FAQs: BIC membership for CBE JU calls

The temporary type of Project Membership only exists for Industry Members, not for Associate Members. Associate Members are normally not-for-profit entities with a 100% funding rate in all project types, so normally not participating with in-kind contributions – thus they normally do not concur to reaching the IKOP threshold. This means there is normally no need to become an associate member for the sake of submitting a proposal. 

An exception is represented by Associate Members Cat. D (consultants and consulting companies), which are for-profit entities and have a 60% funding rate in IA and IA-Flagship projects. Thus they can apply for ‘Project Member’ status.

Why a BIC membership certificate?

A BIC member certificate is only necessary in case of IKOP contribution. The level of “in-kind contribution to operational activities” (IKOP) will be taken into account during the evaluation of Innovation Action project proposals (please see CBE JU FAQs).

Certificates of BIC membership should be requested from BIC. These certificates need to be uploaded/attached to the RIA, IA and IA-Flagship proposal as an Annex (one document combining all membership certificates). This means that if organisations want their IKOP to be counted towards the thresholds established for RIA, IA and IA-Flagship actions, they should either be a BIC “Industry/Full” Member or become a (temporary) “Industry/Project” Member before the call closure date of 17 September 2025, 17:00 Brussels time.

To be valid for the CBE JU call for proposal 2025, the BIC membership certificate must have been issued in 2025. BIC membership certificates issued in past years are not valid. If you already have one from a previous call for proposals, you must request an updated one. This applies to both existing BIC Industry members and new (“Project”) members.

BIC Associate Members do not need to request and attach a BIC membership certificate, as they are normally not contributing with IKOP. Only in case they do contribute with IKOP, they should require and attach one. This for instance will be the case for Associate Members category D (Consultants and consulting companies), which are for-profit entities and are entitled to a 60% funding rate in IA and IA-Flagship actions, thus automatically contributing with IKOP.

The BIC membership certificates can be obtained here. Please doublecheck first that your organisation is a BIC Industry/Full member or temporary Industry/Project member. If you are not BIC member, a certificate cannot be issued.
 

Step-by-step guide to obtaining your BIC membership certificate?

If you are already a BIC (Industry) member: click here and log in with your credentials. Go to "My Certificates" and "Request New Certificate". Please make sure that the legal entity name and the PIC number correspond exactly to those used in the proposal. If you need a certificate for a different legal entity within your group, please go to the following question.

When checked and approved by BIC, the certificate is sent to the requester (and will be downloadable from the Members Area of the requester in “My certificates”).

To be valid for the CBE JU call for proposal 2025, the BIC membership certificate must have been issued in 2025. BIC membership certificates issued in past years are not valid. If you already have one from a previous call for proposals, you must request an updated one.

If you are NOT yet a BIC member but still want to contribute with IKOP in your proposal, you can apply for temporary (and free) “Industry/Project” membership. When this is done and you have uploaded the signed Project Membership commitment form, you can request a membership certificate.
 

The BIC membership certificates can be obtained at: 

• https://bic.elisca.app/membership/certificate/registration

• https://bic.elisca.app/membership/certificate/application/new

• If you are already a BIC (Industry) member: click here and log in with your credentials. Go to "My Certificates" and "Request New Certificate". Please make sure that the legal entity name and the PIC number correspond exactly to those used in the proposal. When approved by BIC, the certificate is sent to the requester (and will be downloadable from the Members Area of the requester in “My certificates”).

• If you are NOT yet a BIC member but still want to contribute with IKOP in your proposal, you can apply for temporary (and free) “Industry/Project” membership. When this is done and you have uploaded the signed Project Membership commitment form, you can request a membership certificate.

• Step 1: Sign up to our web platform by creating your personal account to access the BIC platform ("user registration"/Register), fill in all fields and click on the SAVE button - you will receive a user registration confirmation with which you can log into the system (“one time login & change your password). If you already have an account on the BIC platform, please go directly to step 2.

• Step 2: Apply for Industry (Project) Membership, fill in all the fields and click on the SAVE button.

• Step 3: You will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your membership application and asking you to download, sign and upload the membership commitment form in the system. Once this is done, you can request the membership certificate.

• Step 4: Request a membership certificate. When approved by BIC, the certificate is sent to the requester (and will be downloadable from the Members Area in the requester’s account in “My certificates”).

Yes. Only contributions from BIC members are recognised as IKOP, and each legal entity with corresponding PIC number needs a separate certificate.

While BIC membership extends to all legal entities within a group of companies, the name and PIC number of the legal entity appearing in the proposal need to match the one on the BIC membership certificate. Hence, each legal entity appearing in a proposal and wishing to contribute IKOP must possess a unique BIC membership certificate.

Legal entities linked to existing BIC Industry Members have to request a unique BIC membership certificate following these steps:

• Step 1: Sign up to our web platform by creating your personal account to access the platform ("user registration"/Register), fill in all fields (field "Organisation": include your company name AND the link to the existing BIC member (e.g. Company X, part of Parent Company group Y), then click on the SAVE button - you will receive a user registration confirmation with which you can log into the system (“one time login” link & change your password). If you already have an account on the BIC platform, please go directly to step 2.

• Step 2: Apply for (temporary) Industry (Project) Membership (e.g. Company X, part of Parent Company group Y), fill in all the fields and click on the SAVE button.

• Step 3: While logged into the platform, request a certificate. Fill in the certificate request form with the name of the legal entity that will send in the proposal (e.g. Company X, part of Parent Company group Y) and add the PIC Number. When approved by BIC, you will receive your membership certificate (it will also be downloadable from the system in “My certificates”).

These legal entities will NOT have to pay a separate membership fee as they are already covered by the membership fee paid by the linked entity.

Similarly, legal entities linked to an existing BIC Associate Member can apply for a BIC Associate Member certificate using the same procedure,  also mentioning the link to the existing Associate Member (only needed if they contribute with IKOP).

Yes to both questions. 

Only contributions from BIC members contribute to IKOP. While BIC membership extends to all legal entities within a group of companies or institution, the name and PIC number of the legal entity appearing in the proposal need to match the one on the BIC membership certificate. Hence, each legal entity appearing in a proposal and wishing to contribute IKOP must possess a unique BIC membership certificate.

If one of the two entities is already a BIC member: please apply the procedure described in the answer to the question above: "My company/department is not a BIC member but is linked to a different legal entity that is a BIC Member. Do I need a separate BIC membership certificate to provide IKOP in an IA proposal?"

If none of the two entities is a BIC member yet, you first need to apply for temporary “Project Membership”  to get your certificates (see above for a step-by-step guide to apply for Industry (Project) Membership).

Industry (Project) membership is free. After evaluation of the proposals one of the two following situations can happen:

• The proposal is successful. Industry (Project) membership is automatically converted into permanent Full membership.
• The proposal is not successful. The company can decide to stay a BIC Full Member or to resign at no cost.

Please note that BIC Industry Members in (a) successful proposal(s) commit to remain a member until the end of the related project(s).

Similarly, two different legal entities in a not-for-profit institution (e.g. different departments in a university) can apply for two separate, but linked, BIC Associate Member certificates following the same procedure explained above.

Universities, research institutes, not-for-profit organisations can contribute with IKOP when they choose a lower funding rate than they are allowed (no specific rules how much this should be), in which case the part not covered by the grant will contribute to the consortium’s IKOP. Those that are not yet an ‘Associate Member’ of BIC, can become an Associate Member before the closure date of the annual call. Temporary (free) Membership for Associate Members (an equivalent to the Industry ‘Project Member’) is not foreseen.

In case the project proposal is successful (= high score and invited to Grant Agreement Preparation – GAP), they have to stay a BIC Associate Member after signing the Grant Agreement for the CBE JU project for the duration of the project (1).

In case of a negative evaluation of the project proposal and when no grant will be received, they can choose to stay a BIC Associate Member or to resign as a BIC member, at no cost.

Consultancies are for-profit organisations and will be treated as Industry Members.

Why is there a programme contribution?

As per Council Regulation (EU) No 2021/0048 of 19 November 2021 establishing the Horizon Europe joint undertakings, and in particular the CBE Joint Undertaking (the Single Basic Act), the CBE Programme Office is to be financed equally by the European Commission and BIC.

BIC’s financial contribution to the administrative costs of the CBE JU will be partially funded via a ‘Programme contribution’. This ‘Programme contribution’ is an essential resource for contributing the private sector part of the administrative cost of the CBE JU Programme Office.

Who pays a programme contribution?

For the CBE JU, these programme contributions will be collected fully and duly from the BIC industry beneficiaries. A programme contribution must be paid by BIC industry members  (existing and new) participating in Innovation Actions (IA), the so-called Demo and Flagship projects. Only for-profit entities who bring in IKOP pay a programme contribution.

The ‘programme contribution’ shall not be considered an eligible cost for the projects, and, as such, is not part of the grants.

The ‘programme contribution’ is used solely and fully as a contribution to BIC’s payment for the running costs of the CBE JU Programme Office, and a specific PPCA (Protected Programme Contribution Account) has been put in place by BIC to finance the CBE Programme Office.

How much is the programme contribution?

A Programme contribution will have to be paid by the Industry Members participating in an Innovation Action (demo and flagship projects). This programme contribution is a fixed fee (so not part of the grant and not an eligible cost), calculated as a percentage (6.5%) of the grant received by the Industry Member (as mentioned in the Grant Agreement), so not on the total grant received by the consortium.

A first installment of 4% shall be paid at the start of the project (around the time of the prefinance period). The second installment of 2.5% shall be paid halfway the project (ideally upon receipt of any additional funds released by the CBE JU Programme Office). 

A Programme (project) contribution of 6.5% will have to be paid by the Industry /Members participating in an Innovation Action (demo and flagship projects). This Programme (project) contribution is a fixed fee (so not part of the grant and not an eligible cost), calculated as a percentage of the grant received by the Industry Member (as mentioned in the Grant Agreement), so not on the total grant received by the consortium.

A first installment of 4% shall be paid at the start of the project. The second installment of 2.5% shall be paid halfway the project (ideally upon receipt of any additional funds released by the CBE JU Programme Office). 

Yes. A BIC member can add as many representatives as they want. Each representative has access to the partnering platform and is added to the BIC mailing list. To add more named contacts, the Primary Membership contact should send a request to info@biconsortium with the additional person’s name, mail address and job title.