Seal of Excellence

The Seal of Excellence in Vienna is aimed at companies, start-ups, and educational institutions with positively evaluated Horizon Europe projects under the EIC Accelerator (grant only) or ERC Proof of Concept (PoC). Funding is provided for projects that have not received further funds at the European level and meet the formal requirements of the call. The non-repayable grants amount to up to €2.5 million for EIC Accelerator projects and a flat rate of €150,000 for ERC PoC projects. The funding rate is 70% for Accelerator projects and 100% for PoC projects. Continuous submission is possible until 31 December 2026 at the latest; early closure will occur once the budgets are exhausted.

Project leaders with a Seal of Excellence can submit their application electronically via the eCall portal. Required documents include the original Horizon Europe application (PDF), the Seal of Excellence (PDF), a detailed description of the work packages, and the cost breakdown in eCall. Evaluation is based on the positive assessment of the Seal of Excellence and the formal completeness of the application. The goal is to accelerate the market launch of disruptive innovations and generate patents. Participating experts from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism as well as the Austrian Research Promotion Agency accompany the implementation of the funding measure. Interested parties can submit directly through the eCall system and will receive a binding funding commitment after review.