Frequently Asked Questions for Pledgers

• Those interested are invited to submit an Expression of Interest on the website of the initiative. The submission of an Expression of interest is non-binding. An online appointment with the Deep Tech Talent Initiative team can be requested to discuss the potential contribution of the organization, as well as any questions related to the initiative.
• The next step is to sign and submit the Pledge agreement.
• After the signature, Pledge members will be requested to register information about their organisation and the courses offered on the platform of the Initiative.

Courses offered may take place online, offline or in a hybrid format. It is not a pre-requisite that the language of the course is English.

International Exposure

The Deep Tech Talent Initiative is the first European educational platform that offers courses in deep tech areas at all levels.

Courses and initiatives offered by Pledge members can gain international exposure and help attract wider audiences to the programs displayed on the website of the Initiative.

Knowledge and networking hub

Pledge members will have access to up-to-date information and know-how on deep tech skills training on a regular basis through annual events organized by the EIT Community, that will also offer them a chance to find new partners for their training programs.

The platform of the Initiative will feature additional tools that Pledgers may benefit from, including:

1) Tools to match individual skill needs with available training and for matching pledgers of resources with users and learners
2) A technology radar and foresight tools for rapidly identifying emerging Deep Tech technologies and applications; and
3) Tools to track and visualise the progress of the Deep Tech Talent Initiative.

Financing opportunities

By joining the pledge, members will have the chance to find out first about relevant funding opportunities offered by the EIT Community and other funding partners.

Pledgers are invited to join forces with the EIT Community and contribute to skilling, re-skilling and upskilling of 1 000 000 people in deep tech areas.

Members can launch new training programmes or adjust their existing training to match the ambitions and requirements of the Initiative. Foundations or funding organisations can contribute by creating a dedicated Call for Proposals, either through a new programme or through modifying existing programmes.

All Pledge members will be expected to upload information about their courses to the Deep Tech Talent platform. In addition, they will be requested to report basic information to the EIT on a regular basis on their training activities implemented in line with their Pledge.

The minimum criteria cover the following points:

• A proven deep tech sub-sector focus
• Courses should not contain or use protected Intellectual Property or copyrighted content and materials that are not lawfully granted
• As a guideline, the total duration of the training programme should be 2 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits which equates to 50 to 60 hours or more, guided learning hours and student hours combined. (In the case of secondary schools and other non-accredited programmes, e.g. for professional training, the minimum duration can differ and will be determined to ensure minimum learning outcomes are achieved.)
• Students should be issued with a verifiable certificate of achievement or qualification from the training provider or the qualification’s regulator. (This criterion would not apply to courses and training, where the deep tech elements might form part of a standard curriculum framework that cannot be certificated separately from the overall curriculum, for instance in the case of secondary schools.)

• Pupils, especially young women, in secondary education with an interest in (deep) tech
• Students of Higher Education with a need for more specific training in deep tech
• Adult Learners in companies and on the job market who need additional skills in deep tech

The duration of 2 ECTS is a minimal requirement set for the length and intensity of offered trainings which was defined with inclusivity in mind. The initiative would like to offer a chance for everyone – regardless of their existing level of deep tech and the financial and social situation of the trainee – to gain skills and knowledge in deep tech. By allowing relatively shorter programs to take part, those who wish to take a very first step towards deep tech can also join Europe’s largest deep tech talent training initiative.

The certification criteria means that all participants need to receive a certificate proving that they participated in the program. Certifications do not necessarily need to provide new qualifications.

Members are initially for one calendar year and renewed on an annual basis.

At the Expression of interest stage it will not be necessary to provide this information. Detailed information about the courses will be needed after the signature, when the Pledgers are requested to upload the details of the courses to the platform. Moreover, there is a team dedicated to quality assurance to support the participants. Their objective is to verify if the course details fulfil the programme requirements.

In addition to the existing and freshly initiated trainings in the field of deep tech, the EIT and its Innovation Communities will provide support for the development of new curricula in deep tech. Calls will be announced to Pledge members on an annual basis and will also be published on the website.

No, the main requirement for EIT HEI Initiative participants is to submit an expression of interest, not to sign the Pledge. Nevertheless, organisations that are part of the HEI Initiative are also welcome to join the Pledge.

Participation in the Deep Tech Talent Initiative does not exclude the possibility to apply for other calls from the EIT Community.

Deep tech is defined as a classification of organisation or a start-up, with the expressed objective of providing technology solutions to deep societal challenges. They present scientific or engineering challenges requiring lengthy research and development, and large capital investment before successful commercialisation.

The Deep Tech Talent Initiative has developed a set of minimum requirements for the training programmes targeted under the Deep Tech Talent Initiative. In addition, a Definitions document that identifies the fifteen deep tech technologies currently under the scope of the programme is available.

Please note that the Definitions document is a non-exclusive list and will be updated regularly in line with the emerging deep technologies on the market, and with the support of the EIT Knowledge Innovation Communities and the Pledger Community. 

Each person who completes a Deep Tech Talent Initiative course that meets the minimum requirements will be added to the sum of trained individuals. The trainees will be reported by the Pledging organisations. It is the responsibility of the Pledger to make sure that the reporting is accurate.

The Deep Tech Talent Platform will list all deep tech courses open for registration. Through a Members-only interface, Pledge members can benefit from additional services.

Some of the courses offered by the EIT Community are already listed on the website. Other courses offered by Pledge members are published gradually. The Members-only services and tools are currently being built and will be released in multiple steps throughout 2023.