Startups asked to delay proposals to EU innovation scheme

Anger as assessment problems require scheme to make “a number of improvements” mid-call

The European Innovation Council has sought to deter further applications to its Accelerator call—which offers coaching, mentoring and capital to small, frontier-busting companies—saying that IT problems are causing evaluations to be delayed.

The EIC said on 6 May that it would not be able to judge new proposals to the call before the current round closes on 16 June. It said issues with its artificial intelligence-based assessment system meant new applicants should delay proposals until the next round, after 22 June.