Official call identifier: HORIZON-EIC-2026-ACCELERATOR-01
Objective of the call
The EIC Accelerator supports start-ups and SMEs developing breakthrough, market-creating innovations with the potential to create new markets or disrupt existing markets in Europe and internationally.
The programme targets companies with the ambition and capacity to scale up but whose innovations involve technological, market or financial risks that are considered too high for private investors to finance without additional public support.
The EIC Accelerator supports the later stages of technology development and commercial scale-up. The technology must normally have completed TRL 5 and been validated in a relevant environment before an application is submitted.
Applicants may apply through:
• EIC Accelerator Open, which accepts proposals in any field of technology or application
• EIC Accelerator Challenges, which support innovations addressing predefined strategic priorities
Following the 2026 amendment to the EIC Work Programme, potential dual-use innovations may also receive support through both the Open and Challenges routes while advancing civilian applications.
Scope of activities
The EIC Accelerator supports innovation activities required to develop, validate, demonstrate and prepare breakthrough technologies for commercial deployment.
Supported activities may include:
• Technology demonstration in a relevant environment
• Prototype development
• System-level demonstration
• Research and development required to complete the innovation
• Product and technology testing
• Regulatory testing and compliance activities
• Activities required to meet relevant standards
• Intellectual property management
• Preparation for marketing approval
• Validation of the business and commercialisation model
• Market deployment and scale-up activities through the investment component
Grant-supported innovation activities normally cover TRL 6 to TRL 8. The investment component supports market deployment, commercialisation and scale-up, including activities at TRL 9.
EIC Accelerator Open
EIC Accelerator Open has no predefined thematic priorities. It is open to breakthrough innovations in any field of technology or application, including innovations that cut across different scientific, technological, sectoral and application areas.
The total indicative budget for EIC Accelerator Open in 2026 is EUR 414 million.
EIC Accelerator Challenges
The EIC Accelerator Challenges support breakthrough innovations in predefined areas where start-ups and SMEs can contribute significantly to EU strategic objectives.
The 2026 Challenges are:
• Advanced Materials for Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Systems – support for the design, development, scale-up and production of advanced materials for renewable energy generation, energy harvesting and medium- to long-term energy storage. Indicative budget: EUR 50 million.
• Alternative Concepts and Key Enabling Technologies for Fusion Power Plants – support for alternative fusion concepts, advanced materials, fuel production, laser technologies, plasma systems, magnets, digital technologies, fusion targets and other technologies required for commercially viable fusion power plants. Indicative budget: EUR 20 million.
• Biotech for Regenerating Agricultural Soils – support for biotechnology-based solutions in bioremediation, soil and microbiome management, renewable fertilisers and biostimulants that improve soil health and strengthen sustainable agricultural production. Indicative budget: EUR 50 million.
• Boosting the European Critical Raw Materials Value Chain – support for deep-tech innovations in the exploration, extraction, processing, refining and recycling of critical and strategic raw materials. Deep-sea mining is outside the scope of this Challenge. Indicative budget: EUR 50 million.
• Deep Tech for Climate Adaptation – support for deep-tech, nature-based and engineering solutions addressing extreme urban heat, climate-smart agriculture, water scarcity, flooding, sea-level rise and other major European climate risks. Indicative budget: EUR 50 million.
All projects selected under the EIC Accelerator Challenges fall within the scope of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform and may receive a Sovereignty Seal.
Eligible applicants
The EIC Accelerator is a single-applicant funding programme. Consortia are not eligible.
Applications may be submitted by:
• A single start-up or SME, including a spin-out, established in an EU Member State or a country associated with Horizon Europe
• A single small mid-cap with up to 499 employees, applying for investment-only support or, in exceptional cases, blended finance for rapid scale-up
• One or more natural persons or legal entities from an EU Member State or Horizon Europe-associated country intending to establish an eligible SME or small mid-cap
• An investor or other legal entity applying on behalf of an eligible SME or small mid-cap, subject to a prior agreement with the company
• A natural person or legal entity from a non-associated third country intending to establish or relocate an SME to an EU Member State or Horizon Europe-associated country
Applicants from non-associated third countries must demonstrate effective establishment in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe-associated country before submitting the full proposal.
United Kingdom applicants may apply only for the grant-only form of support.
Grant-only support is available only to start-ups and SMEs. It may be provided only once to the same legal entity during the implementation of Horizon Europe.
Eligible costs
The grant component supports costs necessary for innovation activities at TRL 6–8, including:
• Technology demonstration
• Prototype and system-level development
• Research and development
• Testing and validation
• Regulatory and standardisation activities
• Intellectual property management
• Preparation for marketing approval
Subcontracting may be included where it is justified and essential to the project objectives.
Eligible grant costs are financed through a lump sum established during the evaluation process based on the applicant’s estimated project costs.
The investment component may finance market deployment, commercial scale-up and other activities needed to close the company’s funding gap. It may also be used to co-finance innovation activities. Investment terms are negotiated individually according to the EIC Fund Investment Guidelines.
Funding conditions
Type of support:
Applicants may request one of the following forms of support:
• Grant only – a lump sum grant for innovation activities
• Blended finance – a grant combined with direct equity or quasi-equity investment, such as a convertible loan
• Investment only – direct equity or quasi-equity investment without a grant component
Funding rate:
The grant component covers up to 70% of eligible project costs.
The beneficiary must finance the remaining 30% from its own resources.
The investment component is not subject to a fixed funding rate. The investment amount, ownership share and other terms are determined individually through the EIC Fund due-diligence and investment process.
Maximum grant per beneficiary:
• Grant-only applications: up to EUR 2,499,999
• Blended-finance applications: normally up to EUR 2,499,999 in grant funding; a higher grant amount may be requested only in exceptional and duly justified cases
• Investment component: minimum EUR 1 million and maximum EUR 10 million
Project duration:
Grant-supported innovation activities should normally be completed within 24 months. A longer duration may be accepted in well-justified cases where it reflects the technology’s maturity and the nature of the planned development and demonstration activities.
Technology Readiness Level (TRL) (if applicable):
Applicants must normally have completed all elements of TRL 5 before applying. The grant component supports innovation activities from TRL 6 to TRL 8, while the investment component can support market deployment and scale-up at TRL 9.
An exception applies to the Fusion Power Plants Challenge, where technologies may be at TRL 4–6 at the time of application due to the different maturity levels of fusion systems and components.
Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) describe the maturity of a technology, ranging from basic research (TRL 1) to fully developed and market-ready systems (TRL 9).
Deadline for submission
7 September 2026