The European Innovation Council Business Acceleration Services invite you to participate in our brand-new Energy4Planet-initiative. This is a great opportunity to enhance your cooperation with Portugal’s leading energy-provider EDP and co-create innovative solutions to a number of pre-determined challenges related to the European Green Deal and energy transition. 

Applications are open until 14 March 2021. 

What is Energy4Planet?

The major energy transition challenges of the Green Deal and the associated ambitious goals will need close collaboration across value chains. It will also require concrete pilots with the best startups, knowledgeable corporates and technology institutes that the European ecosystem has to offer. On that account, the EIC is opening applications for the Energy4Planet, a brand-new initiative part of the EIC Corporate Programme It builds upon the success of last year’s EIC Planet.tech. where more than a dozen EIC-innovators got together with four large corporates to co-create solutions and start pilots together. After a few months seven different pilots and partnerships were initiated and presented during the R&I Days in September 2020 (more info here).

With the Energy4Planet-nitiative, the EIC Business Acceleration Services once again offers the opportunity to enhance your cooperation with large corporates and co-create innovative solutions to a number of pre-determined challenges in the field of energy transition EIC funded SMEs with innovative solutions to challenges posed by EDP are encouraged to apply (more info below).

Selection procedure and programme

The Energy4Planet-initiative is divided into three different phase:

Phase I: EDP will dedicate a team of experts to select the SME’s with the highest possibilities to develop a joint Proof of Concept (PoC) around the challenges proposed (more info below). Those selected will be invited to a (digital) event, foreseen for 4 & 5 May 2021, to facilitate further collaboration between selected SMEs and corporates.

Phase II: After the event, EDP will select the best beneficiary(ies) to proceed for a POC, MVP or another form of collaboration. Those involved are encouraged to use 1 to 5 months to co-create and translate some of the propositions in an MVP or any other form of collaboration. This can include hands-on work, training webinars and support during the same period. 

Phase III: The Energy4Planet-iniatitive will culminate on a demo day happening at the Energy Week, taking place from 25-29 October 2021, in Brussels or digital (tbc) where both EDP and EIC beneficiaries will be invited to demonstrate their work.

EDP’s Challenges

• CLIENT FOCUSED SOLUTIONS

E-mobility, decentralized energy systems or energy management systems, always with a solid digital layer to boost new business models and new revenue streams.

• DIGITAL INNOVATION

Focusing on data collecting, extracting value from it, maintain it safe and leveraging on cloud computational resources and other emerging technologies.

• ENERGY STORAGE

Design and optimization tools for energy storage integration, preventive and predictive analytics for energy storage technologies, management of systems and platforms for energy storage and DER integration, energy storage solutions for behind the meter residential and C&I, solutions for electrical vehicles.

• CLEAN ENERGY

New renewable energy technologies, new retrofitting technologies to improve renewable energy generation assets’ performance, solutions to improve energy generation operations & maintenance and asset management, new business models for the energy sector.

• SMART GRIDS

Improving the infrastructures technical and economic efficiency, keeping the distribution grid up to date with the sector’s emerging needs.

• IMPACT INNOVATION

We’re looking for impact, access to energy and other solutions that can help improve communities’ quality of life and have a positive social and environmental impact.

• INNOVATIVE INTERNAL PROCESSES

Support in the areas such as: finance, legal, management, human resources, marketing and others, impacting workflows, deal flows and similar.

Opportunities for selected EIC-funded SMEs

• The chance to pitch and meet in an online environment with top corporate representatives;
• Opportunity to be selected to develop a pilot project or Proof of Concept with EDP and presenting your solution at a dedicated event in autumn 2021 (tbd);
• Personalised online training on pitching techniques and EDP specifications before the event;
• Services related to support before, during and after the event.

Application

This application is open to all EIC-backed SMEs.

You can apply by clicking on the following link.  

After logging in with your EU-Login, please fill in the respective form.

In your application form, you should answer all questions and explain how you will approach this challenge and why your company has the most innovative solution.

Please acknowledge the information you provide on the application form will be shared with EDP to maximise potential benefits and ensure the effectiveness of this challenge.

The Business Acceleration Services will contact all applicants once the selection process has been concluded. However, this contact does not include feedback or recommendations to those not selected.

Cancellation policy

Cancellations will only be considered in duly documented cases of “force majeure”. Unjustified cancellation can lead to exclusion in future Business Acceleration Services events. For additional information, please refer to our helpdesk: https://community-smei.easme-web.eu/contact (please choose “Energy4Planet” as the subject).