EIC Accelerator

EIC Accelerator of the European Innovation Council (EIC) is one of the main initiatives under Horizon Europe, designed to boost high-potential tech startups and SMEs. Its mission is to accelerate the transition of disruptive innovations to the market, supporting European companies in scaling pioneering solutions with global impact.

In a world where technological innovation drives growth, EIC Accelerator focuses on companies developing deeptech technologies, which, despite their high risk, also have immense transformative potential. From advanced artificial intelligence to clean energy or biotechnology, EIC Accelerator seeks to provide the necessary resources to take these innovations from their initial phase to global commercialization.

The program adapts to the different funding needs of companies based on their development stage:

• Grant-only: with support of up to €2.5 million in a single payment for innovation activities in intermediate development stages (TRL 6-8), the support lasts a maximum of 24 months.
• Blended finance: this modality combines a grant of up to €2.5 million with an equity investment of between €0.5 and €10 million. This option is intended for companies needing funding for both innovation and growth.
• Investment-only: available for medium-sized companies with projects in rapid scaling phases (TRL 9) or that have previously received only a grant. Through this modality, the EIC offers an investment of between €0.5 and €10 million, with the possibility of accessing larger amounts through the STEP ScaleUP program.

The selection process for EIC Accelerator is designed to identify projects with the greatest potential. It consists of three phases:

• Submission of a short proposal: the initial application must include an executive summary of the project, a pitch deck of up to 10 slides, and a 3-minute pitch video. This application can be submitted at any time and will be grouped and sent for evaluation on the first Tuesday of each month. Results will be communicated approximately 4 to 6 weeks from the grouping date.
• Remote evaluation: if the short proposal is positive, the next step is to submit a full proposal, which will be evaluated by subject matter experts.
• Interview with the EIC jury: in case of positive evaluation, the company is invited to an interview, after which the startup or SME can receive a positive funding decision from the EIC.

The program is divided into two categories, each with specific objectives:

• EIC Accelerator Open: open to projects from any technological or sectoral field, without predefined thematic prioritization.
• EIC Accelerator Challenges: aimed at projects aligned with strategic EU challenges, such as digital health, clean energy, or advanced artificial intelligence.