Designed to support highly disruptive innovations with the potential to scale globally, this instrument of the European Innovation Council (EIC) combines grant and equity, offering comprehensive support to accelerate the arrival to the market of technologies that represent a true scientific frontier.

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The EIC: a funding ecosystem for the entire technological maturity cycle

The EIC Accelerator is part of a wider set of programs of the European Innovation Council, aimed at supporting deep-tech projects at all stages of development, from basic science to international scaling, through three main instruments: EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition and EIC Accelerator.

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EIC Pathfinder (TRL 1—4): early-stage disruptive research

Pathfinder funds highly disruptive science-based research, in very early stages. It is mainly aimed at consortiums and offers grants of up to 4M€ to bring emerging technologies from the discovery and formulation of the concept to the initial validation in the laboratory (TRL 1-4).

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EIC Transition (TRL 4—6): from laboratory to validation in a relevant environment

Transition acts as a bridge between research and the maturity necessary for validation in a real environment. It is designed for mini-consortiums, startups and SMEs that already have a solid proof of concept, and offers funding of up to 2.5 M€ to move towards TRL 6, define the business model and prepare the market strategy.

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EIC Accelerator (TRL 6+): Final Development, Market and Scaling

Finally, the EIC Accelerator supports companies that have already demonstrated their technology in a relevant environment and need support to complete development, validate their market proposition and scale commercially.
It offers:

• Up to €12.5 million in grant + equity for TRL 6—8 activities.
  
  
• The EIC Accelerator can provide between 10 and 30 million euros in equity to finance activities in TRL 9, that is, when the technology is already fully developed and tested in a real operating environment. This investment is intended for commercial deployment, production and international scaling of the product.

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What is the EIC Accelerator and who is it aimed at?

The EIC Accelerator funds companies with innovations of High impact, high technological risk and with an advanced level of maturity, typically between TRL 6 and TRL 8. These are technologies validated outside the laboratory, demonstrated in relevant environments and whose last stage of development requires significant investments.

They can apply:

• Startups and SMEs from any sector (including Spin-offs).
  
  
• Small mid-caps with up to 499 employees.
  
  
• Individuals or entities who plan to set up a company in a member State or associated country.
  
  

It is a program especially aimed at deep-tech companies that need a strong injection of public capital to reach the market, as these are technologies that are too complex or risky to be financed only by private investors.

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Types of EIC funding: grant, equity or blended finance

The EIC Accelerator offers three types of funding:

1. Grant (Grant)

• until 2.5 M€.
  
  
• It covers up to 70% of eligible costs.
  
  
• Focused on activities of TRL 6—8: demonstration, prototyping, validation and testing.
  
  

2. Equity (Investment)

• until 10M€ of direct investment or quasi-equity.
  
  
• For activities of TRL 9 and commercial scaling.
  
  
• With a focus on Patient Capital (7—10 years).
  
  

3. Blended Finance

• Combination of Grant + Equity.
  
  
  

Call modalities: Open & Challenges

The program has two tracks:

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EIC Accelerator Open

For technologies in any industry, model or application. It's the right option for highly disruptive projects that don't fit a specific theme.

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EIC Accelerator Challenges

Aimed at strategic priorities of the EU. Among the topics planned for 2026 are:

• Advanced materials for renewable energy and storage
  
  
• New concepts for fusion energy.
  
  
• Biotechnology for the regeneration of agricultural soils.
  
  
• Technologies to reinforce the value chain of critical raw materials.
  
  
• Deep-tech for climate adaptation.
  
  

EIC application process: a very competitive funnel

The EIC Accelerator selection process is one of the most rigorous in the European funding ecosystem. It consists of three main phases:

Step 1: Short Proposal

Approximate duration: 6 weeks

• Document of 12 pages
  
  
• Pitch deck of up to 10 slides
  
  
• 3-minute video
  
  
• Continuous submission: can be submitted at any time
  
  

If the proposal is approved, it is invited to the next level.

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Step 2: Full Proposal

Approximate duration: 8 weeks

It includes more comprehensive documentation:

• Proposal of 20 pages (TBC)
  
  
• 10-page implementation plan
  
  
• Pitch deck
  
  
• 3-minute video
  
  
• Financial attachments, FTO, budget and letters of interest (optional)
  
  

Expected cutoff dates for 2026:

• January 7 — March 4 — May 6 — July 8 — September 2 — November 3

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Step 3: Interview with the Jury

Approximate duration: 4 weeks

Live session with 5—6 experts where the team will:

• Pitch of 10 minutes
  
  
• Q&A of 35 minutes
  
  

After this phase, the project can:

• Ser passed,
  
  
• Receive a Seal of Excellence,
  
  
• Or get a No Go.
  
  

Important: If you receive a No Go In the Step 3, the project You can go back to Step 2 in the next call to submit a new Full Proposal (within the limit of 3 total attempts).

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Step 4: Grant Agreement Negotiation and Due Diligence

If the project is passed, begins the phase of:

• Negotiation of the grant agreement, which can last between 3 and 4 months
  
  
• Start of the process of due diligence, where financial, technical, legal and governance aspects are reviewed before final disbursement

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What is the EIC Accelerator looking for? Winning project profile

According to the new criteria, a project with a high probability of success must meet:

• Radical innovation based on deep-tech science that is difficult to replicate.
  
  
• High technological risk which prevents it from being financed only with private capital.
  
  
• Maturity Level minimum TRL 6 with solid comparative data.
  
  
• Strong intellectual property, ideally protected (patents).
  
  
• Advanced business plan and first signs of market traction
  
  
• Strong network of potential customers and investors (Highly recommended LOIs).
  
  
• Multidisciplinary and committed leadership team (highly valued, women-led teams).
  
  
• History of prizes, grants or previous rounds that validate the trajectory.
  
  

Conclusion: a unique opportunity to scale deep-tech in Europe

The EIC Accelerator remains a strategic tool for startups with frontier technologies capable of transforming entire industries. The combination of grant and equity makes it one of the most powerful public funding opportunities in the world, especially for companies looking to scale complex or capital-intensive technologies.

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Intelectium has been helping deep-tech startups to structure their EIC access strategy for years and maximize their chances of success in such a competitive program.

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If you are considering submitting your project or want to evaluate your possibilities, we will be happy to help.

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EIC Accelerator FAQs

What is the minimum budget to apply for the EIC Accelerator?
Although there is no official minimum budget, As a general rule, projects with a budget of less than €500,000 usually have no place in Europe. The EIC expects to finance ambitious technological developments, with high costs associated with validation, advanced prototyping and scaling. Projects that are too small or low-cost are often discarded at an early stage.

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What sectors can be funded through the EIC Accelerator?
The EIC Accelerator primarily funds deep-tech technologies, with a solid scientific or engineering base. Instead, projects focused on social sciences, humanities or business models without deep technological innovation are not eligible. Proposals must demonstrate a disruptive technological component and an advanced degree of development (TRL 6+).