The European Commission (EC) and the EIF (European Investment Fund) have been making available additional resources through initiatives under the EFSI (European Fund for Strategic Investments) Equity Instrument and InnovFin Equity to further support innovations in the fields of artificial intelligence, blockchain, space technology, impact investing and blue economy. The Addendum to the indicative Annex II to the Open Call for Expression of Interest introducing the new Blue Economy Initiative, has the information about this.
The Blue Economy initiative is designed to stimulate investments and sustainable growth in the marine and maritime sectors. Through this initiative, the EIF shall invest in equity funds whose investment strategies target partially or fully economic activities including natural or cultural capital, ocean energy, climate action, inclusion of coastal communities and better coastal protection. Funds and portfolio companies may also benefit simultaneously from grants under the DG MARE Open Calls for Proposals.
If you are a VC/PE fund manager or Business Angel, these initiatives enable you to undertake investments in eligible companies (e.g. early stage ventures, innovative start-ups and also scale-ups) operating in the above-mentioned fields. Please note that the EIF selects its financial intermediaries through a standard evaluation and selection process.
Interested parties who wish to submit an application for the Blue Economy initiative are invited to consult the details in the call documents. Deadline for application is 31 December 2020.