Up to €2.5M EIC Accelerator Grant

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, plus coaching and investor introductions. In 2027 it has EUR 578 million to give out, and 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
• 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
• Up to three days of 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 reach 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 one of the 2027 batching dates: a 20-page form, pitch deck, video pitch, financial data and cap table, IP strategy, implementation plan and lump sum budget
• Meet a technology expert evaluator online to answer questions on your proposal
• If ranked high enough, pitch to an EIC Jury in an interview of up to ten minutes
• If selected, sign the grant agreement and go through due diligence with the EIC Fund for any investment component

Key dates:

• Short proposals (call HORIZON-EIC-2027-ACCELERATOR-01) opened on 10 November 2026 and can be submitted at any time until 16 December 2027; they are batched for evaluation on the first Tuesday of each month at 17:00 Brussels time, with results in about 4 to 6 weeks
• 2027 full proposal cut-offs, 17:00 Brussels time, open only to applicants holding a short proposal GO: 20 January, 17 March, 1 September and 4 November 2027
• The EIC recommends submitting a short proposal at least 10 weeks before the full proposal cut-off you aim for
• Online information day on EIC funding opportunities in 2027: 19 November 2026; online info day on the 2027 Accelerator Challenges: 20 November 2026
• Full proposal results about 8 to 9 weeks after the cut-off; jury interviews are held after every second cut-off

More information:

• EIC Work Programme 2027 (PDF): https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/ed9ab103-1ffb-4d5f-a6ad-168ac3b36900_en?filename=EIC-2027-Work-Programme.pdf
• EIC Accelerator FAQ: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-frequently-asked-questions/faqs-eic-accelerator_en
• EIC Accelerator Challenges 2027: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities/eic-accelerator/eic-accelerator-challenges-2027_en
• National Contact Points give free guidance on applying: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/ncp

• 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
• Founders from other countries may apply at the short proposal stage but must prove the company is established in an EU or associated country when submitting the full proposal
• The United Kingdom is associated to Horizon Europe except for the EIC Fund investment component, so UK companies cannot receive the equity part
• Small mid-caps (up to 499 employees) can apply for investment only, or blended finance in exceptional cases
• The grant funds work at technology readiness levels 6 to 8, so the technology must already be validated
• Grant only support is given to a company once during Horizon Europe (2021 to 2027)
• After three unsuccessful submissions at any stage you cannot apply to the EIC Accelerator again under Horizon Europe
• Apply through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal