The EIC Accelerator is aimed at companies with technologically demanding innovations and high scaling potential. The grant component is intended for innovation activities at TRL 6 to 8 , and should generally be implemented within 24 months. For this, a lump-sum funding of under 2.5 million euros can be applied for.

In addition, an investment component of 1 to 10 million euros is available. It is intended to close funding gaps in particularly high-risk innovations until they are sufficiently mature for further private investments. Companies can choose between grant only, blended finance, and – if they do not require a grant – investment only.

Budget in 2026

For the EIC Accelerator 2026, a total of 634 million euros is available. Of this, 414 million euros are allocated to the EIC Accelerator Open and 220 million euros to the EIC Accelerator Challenges.

The Accelerator Open is technology-open and aimed at projects from all technology fields. The Accelerator Challenges on the other hand address strategically defined themes where start-ups and SMEs with groundbreaking technologies are to contribute to European goals. In 2026, these include new materials for renewable energies and energy storage, fusion technologies, biotechnology for regenerative soils, critical raw materials, and deep tech for climate adaptation.

AI can also play an important role here. In the challenge on climate resilience, deep-tech solutions expressly empowered by artificial intelligence and other key technologies are addressed.

Who can apply?

The accelerator is particularly aimed at individual start-ups and SMEs including spin-outs from EU member states and countries associated with Horizon Europe.

Small mid-caps with up to 499 employees can also apply under certain conditions, but only for the investment component. In addition, natural or legal persons can apply if they establish or set up a corresponding company before the completion of the process.

Multi-stage application process

The application process begins with a Short Proposal, which can be submitted at any time. It includes, among other things, a twelve-page form, a pitch deck with a maximum of ten slides, and a video pitch of up to three minutes. The short proposals are bundled and evaluated on the first Tuesday of each month.

After a positive result, the full proposal follows. This includes, among other things, a 20-page application, pitch deck, implementation plan, financial information, letters of intent, and a freedom-to-operate analysis. Successful applicants are then invited to an interview with the EIC Jury.

The full proposal dates in 2026 are January 7, March 4, May 6, July 8, September 2, and November 4, 2026, at 5:00 PM Brussels time.

Additional scaling support

In addition to funding, supported companies have access to the Business Acceleration Services of the EIC. These include contacts with investors and international partners as well as coaching, mentoring, training, and access to the European innovation ecosystem.

Companies that score at least 13 out of 15 points in the remote evaluation but are not invited to the jury interview or selected for funding can also receive a Seal of Excellence . For applications to the challenges, a STEP Seal can also be granted.