private Buyers.
Derisking innovation procurement is at the core of InnoMatch. This approach gives the buyer the confidence to procure the solution if the pilot is successful, while providing the innovator with a crucial first reference to commercialise the solution to other buyers having the same or similar unmet innovation need.
To fulfil this vision, InnoMatch will invest €2.28M in grants to EICs (76% of project budget), supporting 38 pilots which will be distributed through several types of open calls:
OC1: Call for EIC Awardee +Buyer, where EIC awardees are invited to apply with a committed Buyer to pilot test an innovative solution tailored to the buyer’s needs (pilot / PoC). This call will be launched in two waves.
OC2 for Public and Private Buyers where public and private customers of innovative solutions apply within 5 thematic areas with an unmet innovation need. The submitted needs will be polished into publishable challenges, following the InnoMatch methodology.
OC2 for EIC Awardees where EIC backed companies apply with a solution to the pre-defined buyers’ challenges (OC2), which has been identified as a result from the OC1 for Public and Private Buyers.
Derisking innovation procurement is at the core of InnoMatch. This approach gives the buyer the confidence to procure the solution if the pilot is successful, while providing the innovator with a crucial first reference to commercialise the solution to other buyers having the same or similar unmet innovation need.
During the first 12 months, the InnoMatch consortium completed all foreseen tasks and activities, following the principles and requirements of the EIC Innovation Procurement Programme. Below are summarised the key achievements, aligned with the main project objectives and KPIs:
- Elaboration of a Project handbook setting the project management rules and internal communication tools. Amendment preparation, followed by a successful submission and approval by the Funding Authority.
- Laying the foundations of the data management process and practices throughout the project duration, with the first version of the Data Management Plan delivered in month 6.
- Preparation and execution of the first wave of the open call for EIC Awardee + Buyer ( OC1 wave1). The call was launched on January 16, 2025, and the winners were informed at the end of July 2025, directly proceeding with the contracting process preparation.
- Preparation and execution of the open call for public and private buyers (OC2 buyers). The call was launched a month after the call for EIC Awardee + Buyer (February 7, 2025) and remained open for 4 months. The buyers’ unmet needs were selected by external evaluators.
- Conducting a series of online and onsite Capacity building sessions used as a tool to attract potential applicants for the two open calls running during the first period (OC1 wave1 and OC2 for buyers).
- Promotion of OC1 wave1 and recruitment of applicants - info webinars providing insights on the call requirements, eligibility, and the application process on the F6S platform; promotion at external events; Matchmaking sessions organised as a tool to attract applicant EIC awardees and Buyers.
- Promotion of OC2 buyers - info webinars providing information on the applications process and the call details, promotion at bigger external events, and targeted direct outreach and scouting (such as direct mailing, one2one calls and in person meetings with buyers). In order to support the onboarding of the buyers, which was initially considered a challenge for the project, an Expression of interest was launched early in the project, so as to build a pool of interested buyers even before the call for public and private buyers is launched (OC2).
- Design and launch of an Expression of interest for external evaluators for the InnoMatch open calls. A pool of 10 experts with profiles matching the InnoMatch scope was created.
- Evaluation & Selection of OC1 wave1 companies conducted by external experts, led by F6S, and overseen by the InnoMatch Selection Committee and the Funding Authority.
- Evaluation & Selection of the collected under OC2 unmet needs of buyers. The evaluation was conducted by external experts, led by ICLEI Europe, with the close support from F6S, the InnoMatch Selection Committee and the Funding Authority.
- Setup of the InnoMatch Programme framework and relevant templates.
- Design of the InnoMatch Aggregation exercise and templates for the selected buyers’ unmet needs coming from the call for public and private buyers (OC2).
- Design of the InnoMatch Growth sessions to be conducted as part of the InnoMatch Programme, and in parallel to the pilots / POCs deployment, so as to increase the chances for potential adoption and further commercialisation of the products/services which received funding under InnoMatch.
- Building synergies since the project's early start, within the EIC Innovation Procurement Programme, followed also by active wider project promotion at bigger external events, and networking.
- Elaborating the final draft of the first InnoMatch Guidance document, providing valuable insights on innovation procurement practices and regulations, aligned with the current initiatives and requirements within the EIC Innovation Procurement Programme scope and beyond.
- Elaboration of a Project handbook setting the project management rules and internal communication tools. Amendment preparation, followed by a successful submission and approval by the Funding Authority.
- Laying the foundations of the data management process and practices throughout the project duration, with the first version of the Data Management Plan delivered in month 6.
- Preparation and execution of the first wave of the open call for EIC Awardee + Buyer ( OC1 wave1). The call was launched on January 16, 2025, and the winners were informed at the end of July 2025, directly proceeding with the contracting process preparation.
- Preparation and execution of the open call for public and private buyers (OC2 buyers). The call was launched a month after the call for EIC Awardee + Buyer (February 7, 2025) and remained open for 4 months. The buyers’ unmet needs were selected by external evaluators.
- Conducting a series of online and onsite Capacity building sessions used as a tool to attract potential applicants for the two open calls running during the first period (OC1 wave1 and OC2 for buyers).
- Promotion of OC1 wave1 and recruitment of applicants - info webinars providing insights on the call requirements, eligibility, and the application process on the F6S platform; promotion at external events; Matchmaking sessions organised as a tool to attract applicant EIC awardees and Buyers.
- Promotion of OC2 buyers - info webinars providing information on the applications process and the call details, promotion at bigger external events, and targeted direct outreach and scouting (such as direct mailing, one2one calls and in person meetings with buyers). In order to support the onboarding of the buyers, which was initially considered a challenge for the project, an Expression of interest was launched early in the project, so as to build a pool of interested buyers even before the call for public and private buyers is launched (OC2).
- Design and launch of an Expression of interest for external evaluators for the InnoMatch open calls. A pool of 10 experts with profiles matching the InnoMatch scope was created.
- Evaluation & Selection of OC1 wave1 companies conducted by external experts, led by F6S, and overseen by the InnoMatch Selection Committee and the Funding Authority.
- Evaluation & Selection of the collected under OC2 unmet needs of buyers. The evaluation was conducted by external experts, led by ICLEI Europe, with the close support from F6S, the InnoMatch Selection Committee and the Funding Authority.
- Setup of the InnoMatch Programme framework and relevant templates.
- Design of the InnoMatch Aggregation exercise and templates for the selected buyers’ unmet needs coming from the call for public and private buyers (OC2).
- Design of the InnoMatch Growth sessions to be conducted as part of the InnoMatch Programme, and in parallel to the pilots / POCs deployment, so as to increase the chances for potential adoption and further commercialisation of the products/services which received funding under InnoMatch.
- Building synergies since the project's early start, within the EIC Innovation Procurement Programme, followed also by active wider project promotion at bigger external events, and networking.
- Elaborating the final draft of the first InnoMatch Guidance document, providing valuable insights on innovation procurement practices and regulations, aligned with the current initiatives and requirements within the EIC Innovation Procurement Programme scope and beyond.
The information in regard to the project's wider impact for the first 12 months is aligned with what has been initially planned within InnoMatch. The InnoMatch consortium contributions revolve around enhancing market access, validating innovative solutions, fostering innovation in public services, mitigating risks for buyers, and widely promoting innovation procurement as the next step after the pilot testing phase that is in the core of the project.
Since the project start, specific impact related KPIs are being closely monitored. Some of them are related to the initial stages of the project implementation, while for others it will be possible to start the monitoring only after the project advances and enters into its next phase - the InnoMatch Programme. The impact KPIs are directly measuring the InnoMatch contribution to the work programme expected impacts, taking into consideration three major components of InnoMatch - 1. key stakeholders; 2. outreach; 3. open calls.
Since the project start, specific impact related KPIs are being closely monitored. Some of them are related to the initial stages of the project implementation, while for others it will be possible to start the monitoring only after the project advances and enters into its next phase - the InnoMatch Programme. The impact KPIs are directly measuring the InnoMatch contribution to the work programme expected impacts, taking into consideration three major components of InnoMatch - 1. key stakeholders; 2. outreach; 3. open calls.