European Institute of Innovation and Technology Higher Education Initiative

**Unlocking the potential of higher education institutions for innovation and entrepreneurship****What is the EIT’s Higher Education Initiative?** **The EIT’s Higher Education Initiative: Innovation Capacity Building for Higher Education** is a joint EIT Community activity coordinated by EIT RawMaterials. The initiative is a key objective for the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) as part of its new strategy, the EIT Strategic Innovation Agenda 2021?2027. The initiative aims to support higher education institutions with expertise and coaching, access to the EIT innovation ecosystem, and funding, enabling them to develop innovation action plans complementing the needs of individual higher education institutions. **EIT Higher Education Initiative annual calls for proposals** The EIT’s Higher Education Initiative organises annual calls for proposals, inviting European higher education institutions to design institution-wide action plans that will improve their entrepreneurial and innovation capacity across all institutional levels. By supporting such activities, this new EIT initiative will create systemic impact, empowering HEIs to become regional engines of innovation and foster sustainable growth and jobs across Europe. **The organisations and countries eligible to participate in the Calls for Proposals include:** - Higher education institutions one of which must be a KIC partner - Public bodies at local, regional or national level - Public or private, small, medium or large enterprises - Intermediary organisations or associations which represent Higher Education Institutions - Research institutions - Horizon Europe countries **Projects can focus on several themes, including:** - Fostering institutional engagement and change; - Strengthening partnerships between higher education, business and research organisations; - Developing innovation and business support services; - Enhancing the quality of entrepreneurial education; - Creating and disseminating knowledge.