EIC Pre-Accelerator

EIC Pre-Accelerator is the European Innovation Council’s readiness grant for start-ups in Horizon Europe widening countries. It focuses on technology readiness, business readiness, and investment readiness for single SMEs that are registered in the widening-country group named by the call, with associated-country and outermost-region carve-outs. The program sits below the Accelerator in the EIC stack and is meant to help promising companies close the gap between early traction and larger European funding. The grant size runs from €500,000 to €1 million, and the program covers 70% of eligible costs while the beneficiary covers the remaining 30%. Applicants need technology at TRL 4 or above and demonstrable intellectual-property rights. The 2027 call carries €20 million for grants and €40 million for business acceleration support, with the next call opening in May 2027 and closing in November 2027. The best fit is a single-company application from a widening-country start-up that already has technical substance and needs structured help to sharpen the business case. Awardees gain EIC Business Acceleration Services and a fast-track path into the EIC Accelerator, so the program works as a practical bridge rather than a final destination. Strong applications will show protected technology, a focused commercial story, and a team ready to use the funding to move quickly.

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