What to expect during the Kick-Off Meeting

The kick-off meeting is part of the negotiation process for EIC Accelerator projects when the EIC Project Officer requests considerable changes to your Business Plan. When the changes go beyond simple adjustments, the EIC Project officer may send a negotiation mandate with the requests through the EIC Platform and invite you to a kick-off meeting soon after. The meeting is the first time you will meet EC representatives to discuss possible inconsistencies and prepare your proposal for the Grant Agreement signature.

When a kick-off meeting is required, it is usually held a few weeks after receiving the negotiation invitation letter and is attended by the Project Officer, Financial Officer as well as the main representatives of the beneficiary.

Before the kick-off meeting, the Project Officer may send the negotiation mandate which explains the points to be discussed during the meeting. The beneficiary is also allowed to bring up topics for discussion. The negotiation mandate focuses on the grant component and varies from project to project, but there are a few common topics that can be discussed:

• participation of third parties
• the content and timing of deliverables and milestones
• budget corrections
• clarifications of personnel costs
• start date of the project

In general, two hours are allotted for the meeting and if the discussions are not finished, a follow-up meeting can be planned. You will discuss the submitted business plan and all the topics mentioned in the negotiation mandate. Together with the EC representatives, you will decide which changes will be implemented in your business plan.

The business plan on the EIC AI Platform will need to be updated according to the adjustments agreed on during the kick-off meeting. It is therefore important to understand the implications of each change that you agree on. All decisions of the kick-off meeting are formalized in the negotiation instructions and sent via the EIC AI Platform after the meeting is concluded.

If you are looking for more information about the kick-off meeting or need help to prepare for it, please contact us at hello@getpolite.eu