12/06/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 12 June, the European Commission announced the launch of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Horizon Prize for developing low-cost European launchers. The prize was awarded to an “innovative and commercially viable” project for launching light satellites at competitive prices. The Commission has indicated that a bonus would go to participants that have already launched light satellites. The prize-winning project will receive €10 million. The cut-off date for submitting applications is 1 June 2021. The Commissioner for Industry and the Internal Market, Elżbieta Bieńkowska, announced this competition as part of the Horizon 2018-2020 initiative (see EUROPE 11945). This prize is part of the EU strategy to ensure its independent access to space as part of the strategy presented (see EUROPE 11655) or more recently, within the regulation on the Space programme (see EUROPE 12035). (PH)