Up to €2.5M EIC Accelerator Grant

Organization: European Innovation Council (EIC), run by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), European Commission

Type: Grant

Location: Global

Deadline: November 4, 2026

Funding: Fully Funded

The EIC Accelerator is the European Commission's funding programme for start-ups and SMEs with a breakthrough technology, product or business model that could create new markets or disrupt existing ones. Run by the European Innovation Council under Horizon Europe, it pairs a lump sum grant of just under EUR 2.5 million with an optional equity investment of EUR 1 million to 10 million from the EIC Fund, plus coaching and investor introductions. It is built for deep tech that is already validated in a relevant environment and too risky for private investors alone. **What you get:** - A lump sum grant below EUR 2.5 million (at most EUR 2,499,999) for innovation work at technology readiness levels 6 to 8, normally completed within 24 months - The grant reimburses up to 70 percent of eligible costs; the other 30 percent of the grant work packages must come from your own resources - Optionally, an investment of EUR 1 million to 10 million from the EIC Fund as direct equity or quasi-equity such as convertible loans, alone or blended with the grant - Three days of free remote coaching from an EIC business coach once your short proposal passes - Access to EIC Business Acceleration Services: coaches, mentors, global partners, investors and the EIC innovation community - A Seal of Excellence if you score at least 13 out of 15 at the full proposal stage but are not funded, to help you raise money elsewhere **What you'll do:** - Submit a short proposal at any time: a 12-page form, a pitch deck of up to ten slides and a three-minute video pitch from up to three core team members - If you get a GO, submit a full proposal to a batching date: a 20-page form, pitch deck, implementation plan, financial information and cap table, IP strategy, lump sum budget and a video pitch - Meet a technology expert online to answer questions on your proposal - If ranked high enough, pitch to an EIC Jury, in Brussels or by video - If selected, sign the grant agreement and go through due diligence with the EIC Fund for any investment component **Key dates:** - Short proposals can be submitted at any time and are batched for evaluation on the first Tuesday of each month at 5pm Brussels time; results in about 4 to 6 weeks - The 2026 short proposal call (HORIZON-EIC-2026-ACCELERATOR-01) closes on 4 November 2026 at 5pm Brussels time - Last 2026 full proposal cut-off: 4 November 2026 at 5pm Brussels time, open only to applicants who already hold a short proposal GO - The 2027 short proposal call (HORIZON-EIC-2027-ACCELERATOR-01) opens in November 2026; the exact date will be announced - 2027 full proposal cut-offs will be set in the 2027 EIC Work Programme and have not been published yet - Online information day on EIC funding opportunities in 2027: 19 November 2026; online info day on the 2027 Accelerator Challenges: 20 November 2026, 9:00 to 12:30 CET - Full proposal results about 8 to 9 weeks after the cut-off; jury interview results about 2 to 3 weeks after the interview week **More information:** - EIC Work Programme 2026 (PDF): https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/52598755-1351-4b54-b46b-e2682d0a3aec_en?filename=EIC-Work-Programme-2026.pdf - EIC Accelerator guide for applicants (PDF): https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/9d96fbf3-4d85-4ad0-9483-c77ce348111d_en?filename=EIC%20Accelerator%20guide%20for%20applicants_WP26.pdf - EIC Accelerator FAQ: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-frequently-asked-questions/faqs-eic-accelerator_en - National Contact Points give free guidance on applying: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/ncp

European Innovation Council (EIC), run by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), European CommissionGrant

Up to €2.5M EIC Accelerator Grant

Nov 04, 2026 17:00:00 Europe/Brussels

Opportunity type

Grant

Funding

Fully Funded

Location

Global

Deadline

Nov 04, 2026 17:00:00 Europe/Brussels

About this opportunity

What you get:

A lump sum grant below EUR 2.5 million (at most EUR 2,499,999) for innovation work at technology readiness levels 6 to 8, normally completed within 24 months
The grant reimburses up to 70 percent of eligible costs; the other 30 percent of the grant work packages must come from your own resources
Optionally, an investment of EUR 1 million to 10 million from the EIC Fund as direct equity or quasi-equity such as convertible loans, alone or blended with the grant
Three days of free remote coaching from an EIC business coach once your short proposal passes
Access to EIC Business Acceleration Services: coaches, mentors, global partners, investors and the EIC innovation community
A Seal of Excellence if you score at least 13 out of 15 at the full proposal stage but are not funded, to help you raise money elsewhere

What you'll do:

Submit a short proposal at any time: a 12-page form, a pitch deck of up to ten slides and a three-minute video pitch from up to three core team members
If you get a GO, submit a full proposal to a batching date: a 20-page form, pitch deck, implementation plan, financial information and cap table, IP strategy, lump sum budget and a video pitch
Meet a technology expert online to answer questions on your proposal
If ranked high enough, pitch to an EIC Jury, in Brussels or by video
If selected, sign the grant agreement and go through due diligence with the EIC Fund for any investment component

Key dates:

Short proposals can be submitted at any time and are batched for evaluation on the first Tuesday of each month at 5pm Brussels time; results in about 4 to 6 weeks
The 2026 short proposal call (HORIZON-EIC-2026-ACCELERATOR-01) closes on 4 November 2026 at 5pm Brussels time
Last 2026 full proposal cut-off: 4 November 2026 at 5pm Brussels time, open only to applicants who already hold a short proposal GO
The 2027 short proposal call (HORIZON-EIC-2027-ACCELERATOR-01) opens in November 2026; the exact date will be announced
2027 full proposal cut-offs will be set in the 2027 EIC Work Programme and have not been published yet
Online information day on EIC funding opportunities in 2027: 19 November 2026; online info day on the 2027 Accelerator Challenges: 20 November 2026, 9:00 to 12:30 CET
Full proposal results about 8 to 9 weeks after the cut-off; jury interview results about 2 to 3 weeks after the interview week

More information:

EIC Work Programme 2026 (PDF): https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/52598755-1351-4b54-b46b-e2682d0a3aec_en?filename=EIC-Work-Programme-2026.pdf
EIC Accelerator guide for applicants (PDF): https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/9d96fbf3-4d85-4ad0-9483-c77ce348111d_en?filename=EIC%20Accelerator%20guide%20for%20applicants_WP26.pdf
EIC Accelerator FAQ: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-frequently-asked-questions/faqs-eic-accelerator_en
National Contact Points give free guidance on applying: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/ncp

Who can apply

A single start-up or SME (including spin-outs) established in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe
Or one or more individuals or legal entities from an EU or associated country who intend to set up an SME there by the time the grant agreement is signed
Applicants from other countries may apply at the short proposal stage but must establish or relocate the company to an EU or associated country before submitting the full proposal
Applicants from the United Kingdom can apply only for the grant only scheme
Small mid-caps (up to 499 employees) can apply for investment only, or blended finance in exceptional cases
The technology must already be validated in a relevant environment (TRL 5 completed); the grant funds work at TRL 6 to 8
Grant only support is given to a company once during Horizon Europe (2021 to 2027)
Only one application at a time, and after three unsuccessful submissions at any stage you cannot apply again under Horizon Europe
Consultants and other third parties may not take part in the interviews
Apply through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal

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Good to know

+A grant of up to EUR 2.5 million for a startup or small company with a breakthrough technology, plus an optional EUR 1 million to 10 million equity investment
+Run by the European Innovation Council, part of the European Commission
+Short proposals can be sent at any time, with free coaching after a positive result and written feedback either way

Worth checking yourself

!The 4 November 2026 cut-off (5 pm Brussels time) is only for companies that already passed the short proposal stage; new applicants should expect the 2027 cut-offs, announced around 19 to 20 November
!The grant pays at most 70 percent of eligible costs, so your company covers the other 30 percent
!The equity investment is negotiated case by case, and the grant can be ended if the investment talks fail
!For companies in the EU or Horizon Europe associated countries; others must set up there before the full proposal, and UK companies can get the grant but not the equity
!Your technology must already be validated in a relevant environment, so this is not for early ideas

Sources checked

EIeic.ec.europa.euApplyEIeic.ec.europa.euApplyEIeic.ec.europa.euApplyEIeic.ec.europa.euApplyEIeic.ec.europa.euApplyEIeic.ec.europa.euApplyEIeic.ec.europa.euApplyEIeic.ec.europa.euApplyAPapi.tech.ec.europa.euOfficialEIeic.ec.europa.euApplyEIeic.ec.europa.euApply

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