EIC Accelerator

EIC Accelerator Open

Funds late stage deep tech start ups and small businesses with combined non dilutive and growth support across technology fields.

Eligibility · EU member states + Horizon-associated

The EIC Accelerator Open is the European Innovation Council's flagship single-company funding instrument, designed to back individual deep-tech start-ups and SMEs at the late-innovation stage across any sector or technology field. Operating under Horizon Europe (2021–2027) and administered by the EIC, it combines a non-dilutive grant of up to €2.5 million (targeting TRL 6–8, from validated prototype to pre-commercial demonstrator) with equity investment of €1–10 million from the EIC Fund (targeting TRL 8–9, from certified product to market growth). The 2026 Open budget stands at €414 million. The program was redesigned for 2026: proposals are now capped at 20 pages (down from 50), and evaluation batches run every two months against six Step-2 cut-off dates (January, March, May, July, September, November 2026), reducing the previous six-month wait to roughly eight weeks for a full-proposal result.

Eligibility is restricted to single SMEs and start-ups (under 250 employees and turnover ≤€50M or balance sheet ≤€43M) registered in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries, including Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Israel, Ukraine, and others. Small mid-caps of 250–499 employees may apply for the equity component only. Applicants must demonstrate technology readiness at TRL 6 or above. UK-registered companies may apply for the grant component but are excluded from EIC Fund equity. Third-country companies must establish an eligible legal entity before the Step-2 submission. Applications progress through four stages: a short 12-page proposal with a 10-slide pitch deck and 3-minute video, a 20-page full proposal, a jury interview, and grant agreement.

For applicants, the Open track is the right route when the innovation does not fit one of the five 2026 Accelerator Challenge themes. Winning proposals typically demonstrate a credible path from prototype to first commercial customers within the 24-month project period, a defensible market position, and a team capable of executing both the technical and commercial workstreams. Business Acceleration Services — coaching, mentoring, and ecosystem introductions — are bundled with every award, and companies that do not receive a grant but clear the evaluation threshold receive a Seal of Excellence credential usable across national funding programmes.