The EIC Accelerator Open 2025 (Short Application) under the Horizon Europe program provides grants for SMEs, startups, and mid-caps. It supports high-risk, high-gain innovations at technology readiness levels (TRL) 6 to 8, which have the potential to create or disrupt markets.
Objective(s) and scope
The EIC Accelerator focuses in particular on innovations building on scientific discovery or technological breakthroughs (‘deep tech’) and where significant funding is needed over a long timeframe before returns can be generated (‘patient capital’). Such innovations often struggle to attract financing because the risks and time period involved are too high. Funding and support from the EIC Accelerator is designed to enable such innovators to attract the full investment amounts needed for scale up in a shorter timeframe.
The EIC Accelerator supports the later stages of technology development as well as scale up. The technology component of your innovation must therefore have been tested and validated in a laboratory and other relevant environment (e.g., at least Technology Readiness Level 5). The EIC Accelerator looks to support companies where the EIC support will act as a catalyst to crowd in other investors necessary for the scale up of the innovation.
Financing product
Grants, Blended finance (investment component usually in the form of direct equity or quasi-equity), Equities.
Grants.
Other financing product/s.
Financing value
Grant component below EUR 2.5 million for innovation activities (TRL 6 to 8) and investment component of EUR 0.5 million up to EUR 10 million for scaling up and other activities.
The total indicative budget for this call (EIC Open) is EUR 384 million.
Low capital (EUR 0-5 million) Mid capital (EUR 5-50 million).
Eligibility criteria (if available)
To be an eligible applicant to EIC Accelerator, you must apply as one of the following eligible entities:
- a single company classified as a SME, and established within a Member State or an Associated Country; or
- a single company classified as a small mid-cap (up to 499 employees) established in a Member State or an Associated Country, but only for exceptional cases for rapid scale up purposes; or
- one or more natural persons (including individual entrepreneurs) or legal entities, which are either:
- from a Member State or an Associated Country intending to establish an SME or small mid-cap in a Member State or Associated Country;
- intending to invest in an SME or small mid-cap established in a Member State or an Associated Country; or
- from a non-associated third country intending to establish an SME (including start-ups) or to relocate an existing SME to a Member State or an Associated Country.
Further information on eligibility criteria
The eligibility of associated countries and third countries is detailed in Annex 2 of EIC Work Programme 2025
Application period
Applications may be submitted at any time via the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal.
- Opening date: 29 October 2024
- Deadline date : 18 December 2025 17:00 Brussels time
If your short proposal is successful, then you will be entitled to receive coaching support to prepare a full proposal from one of the business coaches from the EIC Business Acceleration Services.
If you succeeded with your short application under the 2025 Work programme, your full proposal can be submitted to any of the following cut-offs during 2025, and any of the cut-offs for 2026.
The two cut-off dates for 2025 are:
- 12 March 2025
- 1 December 2025
The cut-off dates for 2026 will be announced in the 2026 Work Programme due to be adopted in Autumn 2025.
Technology type
EIC Accelerator Open has no predefined thematic priorities and is open to proposals in any field of technology or application.
Multiple.
Technology readiness level (TRL)
The EIC Accelerator supports the later stages of technology development, as well as scale up (e.g., at least Technology Readiness Level 5).
Multiple.
Medium TRLs (i.e. 5-7): Prototype validation High TRLs (i.e. 8-9): Market readiness.
