Can I apply to EIC Accelerator?

By country

• Can a company from an EU country apply?Yes
• Can a company from Poland (a Widening country) apply?Yes
• Can a company from the UK apply?Yes, ifUK companies can get the grant only: EIC Fund equity is not available to them yet.
• Can a company from Switzerland apply?Yes
• Can a company from Norway apply?Yes
• Can a company from Israel apply?Yes
• Can a company from Ukraine apply?Yes
• Can a company from Türkiye apply?Yes
• Can a company from Canada apply?Yes, ifYour company must be set up in, or moved to, the EU or a fully associated country before the full proposal. You can send the short proposal first.
• Can a company from Japan apply?Yes, ifYour company must be set up in, or moved to, the EU or a fully associated country before the full proposal. You can send the short proposal first.
• Can a company from South Korea apply?Yes, ifYour company must be set up in, or moved to, the EU or a fully associated country before the full proposal. You can send the short proposal first.
• Can a company from the United States apply?Yes, ifYour company must be set up in, or moved to, the EU or a fully associated country before the full proposal. You can send the short proposal first.
• Can a company from India apply?Yes, ifYour company must be set up in, or moved to, the EU or a fully associated country before the full proposal. You can send the short proposal first.

By organisation

• Can a founder without a company yet apply?Yes
• Can a startup apply?Yes
• Can an established SME apply?Yes
• Can a mid-cap company apply?Yes, ifSmall mid-caps (up to 499 staff) can only ask for equity, not a grant.
• Can a large company apply?NoNot open to a large company. One SME (EU definition: under 250 staff and turnover up to 50 million euros or balance sheet up to 43 million euros, counting linked and partner companies).
• Can a university apply?NoNot open to a university. One SME (EU definition: under 250 staff and turnover up to 50 million euros or balance sheet up to 43 million euros, counting linked and partner companies).
• Can a research organisation apply?NoNot open to a research organisation. One SME (EU definition: under 250 staff and turnover up to 50 million euros or balance sheet up to 43 million euros, counting linked and partner companies).
• Can a company apply on its own, without partners?Yes

By stage

• Can I apply with an idea or early research?NoToo early: this starts at TRL 5 (a prototype tested outside the lab).
• Can I apply with a proof of concept?NoToo early: this starts at TRL 5 (a prototype tested outside the lab).
• Can I apply with a prototype?Yes
• Can I apply with a pilot with real users?Yes
• Can I apply with a product on the market?Yes

The rules in full

Where you must be based

the EU or countries fully associated with Horizon Europe

The company must be established in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe associated country. UK companies can get the grant only, not EIC Fund equity. Founders from other countries can send a short proposal, but the company must be set up or moved to the EU or an associated country before the full proposal. Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan are associated to Horizon Europe Pillar II only, so they do not count for this programme.

Who can apply

a founder without a company yet, a startup, an SME or a mid-cap

One SME (EU definition: under 250 staff and turnover up to 50 million euros or balance sheet up to 43 million euros, counting linked and partner companies). A founder without a company can apply but must set one up by the time the grant agreement is signed. A small mid-cap (up to 499 staff) can only ask for equity, or in exceptional cases blended finance, never grant only. An investor can also apply on behalf of a company it has an agreement with.

Alone or with partners

Alone

Single company only. No consortia.

Stage

TRL 5 to 9

TRL 5 (validated in a relevant environment) must be fully done. The grant pays for TRL 6 to 8 work. TRL 9 scale-up only fits the equity part.

What you get

grants, equity or grant plus equity, up to €12.5M

Grant up to 2,499,999 euros. Equity from 1 million to 10 million euros through the EIC Fund. Blended finance combines both. Bigger equity tickets go through EIC STEP Scale Up.

Funding rate

70% of eligible costs for the grant; you pay the other 30% yourself