Innovative Starters Award

The Innovative Starters Award (ISA) is a prominent Innoviris grant of €500,000 per innovative project, offering Brussels start-ups the opportunity to realise their strategic innovation plan over a three-year period. Innoviris assists laureates throughout the process. Eligibility requires the company to be a small unlisted company founded no more than five years ago (as of 1 January 2026 for the 2025 cycle), with a head office in the Brussels-Capital Region where it develops its activities. The company must not have taken over activities of another company or be a spin-off, must not have previously won an ISA award, and must not be in financial difficulty per European legislation. The application procedure involves submitting a strategic innovation plan before the deadline. Following preselection, candidates are invited to pitch their Strategic Innovation Plan to a jury of multidisciplinary experts. The most convincing candidates are named most innovative start-up of the year. The ISA has been certified as a Plug-In scheme to EIC Accelerator. Laureates may, after successful ISA project completion, apply directly for the full proposal phase of the EIC Accelerator programme and access EIC's acceleration and advisory services. Note: Innoviris announced on 24 March 2026 that no new projects can be funded in 2026 due to budget constraints. All programs are suspended; existing projects continue under signed agreements. Applications submitted before the suspension remain in process. Monitor for 2027 relaunch.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.