EIC Accelerator
Review when seed, series-a, scaleup teams in deep tech, biotech, climate match europe, eu eligibility for non-dilutive funding or grant support.
Terms
Grant up to EUR 2.5M (lump sum); equity investment EUR 1M-10M (higher via STEP Scale Up). EIC Accelerator Challenges 2026 budget EUR 220M; EIC Accelerator Open 2026 budget EUR 414M.
Equity component negotiated; grant-only is non-dilutive
Largest EU non-dilutive grant for deeptech
Founder fit
Single startups, SMEs, and small mid-caps from EU and Horizon Europe-associated countries.
TRL 6-8; single startup/SME or spinout; small mid-caps (up to 499 employees) for investment-only.
EU Member States and Horizon Europe-associated countries; third-country applicants must relocate.
High; multi-stage process with detailed business plan and pitch.
Verification note
Full 2026 schedule confirmed on official page: full-proposal batching dates are Jan 7, Mar 4, May 6, Jul 8, Sep 2, Nov 4 (2026). Short proposals batched every first Tuesday of the month. Latest news: June 4, 2026 EIC Impact Report published. 61 startups funded in the last evaluation round (Feb 2026 news). Grant-only track available for UK applicants. Program is fully operational.
Source quality: official European Innovation Council program page. Status confidence: high.