EIC Pre-Accelerator
Funds early-stage European deep-tech firms developing evidence-ready prototypes and proof-of-concept solutions.
Eligibility · Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece +9 more
The EIC Pre-Accelerator 2027 is a European Innovation Council grant program designed to prepare deep-tech SMEs from Horizon Europe widening countries for EIC Accelerator eligibility. There is no 2026 call — the program runs in two-year cycles, with the next round opening on 5 May 2027 and submissions closing 18 November 2027. The total 2027 call budget is €60 million: €20 million in grants and €40 million in business acceleration support services.
Grants range from €500,000 to €1 million per award, covering 70% of eligible project costs over a maximum two-year performance period. Applicants must contribute 30% co-funding. The 2027 award range is higher than the 2025 cycle (which paid €300,000–€500,000), reflecting expanded program scope. Eligible applicants are single SMEs only — no consortia, no universities, and no research organisations are permitted — registered exclusively in one of the 15 EU widening countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, or Slovenia, plus specified Associated Countries and Outermost Regions. Technology must be at minimum TRL 4 (laboratory-validated), and applicants must hold the IP rights necessary for market freedom.
The program provides coaching, mentoring, and networking through EIC Business Acceleration Services. Its defining benefit is a Fast Track pathway to EIC Accelerator — the EIC's flagship blended finance instrument offering up to €17.5 million in grants and equity — allowing Pre-Accelerator graduates to bypass the standard eligibility queue. Applicants are evaluated on technology readiness, market pathway clarity, measurable KPIs, and demonstrated scaling ambition. Organizations already active in widening countries developing deep tech at early TRL 4–5 stages, seeking both capital and structured preparation for follow-on EIC funding, represent the core target profile.
Open to any deep-tech sector; exclusively for single SMEs registered in a Horizon Europe widening country, providing grants to advance technology, business, and investment readiness toward EIC Accelerator eligibility.
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