EIC Accelerator

Key Features

Develop and scaleup innovations with the potential to create or disrupt markets (TRL 6-8). Patient capital principle.

Programme:     European Innovation Council

Award:     Share of up to €384 million

Opens: 14th Mar 2025

Closes: 1st Oct 2025

Overview

The EIC Accelerator is a funding programme under Horizon Europe that offers support to start-ups and SMEs that:

  • have a innovative, game changing product, service or business model that could create new markets or disrupt existing ones in Europe and even worldwide,
  • have the ambition and commitment to scale up,
  • are looking for substantial funding, but the risks involved are too high for private investors alone to invest

Who can apply?

Applicants from EU Member States and countries associated to the Horizon Europe programme:

  • Single start-up or SME (including spin-outs)
  • Small mid-caps (up to 499 employees)  in need of rapid scale up of the TRL 9 activity. Mid-caps can apply for investment only.
  • Natural persons or legal entities willing to set up an SMEs or a mid-cap.

Applicants from third countries:

  • Applicants from third countries may relocate their company in order to become eligible. This must be done before submitting the full application (Step 2).
  • Applicants from the United Kingdom can only apply for the “grant only” scheme

Concurrent applications:

  • Applicants may submit only one application to the EIC Accelerator. Additional applications can be submitted after receiving the results of the original submission.

The EIC welcomes applications from innovators in all EU Member States and countries associated to the Horizon Europe programme. It particularly welcomes applications from startups and SMEs with female CEOs.

How to apply for the EIC Accelerator?

The application process consists of 4 steps:

Step 1: Write your short proposal

Short proposals may be submitted at any time and which will be evaluated remotely by EIC expert evaluators on a first come, first served basis;

  • A short form where you must summarise your proposal and respond to a set of questions on your innovation, your potential market and your team;
  • A pitch-deck of up to ten slides in PDF format;
  • A video pitch of up to three minutes where the core members of your team (up to three people) should provide the motivation for your proposal.

You will normally receive feedback within approximately 4-6 weeks. If your application meets the basic criteria for EIC Accelerator funding, you will be invited to prepare a full proposal to submit to one of the periodic cut-off dates for Accelerator Open or Accelerator Challenge funding.

Step 2: Prepare your full proposal

If your short proposal receives a GO, you can submit your full proposal to any of the 2025 – 2026 cut-offs.

Prepare your full proposal on Funding and Tenders portal. The full proposal consists of a full business plan, pitch deck in PDF & a 3 minutes video pitch.

Proposals will be assessed remotely by three EIC expert evaluators. You will get the result in a 8-9 weeks.

Step 3: Pitch your innovation

If you receive a GO, you will be invited to an interview with an EIC jury. The interview will take place within 4–5 weeks after the announcement of the previous step’s results. The format will be determined later.

You will receive the interview results within 2–3 weeks.

Step 4: Negotiate the grant component, start due diligence for investment component

Grant only: you will sing the Grant Agreement and receive fist pre-financing payment

Blended finance: you can use the additional flexibility of the investment component and negotiate a raise of maximum € 2 million

Relevant information of the project will be transmitted to the EIC Fund and the investment need will be assessed. BAS will support you in search of other investors. Within 2-6 months the investment component will be decided.

If the due diligence outcome concludes you are not mature for investment yet, you will start with the grant component. The case will be re-examined within defined milestones.

Applications that meet all the criteria at the remote evaluation stage and are assessed positively by the EIC jury but not recommended for funding, will be awarded a Seal of Excellence to help them secure funding from other sources.

Direct submissions

  • Fast Track scheme

    The Fast Track scheme allows specific treatment of proposals that result from existing Horizon Europe or Horizon 2020 projects. Such projects can submit projects directly to the full application stage of the EIC Accelerator subject to a review of the ongoing project.

  • Plug-In scheme

    The Plug-In scheme is equivalent to the Fast Track, except that it applies to proposals that result from existing national or regional programmes. So far, 50 programmes have been certified  for the scheme.

Grant Funding

Lump sum contribution below € 2.5 million, for innovation activities (TRL 6-8), to be completed within 24 months.

  • Grant only – for start-ups and SMEs with capacity to scale-up. To be provided only once during the implementation period of the Horizon Europe programme (2021-2027)

Investment component

To fill the gap for high – risk innovation to a stage where they can be fully financed by other investments. € 0.5 – € 10 million. Higher amounts available in STEP ScaleUP (LINK)

  • Blended finance: a grant component & direct equity or quasi-equity such as convertible loans.
  • Investment only: for mid caps companies and companies that have received a «grant only».
EIC Accelerator Challenges

For projects that match any of the pre-defined topics of the EIC Accelerator Challenges. The overall budget in 2025 is €250 million. See challenges here.

EIC Accelerator Open

For projects that don’t match the EIC Accelerator topics, the EIC Accelerator Open is open to proposals in any field of technology. The overall budget for the EIC Accelerator Open in 2025 is €384 million. See guidance notes here

Extensive support

Access to a range of tailor-made Business Acceleration Services (BAS) for beneficiaries to leverage investments:

  • Access to global partners
  • Access to coaches, mentors, expertise and training
  • Access to innovation ecosystem and peers
Streamlined application process

EIC Accelerator selection process comprises 3 steps. Each step passed successfully give access to the next step:

  • Writing a short proposal
  • Submission of a full proposal
  • Face to face interview with the EIC Jury

Interested in applying for this competition?

Book an appointment to speak to one of our advisors to discuss your eligibility to apply for this Grant Funding opportunity.