The EIC Accelerator is a Horizon Europe programme run by the European Innovation Council for high-risk innovations with the potential to create or disrupt markets. It supports eligible start-ups and SMEs in developing and scaling products, services or business models, with grant work focused on technology readiness levels 6–8.
Applicants choose the open call for any field of technology or a defined Accelerator Challenge. Support is delivered to the applicant company rather than through attendance at a single host site.
Benefits & funding
- A lump-sum grant component below €2.5 million for innovation activities at technology readiness levels 6–8. The grant-agreement duration follows the proposed co-financed innovation work packages and may exceed 24 months.
- An investment component of €1–10 million through direct equity or quasi-equity instruments such as convertible loans.
- Grant-only, blended-finance and investment-only routes are available subject to the applicant category and eligibility conditions. Small mid-caps may request investment only.
- Beneficiaries receive Business Acceleration Services, including coaching, mentoring, training, partner access and networking.
Eligibility
- A single start-up or SME, including a spin-out, established in an EU Member State or a country associated with Horizon Europe may apply.
- The innovation should be game-changing, capable of creating or disrupting markets, backed by an ambition to scale, and too risky for private investors alone to finance fully.
- A small mid-cap with up to 499 employees may apply for investment-only support when it needs rapid scale-up of technology readiness level 9 activity.
- A natural person or legal entity intending to establish an eligible SME or small mid-cap may apply. A third-country applicant may submit a short proposal but must establish or relocate the company to an EU Member State or associated country before submitting the full proposal.
- The dedicated Accelerator FAQ states that 2026 transitional arrangements treat UK entities as associated-country entities for EIC Fund procedures, while an investment decision remains conditional on the relevant association amendment being applicable.
- No degree, age, gender, work-experience or founder-nationality requirement is stated.
Can you apply?
Open to all applicants
No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.
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Application process
- 1Submit a short proposal at any time through the Funding and Tenders Portal. It includes a 12-page form, a pitch deck of up to ten slides and a video pitch of up to three minutes; short proposals are batched on the first Tuesday of each month at 17:00 Brussels time.
- 2After a GO decision, prepare a full proposal with a 20-page form, pitch deck, implementation plan, financial information, letters of intent, freedom-to-operate analysis and a three-minute video pitch.
- 3Submit the full proposal at any time. Proposals are grouped on published 2026 batching dates; technology and evaluation experts assess them, and top-ranked proposals advance to an EIC Jury interview in Brussels or remotely.
- 4If selected, complete the grant agreement process and, where relevant, EIC Fund due diligence for the investment component.
Program timeline
First Tuesday of each month, 17:00 Brussels time
Short proposals are batched for evaluation.
Next full-proposal evaluation batching date.
Sep 2, 2026, 17:00 Brussels time
Final listed 2026 full-proposal evaluation batching date.
Nov 4, 2026, 17:00 Brussels time
Approximately 3–4 weeks after a full-proposal batch
Online technology-expert interview.
Within 8–9 weeks after batching
Full-proposal remote-stage result.
Within 2–3 weeks after the jury interview week
Interview result.
Within 2–6 months after selection, where applicable
Investment-component decision.