EIC STEP Scale Up (via ISERD) — Horizon Europe

EIC STEP Scale Up — Q3 & Q4 Cutoffs

Invests in scale-up ventures in digital, clean technology, and biotechnology through equity to accelerate commercialization pathways.

Eligibility · EU member states

The EIC STEP Scale Up programme is the European Innovation Council's equity-investment vehicle for ambitious scale-up companies in digital and deep tech, cleantech, and biotech. It sits within the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) and targets SMEs and small mid-cap companies with up to 499 employees. Israeli companies legally registered in Israel are fully eligible because Israel is an associated country to Horizon Europe. The programme's 2026 call has four quarterly cutoffs; as of mid-2026, the two remaining open cutoffs are 9 September 2026 and 25 November 2026.

Successful companies receive equity-only EU investment of €10 million to €30 million, representing 20%–33% of a total funding round of €50 million to €150 million. A hard pre-condition is that the applicant must already have a pre-commitment from a qualified investor covering at least 20% of the total round before applying. The EU investment is made by the EIC Fund and does not take a controlling stake. All recipients also receive Business Acceleration Services including mentoring, coaching, market-access support, and investor matchmaking across Europe.

The application process runs in two stages. Stage 1 requires a full business plan, pitch deck, pre-commitment documentation, financial plan, CVs, and a freedom-to-operate note; all eligible Stage 1 proposals are shortlisted within approximately four to six weeks of each cutoff date. Stage 2 consists of a remote interview before a panel of up to six jury members, with results typically announced about two weeks after the interview. Even if an investor applies on behalf of a company, the final contract is always signed with the eligible company itself. ISERD provides guidance for Israeli applicants preparing STEP applications.