Skip to main content

EIT RawMaterials Battery Challenge

EIT RawMaterials Battery Challenge

The winner will be awarded EUR 30 000

To boost sustainable raw materials design, sourcing, processing and recycling for batteries, EIT RawMaterials launches an idea competition, the Raw Materials Battery Challenge.

Image

As our society moves towards a New Energy and Mobility Age, strongly driven by digitalization, the resources we depend on fundamentally change. Europe’s dependence will expand from global players delivering fossil fuels to those capable of delivering raw materials and advanced materials needed in new energy technologies. The transition to sustainably designed and sourced new energy technologies comes with challenges but also promising innovation and business opportunities and a pivotal role for innovators in the raw materials value chain.

Objectives

  • To secure the supply of sustainably sourced raw materials into the electrification of mobility
  • To promote raw materials focused radical innovation in the battery value chain
  • To bring in new players into battery raw materials development from other professions e.g exploration, metallurgy, advanced materials

Focus areas

EIT RawMaterials calls for ideas to radically change raw materials sourcing, processing and design for energy storage in electric mobility. In the Raw Materials Battery Challenge, solutions in the following themes are expected:

  • Responsible sourcing of battery raw materials, including exploration, mining and extraction
  • Processing and recycling of precursors, active materials, cathode and anode materials
  • Substitution of critical, toxic, low-performance materials: advanced materials for batteries

How it works

The application procedure is the following:

  1. Online application: Applicants must present by 30 November 2018 an online application form and a 2-page idea description where they should illustrate:  the problems they address (market needs), technological solution, novelty, team composition and expertise, estimate time to market.
  2. First screening phase performed by an expert panel selected by EIT RawMaterials to assess the alignment of the application with the underlying objectives of the challenge: the 5 best applications passing this screening will be invited to pitch their idea to the Jury. Notification to shortlisted candidates will be sent during December 2018.
  3. Pitching contest: shortlisted candidates will pitch to the Jury panel composed of selected EIT RawMaterials staff, external experts from industry and investor. The jury panel will rank the pitched ideas according to the evaluation criteria described in the next section. The pitching ceremony will be held in Berlin (venue to be communicated later) in March 2019.

If there are less than 6 applications, there will not be a pre-selection phase: all the applications will pass directly to the pitching contest (Phase 3).

The pre-selection panel and jury usually have a different composition, but jury members may participate in the pre-selection panel.

Read more about the Rules of the Challenge here.

Timeline

  • Deadline for submitting business ideas: 30 November 2018 at 23:59 CET
  • Selection of ideas and invitation of the: December 2018
  • Final pitching contest and awards ceremony: mid-March 2019

The prize

  • A lump sum of EUR 30 000 for the first prize
  • A lump sum of EUR 15 000 for the second prize
  • A sum of EUR 5 000 for the third prize

Who can apply

The contest is open to any legal entity (including natural persons) or group of legal entities established in an EU Member State or in a country associated to Horizon 2020. Typically, the following entities may apply:

  • SMEs having innovation projects relevant to the challenge topics defined above
  • Start-up or spin-off companies at least registered at the time of the application
  • Natural persons or group of natural persons resident in an EU Member State

In case of joint applications by a group of participants, the participants must appoint a ‘lead participant’ to represent them towards the EIT RawMaterials. The participants will be jointly responsible and must all fulfill and respect the conditions set out in the Rules of the Challenge. Applications must be submitted by the (lead) participant.

More specific requirements can be found in the Rules of the Challenge.

How to apply

Find out how to apply here.

Terms & Conditions

Before you apply, please read the Rules of the Challenge.

Further information