EIC Accelerator (investment only)
European Innovation Council·European Union
EUR 1-10 million of direct equity or quasi-equity with no grant, for companies scaling rapidly; the only EIC Accelerator route open to small mid-caps of up to 499 employees.
What you get
“€1 - €10 million. Investment only: for companies looking to scale-up rapidly and don't need a grant. Higher amounts available in STEP ScaleUP.”
Can you apply
Applicants from EU Member States and countries associated to the Horizon Europe programme: Single start-up or SME (including spin-outs); Small mid-caps (up to 499 employees) in need of rapid scale up of the TRL 9 activity. Mid-caps can apply for investment only; Natural persons or legal entities willing to set up an SMEs or a mid-cap. Applicants from the United Kingdom can only apply for the "grant only" scheme. Applicants may submit only one application to the EIC Accelerator.
When
Not open yet. The next round is listed below.
Upcoming
- 2026 full proposal batch 4 Novembercloses 4 Nov 2026 · 97 days left
- 2026 full proposal batch 2 Septembercloses 2 Sept 2026 · 34 days left
Past rounds
- 2026 full proposal batch 8 Julyclosed 8 Jul 2026
What European Innovation Council funds
The European Innovation Council is Horizon Europe's deep tech arm, funding everything from early-stage research consortia (Pathfinder) through proof-of-concept maturation (Transition) to grant-plus-equity scale-up finance for single startups and SMEs (Accelerator). Open to any field of technology, including AI and software.
Everything European Innovation Council funds →Details
Investment only is for companies looking to scale-up rapidly that don't need a grant. Small mid-caps (up to 499 employees) in need of rapid scale up of TRL 9 activity can apply for investment only. Higher amounts are available in STEP ScaleUp. Not open to UK applicants, who can only apply for the grant only scheme. The equity stake taken is decided in due diligence and is not published on the programme page.