Beginner's Guide to ChatEIC

Start Using ChatEIC

The button below will bring you to ChatEIC to create your EIC Accelerator Step 1 proposal. Read the guide below to learn how to use it.

Use ChatEIC

Step 1: Fill Out The Template

Fill out this template by replacing the red examples with your actual company and project details. Be as comprehensive as possible by naming all partners, customers or affiliated companies and their roles, as well as market, team, investor and related information. The template will act as a cheat sheet for ChatEIC so that it can always draw from real examples.

Step 2: Copy Template To Input Box

Copy your filled template into the input box on the AI Writer page.

Step 3: Attach A Supporting Document

Attach a file that contains more technical and general information about the project to give ChatEIC more elaborate narratives for your proposal. Make sure that the file contains details such as technical descriptions, relevant numbers and related information.

Step 4: Generate All Modules

Select "All STEP1 Modules" in the drop-down menu, which will tell ChatEIC to process all Modules at once based on the input data you provided.

Step 5: Click The Submit Button

After you have uploaded the attachment, pasted your template contents into the input box and have selected "All Modules", you can click the submit button below.

Step 6: Wait For Processing

Wait until all Modules have been processed. The system will work through each module sequentially.

The final result will be displayed in the output box, and all module icons will turn green once they have been processed.

Step 7: Download And Finalize Your Proposal

Now you can download the finished Word file by clicking the button in the top right of the screen.

You can now complete the proposal by:

Fact-checking all content: Make sure that all information is accurate.
Adding references (footnotes and hyperlinks): A grant proposal should provide some references so feel free to link relevant sources as either footnotes or hyperlinks.
Filling in any placeholder text: Replace any placeholders marked as XX with your actual data.
Completing the Team table: Add all the team members that are involved in the project.
Adding relevant images: You should include technical images that highlight the innovation (i.e. photos, charts, hardware).
Regenerating individual modules if needed: You can add more detailed information into the input box if it was missing previously.

Step 8: Refine The Output

If the proposal lacks details in some sections, regenerate parts or the entire proposal with more input content. You can upload 50+ pages for the AI to use and, sometimes, more information is better. The AI will always try to pick the most relevant information for each module so make sure that the source material is detailed enough for ChatEIC to do its job. You can also use the helper to know what type of information is required.

If you select the individual Modules in ChatEIC, a tips section will appear and provide you with more detailed guidance. Try to make sure that all necessary information is contained in the input data.

An AI-written proposal still has its limitations, but that shouldn't stop you from creating your best proposal. Make sure to check out the individual Modules shown above since they provide more detail. You can also obtain the Training Program if you want more materials. Here are areas we recommend enhancing:

Accuracy

Make sure that everything in the proposal is accurate. The quality of the output always directly depends on the input. If numbers or facts aren't provided, ChatEIC might leave a placeholder or be vague. Ensure there's no hallucinated content and that all information is defendable.
References

ChatEIC rarely includes references or hyperlinks. While it can perform web searches, the output quality is often better without them, allowing the AI to focus on crafting the right narrative. This means you'll need to add references yourself. Here are the sections that critically require references (e.g., hyperlinked footnotes):
- Overall Problem: This narrative highlights your impact. If you can't portray the problem as significant, your innovation might seem incremental rather than disruptive (which is unfavorable). Zoom out and look at the problem on a grand scale. Include at least three references to validate your statements and ensure reviewers understand it's a real, proven issue.
- Industry Problem: Include at least one or two references to illustrate the industry problem, especially for quantified data.
- Market Size & Growth: TAM and SAM figures usually come from market reports. Replace placeholder numbers if needed and include references for the correct data. The SOM is a bottom-up calculation (number of sales * pricing). The target of ~€200 million is intentionally ambitious and without a specific deadline, representing achievable potential.
- Timing: Add at least one or two references to underscore the urgency for evaluators.
Specificity

A common hurdle in detailed grant proposals is a lack of starting information (e.g., thorough patent analysis, competitor pricing comparison). If details are missing, they must be generated for the proposal. An AI writer's output is limited by the input data. Specifically check if the following sections are detailed enough. Here's a checklist:
- IP Assets: Include identification numbers for patents and trademarks.
- Customer Groups: Name every current or future customer company.
- High-Level Solution: Condense your unique selling points into one sentence (e.g., "Increase efficiency by 50%, reduce effort by 60%, and cut component costs by €60/unit").
- Customer Benefits: Quantify benefits and pain points. Clearly state annual losses/missed opportunities for customers (in Euros) and how much you help them save or gain (quantified per customer group).
- Technology Detail: Explain your technology with complexity. Use numbers, benchmarks, technical terms, and jargon to be perceived as DeepTech.
- Traction & Willingness to Pay: List customer traction (LOIs, revenue, contributions).
- Competitor Analysis: Name relevant competitors and include a favorable pricing comparison. A pricing comparison is a must.
- Commercial Strategy: Name key distribution partners and their reach.
- Funding History: Detail funding history with exact amounts and sources.
- Company Achievements: Add publications or achievements if the AI lacked input.
- Basic Partners: List important value chain partners to make the project seem comprehensive.
- Financial Projections: Double-check projections. Aim for at least €50 million in revenue within 5 years post-project (after the 2-year EIC Accelerator period).
Images and Graphics

The proposal generated by ChatEIC is intentionally under 11 pages to leave space for essential technology images (illustrations, prototype photos, schematics). Also include a financial chart, like the one available on the Financials page.

Proposal Completed? Get A Review!

You can obtain a professional review of your proposal through the Review purchase option linked below.

Get Your Review Here

ChatEIC Video Walkthrough

Submission Checklist

Overview

This overview goes beyond just ChatEIC and the EIC Accelerator Step 1 proposal. It is a guide that also covers Step 2 and the parts that are not included in ChatEIC Step 1 to help applicants through the complex EIC Accelerator process. If you need more support, check out the Training purchase option here.

Get Training Access Here

Helpful Resources

Here are a variety of other helpful resources:

Tip: If you start writing the Step 1 or Step 2 proposal, it is recommended to create a submission draft on the Funding & Tenders Portal as shown in the videos below (find the link for Step 1 here). This way, the EIC will automatically notify you if any changes or disruptions occur since you have an active draft and are on their email list.
You can access the training content here: Training
- Templates: You will find all the necessary templates as GoogleDrive links
- Modules: You will find video modules on the platform. They are referenced in the templates but are also covering the annexes
Find important updates and links (i.e. deadlines, submission links, investment guidelines, Work Programme, challenges, etc.) regarding the EIC Accelerator here: Updates
Do you need a proposal review? Purchase it here
Helpful articles on the EIC Accelerator that are regularly updated:

In the EU's Funding & Tenders Portal where you perform the submissions, "Part B" generally refers to the proposal that you submit while "Part A" refers to the online forms you need to fill out (i.e. company information, address, etc.). Most of the work is done for Part B while Part A is usually done in the end before the submission.

EIC Accelerator Step 1

Here are the files that you need to submit:

Proposal ("Part B"): A 12-page PDF file via ChatEIC [Modules 1-61]
Video: A 3-minute video (720p or 1080p and MP4 are best) [Module 64]
Pitch Deck: 10 Slides as a PDF file [Module 62]

For Step 1, you have to summarize all Modules since you have a page limitation as indicated in the template. You will be able to reuse the text written in Step 1 for Step 2 since the structure of the applications is nearly identical. If you have to remove text from Step 1, keep it for Step 2.

How to Submit Step 1

EIC Accelerator Step 2