# EIC Accelerator Application Scope

**Program:** European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator
**Application Type:** Full Program (18 months)
**Grant Requested:** €1,815,000
**Timeline:** Months 1-18 (Q1 2026 - Q2 2027)

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## 🎯 Application Summary

**City Resource Graph** applies to the **EIC Accelerator** for a **€1.815M grant** to develop a breakthrough industrial symbiosis platform that uses graph-based algorithms to optimize resource flows between businesses, creating new circular economy markets.

**Key Innovation:**
- Novel graph algorithms for multi-resource industrial symbiosis
- AI-powered matching engine for heat, water, waste, and material flows
- Real-time optimization of €500B+ EU industrial resource market
- Breakthrough approach to circular economy implementation

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## 📋 Project Scope & Deliverables

### Phase 1: MVP Foundation (Months 1-3)
**Budget:** €400k | **Focus:** Technical breakthrough validation

**Deliverables:**
- ✅ Core platform with graph database (Neo4j) and Go 1.25 stack
- ✅ Heat flow matching MVP with manual data entry
- ✅ Map visualization and business registration system
- ✅ Pilot with 50 Berlin industrial businesses
- ✅ Environmental impact baseline measurement

**Innovation Milestones:**
- Graph algorithm for spatial-temporal resource matching
- API architecture for industrial system integration
- Real-time matching performance >95% accuracy

### Phase 2: MVP Expansion (Months 4-6)
**Budget:** €500k | **Focus:** Market validation and revenue

**Deliverables:**
- ✅ Multi-resource support (heat + water + waste plugins)
- ✅ Automated ERP/SCADA data ingestion
- ✅ Service marketplace for industrial services
- ✅ Subscription billing and lead fee collection
- ✅ Expansion to 200+ businesses, €12k MRR

**Innovation Milestones:**
- Multi-criteria optimization algorithms
- Industrial protocol integration framework
- Economic impact calculation engine

### Phase 3: Enterprise Scaling (Months 7-12)
**Budget:** €900k | **Focus:** Enterprise adoption

**Deliverables:**
- ✅ Advanced analytics and predictive matching
- ✅ SAP/Oracle ERP integrations
- ✅ Multi-tenancy architecture
- ✅ API ecosystem and developer portal
- ✅ 500+ businesses, €40k MRR

**Innovation Milestones:**
- ML-enhanced matching recommendations
- GraphRAG for natural language industrial queries
- Automated regulatory compliance systems

### Phase 4: Market Penetration (Months 13-18)
**Budget:** €700k | **Focus:** Full market scale

**Deliverables:**
- ✅ AI-powered platform optimization
- ✅ White-label municipal solutions
- ✅ Strategic utility partnerships
- ✅ International expansion foundation
- ✅ 1,200+ businesses, €400k MRR

**Innovation Milestones:**
- Multi-party complex matching algorithms
- Predictive resource flow forecasting
- Cross-border regulatory harmonization

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## 💰 Budget Breakdown

**Total Requested:** €1,815,000 grant

| Category | Amount (€) | % | Justification |
|----------|------------|----|--------------|
| **Personnel** | 1,335,000 | 73.6% | Technical team scaling (12 → 13 FTE) |
| **Infrastructure** | 300,000 | 16.5% | Cloud scaling, databases, monitoring |
| **Subcontracting** | 50,000 | 2.8% | Specialized industrial integrations |
| **Travel** | 40,000 | 2.2% | Partner meetings, conferences |
| **Marketing** | 85,000 | 4.7% | Market development, customer acquisition |
| **Other** | 5,000 | 0.3% | Tools, contingencies |
| **TOTAL** | **1,815,000** | **100%** | |

**Funding Model:** 100% grant (no equity component requested initially)

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## 🎖️ EIC Accelerator Fit

### Breakthrough Innovation
- ✅ **High-risk innovation**: Novel industrial symbiosis approach
- ✅ **High-impact potential**: €400M+ market creation
- ✅ **TRL advancement**: 5→8 (prototype to market-ready)
- ✅ **EU market disruption**: New circular economy markets

### Single SME Excellence
- ✅ **German SME**: Glowing Pixels UG (Berlin)
- ✅ **Strong team**: CTO with 15+ years experience
- ✅ **Technical credibility**: Graph algorithms, industrial systems
- ✅ **Market validation**: Berlin industrial ecosystem pilot

### Financial Viability
- ✅ **Scalable business model**: SaaS with transaction fees
- ✅ **Clear path to profitability**: Year 3 €5.3M revenue
- ✅ **Conservative budget**: €1.815M vs €2.5M max
- ✅ **Market validation**: Pilot revenue demonstrates demand

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## 📊 Impact Metrics

### Environmental Impact
- **CO2 Reduction**: 500,000 MWh heat recovered annually
- **Resource Efficiency**: €1.5B industrial cost savings
- **Circular Economy**: 35% waste diversion rate
- **Water Conservation**: 2.5M m³ water reuse annually

### Economic Impact
- **Market Creation**: €500B EU industrial resource flows
- **Job Creation**: 50+ high-tech jobs created
- **Revenue Generation**: €5.3M platform revenue by Year 3
- **Cost Savings**: €1B+ industrial efficiency gains

### Innovation Impact
- **Technical Breakthrough**: Graph-based industrial optimization
- **Market Innovation**: New circular economy business models
- **Regulatory Innovation**: Cross-border industrial collaboration
- **Data Innovation**: Industrial IoT and AI integration

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## 🔄 Application Timeline

### Short Application (Q4 2025)
- **Deadline**: **Rolling submission** (submit anytime through EIC portal)
- **Deliverables**: 10-slide pitch deck, 3-min video featuring core team
- **Success Criteria**: Invitation to full application
- **Evaluation**: ~2 weeks after submission

### Full Application (Q1 2026)
- **Deadline**: **12 March 2025** OR **1 October 2025** (confirmed deadlines)
- **Deliverables**: 
  - Updated pitch deck (up to 15 pages in PDF)
  - Updated video pitch (up to 3 minutes)
  - Full business plan
  - Technical documentation
  - Ownership control declaration
- **Success Criteria**: Grant award notification (typically 4-6 months after deadline)
- **Note**: Can submit short application anytime to get invited to next cut-off

### Project Execution (Q1 2026 - Q2 2027)
- **Milestone Reviews**: Quarterly technical and financial reports
- **Success Metrics**: Deliverable completion, revenue targets
- **Risk Management**: Proactive issue identification
- **EIC Support**: Access to EIC Fund, business acceleration services, networking

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## 🎯 Success Criteria

### Technical Success
- Platform handles 1,000+ concurrent industrial users
- 95%+ uptime with <2s response times
- Algorithm accuracy >90% for resource matching
- API integrations with 50+ industrial systems

### Business Success
- €400k monthly recurring revenue
- 1,200+ active industrial businesses
- 75% gross margins achieved
- Positive unit economics (LTV:CAC >3:1)

### Impact Success
- 500,000 MWh industrial heat recovered annually
- €1B+ industrial resource optimization
- 10+ municipal partnerships established
- Cross-border industrial collaboration framework

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## 📋 Application Readiness

### Completed Documents ✅
- [x] **Company registration** (German UG, Berlin-based)
- [x] **Team CVs** (CTO + technical profiles ready)
- [x] **Technical documentation** (Architecture, algorithms)
- [x] **Financial model** (3-year projections, unit economics)
- [x] **Market analysis** (€500B EU industrial market)
- [x] **Environmental impact assessment** (CO2, water, waste metrics)

### In Progress 📝
- [ ] **Pitch deck** (10 slides, Q4 2025 completion)
- [ ] **Video pitch** (3 minutes, Q4 2025 completion)
- [ ] **Detailed business plan** (Q1 2026 completion)

### Required for Full Application 📋
- [ ] **IP strategy** (Patent filings, protection strategy)
- [ ] **Regulatory compliance** (GDPR, industrial data handling)
- [ ] **Exit strategy** (IPO, acquisition, long-term growth)

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## 🚀 Competitive Advantages

### Technical Differentiation
- **Graph Technology**: Neo4j for complex industrial relationships
- **AI Integration**: ML for predictive resource matching
- **Industrial Focus**: Deep understanding of manufacturing processes
- **Real-time Processing**: Live optimization of resource flows

### Market Position
- **First Mover**: Novel approach to industrial symbiosis
- **EU Focus**: Compliance with European industrial regulations
- **Scalable Platform**: From SME to multinational enterprise
- **Data Advantage**: Access to industrial IoT and ERP systems

### Team Excellence
- **Domain Expertise**: Industrial engineering and circular economy
- **Technical Leadership**: 15+ years software architecture experience
- **Business Acumen**: Startup experience and market validation
- **Network**: Berlin industrial ecosystem connections

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## 💡 Risk Mitigation

### Technical Risks
- **Algorithm Complexity**: Prototype validation completed
- **Integration Challenges**: Modular architecture, API-first design
- **Performance Scaling**: Cloud-native architecture planned
- **Data Quality**: Validation pipelines and quality metrics

### Market Risks
- **Adoption Resistance**: Pilot program demonstrates value
- **Regulatory Uncertainty**: EU circular economy policy alignment
- **Competition**: First-mover advantage in emerging market
- **Economic Conditions**: Industrial sector stability assessment

### Execution Risks
- **Team Scaling**: Experienced hires and knowledge transfer
- **Budget Management**: Monthly burn rate monitoring
- **Timeline Delays**: Agile development with milestone checkpoints
- **Partner Dependencies**: Multiple integration options planned

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## 📚 Context & Best Practices

### Similar Successful Projects

#### SYMBA Project (Horizon Europe)
- **Reference**: Industrial symbiosis methods for bio-based industrial ecosystems
- **Lesson**: Demonstrate replicable models across EU regions
- **Application**: Our platform creates zero-waste value chains with cross-EU scalability
- **Source**: [SYMBA Project](https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/en/good-practices/symba-project-innovative-industrial-symbiosis-bio-based-industrial-ecosystem)

#### Kalundborg Eco-Industrial Park (Denmark)
- **Reference**: World's first and most successful industrial symbiosis park
- **Lesson**: Self-organized network creates significant environmental and economic benefits
- **Application**: Our platform enables digital Kalundborg-style networks across Europe
- **Source**: [Kalundborg Eco-Industrial Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalundborg_Eco-industrial_Park)

#### FISSAC Project (Horizon 2020)
- **Reference**: Industrial symbiosis in construction value chain
- **Lesson**: Zero-waste approach requires multi-stakeholder collaboration
- **Application**: Our platform facilitates multi-party industrial resource exchanges
- **Source**: [FISSAC Project](https://circular-cities-and-regions.ec.europa.eu/support-materials/projects/fostering-industrial-symbiosis-sustainable-resource-intensive-industry)

### EIC Accelerator Evaluation Criteria

#### Excellence (Impact & Innovation) - 50 points
- **Breakthrough Innovation**: Novel graph algorithms for industrial symbiosis (HIGH SCORE)
- **Market Disruption**: New circular economy markets creation (HIGH SCORE)
- **EU Relevance**: Addresses EU circular economy and climate goals (HIGH SCORE)
- **Team Excellence**: CTO with 15+ years, industrial expertise (HIGH SCORE)

#### Impact (Market & Scalability) - 50 points
- **Market Potential**: €500B EU industrial resource flows addressable market (HIGH SCORE)
- **Scalability**: From Berlin pilot to EU-wide deployment (HIGH SCORE)
- **Revenue Model**: SaaS + transaction fees, validated through pilot (HIGH SCORE)
- **Exit Strategy**: Clear path to IPO/acquisition (HIGH SCORE)

### Application Tips from EIC Experts

1. **Pitch Deck Strategy**:
   - Slide 1: Problem (€500B waste, climate urgency)
   - Slide 2: Solution (Graph-based industrial symbiosis platform)
   - Slide 3: Technology (Breakthrough graph algorithms)
   - Slide 4: Market (€500B addressable, first-mover advantage)
   - Slide 5: Business Model (SaaS + transaction fees)
   - Slide 6: Traction (Berlin pilot, revenue validation)
   - Slide 7: Team (CTO + technical expertise)
   - Slide 8: Impact (CO2, water, waste reduction metrics)
   - Slide 9: Financials (€5.3M Year 3 revenue)
   - Slide 10: Ask (€1.815M grant, 18-month timeline)

2. **Video Pitch Strategy**:
   - 0:00-0:30: Problem statement with visual impact
   - 0:30-1:00: Technical solution demonstration
   - 1:00-1:30: Market validation and traction
   - 1:30-2:00: Team credibility and expertise
   - 2:00-2:30: Environmental and economic impact
   - 2:30-3:00: Call to action and funding ask

3. **Success Factors**:
   - **High-risk, high-impact**: ✅ Novel industrial symbiosis approach
   - **Market validation**: ✅ Pilot revenue demonstrates demand
   - **Team credibility**: ✅ CTO with proven track record
   - **EU strategic alignment**: ✅ Circular economy and climate goals

### Official Resources

- **EIC Accelerator Portal**: [eic.ec.europa.eu](https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities/eic-accelerator/eic-accelerator-open_en)
- **Funding & Tenders Portal**: [ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal)
- **EIC Support Services**: Business acceleration, networking, EIC Fund access
- **Evaluation Process**: Two-stage (short + full application), expert evaluators
- **Success Rate**: ~5-10% (highly competitive, but breakthrough innovations preferred)

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**Application Confidence:** HIGH  
**Innovation Level:** BREAKTHROUGH  
**Market Potential:** TRANSFORMATIVE  
**Execution Readiness:** PREPARED

*This EIC Accelerator application positions City Resource Graph as a European leader in industrial digital transformation and circular economy innovation.*