Open call: Apply now for the EIC Soft-landing Programme in Boston!

Are you looking to expand your business in the US market? Whether you aim to develop your business, increase sales, raise investment, or establish a permanent presence in the US, this action is for you! The EIC Soft-landing Programme is inviting EIC companies to apply for a tailored scheme  for healthcare and life sciences​. This is an 8-week framework initiative leading to an immersive programme from 9 to 13 June 2025 in Boston, just before the BIO International Convention.

The EIC Soft-landing Programme is an initiative of the EIC Business Acceleration Services designed to facilitate access to the US market. It provides strategic connections with targeted business counterparts, and personalised training journeys tailored to different levels of preparedness. Participants will receive expert guidance to pave their path to US market expansion. Want to learn more about our previous missions and what is in it for you? More information about the last edition in Silicon Valley and San Francisco in December 2024 is available here.

This immersive experience within the US ecosystem will feature activities in collaboration with renowned partners such as the MIT, Harvard University, the Cambridge Innovation Center, and more. The programme also includes networking events, and visits to corporate offices in the Boston area.

Applications are open until 1 March 2025 at 23:59 CET.

Apply now!

Is this programme for you?

This Soft-landing activity is looking for EIC-backed SMEs, startups and scaleups looking to develop their business in the US by:

• Identifying business opportunities;
• Raising funds from local investors;
• Increasing sales;
• Setting up operations to optimise supply chains;
• Expanding distribution networks in the US;
• Understanding US customer behaviour;
• Expanding their knowledge about the US reimbursement system and local business regulations, such as FDA approvals or Good Manufacturing Practices.

Working on:

• Biomanufacturing
• Biotechnology
• Brain health
• Cell and gene therapies/genome editing
• Chronic diseases, clinical trials
• Diagnostics and personalised medicine
• Digital health, next generation biotherapeutics
• Oncology, patient advocacy, rare diseases

What’s in it for you?

Selected EIC-funded SMEs, startups, and scaleups will receive customised guidance and support tools to enter the US market. The programme is structured in two main blocks:  

8-week pre-departure training and mentorship:

• Customised capacity building and support based on your company’s specific needs and targets.
• Training covering intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance, customer-centric sales strategies, and pitching techniques.
• Mentorship sessions with European SMEs who have successfully entered the US market.
• Access mentoring sessions focused on pricing strategies, distribution agreements, marketing visibility, joint ventures, local talent hiring practices, and more.
• Identify partners that align with your goals and prepare value propositions to be shared across a network of local VCs and large corporates.

1 immersive mission week in the Boston innovation ecosystem:

• Pitch sessions with high-level American investors, VCs, CVCs, angel investors, and other potential partners during dedicated pitching sessions.
• Corporate and investor matching sessions with one-to-one meetings.
• Exclusive presentations from venture capitalists, IPO founders, enterprise partners, and world-wide recognised institutions.
• Visits to large corporate headquarters, business centres, university business schools (e.g., MIT Sloan School of Management), hospitals (e.g., Massachusetts General Hospital), and more.
• Mentoring and coaching sessions with experts onsite.
• Networking activities at the "European Innovation Spotlight", an exclusive invite-only event featuring panels, pitching, and networking activities with tier 1 investors and key players in the Boston innovation ecosystem.

Application process  

After logging in with your EU-Login credentials, please fill in the application form and answer all the questions. 

You will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Excellence and readiness: Possession of a deep tech breakthrough, strong scalability potential, and team readiness to implement innovation in new markets.
• US market entry plan: Clear strategy and objectives for entering the US market, demonstrating alignment with market needs.
• Impact and fit: Potential benefits from participating in the EIC Soft-landing programme and fit of innovative products/services with US market demands.
• European alignment: Your contribution to the EU's strategic autonomy and competitiveness as a technology and innovation powerhouse.
• Resource commitment: Dedication of financial and human resources to fully engage in the programme.

Please note that the information you provide on the application form will be shared with external experts in order to maximise potential benefits and ensure the effectiveness of meetings. 

The EIC team will then contact all applicants at the end of March once the selection process has been concluded and inform all applicants of the outcome of their application.

Cancellation policy

Cancellations will only be considered in duly documented cases of “force majeure”. Unjustified cancellation can lead to exclusion from future EIC Business Acceleration Services initiatives. 

About the EIC Soft Landing Programme

The EIC Soft-landing Programme is an initiative of the EIC Business Acceleration Services for companies who have launched and gained traction abroad and want to expand to a new big market globally without taking  away  their main operations in Europe.  Selected EIC-funded SMEs, startups and scaleups from EU Member States and Associated Countries have access to the Programme.

Should you have any question, please contact us through the EIC Community Helpdesk (please select the category “EVENT – EIC ITF Programme – Soft Landing Boston 2025” as the subject).