01
Continuous Submissions
Short Proposals can be submitted continuously, with monthly evaluation batches.
Independent EU Funding Advisory
Europe's Deep Tech
deserves European Funding.
Submit your Short Proposal anytime. Prepare your Full Proposal continuously. Enter the next available EIC evaluation batch — with senior support across EIC Accelerator, STEP and Horizon Europe. Short Proposals are evaluated in monthly batches; funding is not guaranteed.
EIC
Accelerator
STEP
Scale Up
Horizon
Europe
AIQuantumSpaceRoboticsPhotonics
Funding
Indicative range near €12.5M
Network
27 EU member states
Independent advisory firm — not affiliated with the European Innovation Council, the European Commission or any EU institution.
EIC 2026 · Always Open
Applications never stop.
Submit your Short Proposal continuously, with monthly evaluation batches. After a successful Short Proposal, prepare and submit your Full Proposal continuously for evaluation at the official cut-offs.
2026
Jan
Mar
May
Jul
Sep
Nov
Between every batch, preparation flows continuously — six predictable evaluation windows across the year.
EIC Accelerator 2026 Process
A continuous application journey.
Three formal selection stages: Short Proposal, Full Proposal and EIC Jury Interview. Technology assessment is part of evaluation. Our technology review, proposal preparation, investor readiness, quality assurance and interview preparation are consulting services.
- 01
Short Proposal
Always OpenContinuous submission; collected for evaluation in monthly batches.
- 02
Full Proposal
Requires a successful Short Proposal. Continuous preparation and submission; evaluation at official cut-offs. Technology assessment is part of evaluation.
- 03
EIC Jury Interview
The third formal selection stage for invited applicants.
Full Proposal
Choose your next evaluation batch.
Jan7 Jan17:00 Brussels
Mar4 Mar17:00 Brussels
May6 May17:00 Brussels
Jul8 Jul17:00 Brussels
Sep2 Sept17:00 Brussels
Nov4 Nov17:00 Brussels
Next available submission
Loading confirmed deadline…
—days until batch close
What's new in 2026
Six structural shifts. One predictable cadence.
Indicative summary based on publicly available EIC information. Final rules are defined by the European Innovation Council.
02
Six Full Proposal Batches
Six officially verified Full Proposal cut-offs across 2026, at 17:00 Brussels local time.
03
Formal Selection
Short Proposal, Full Proposal and EIC Jury Interview — a successful Short Proposal is required to progress.
04
Technology Assessment
Part of the updated evaluation process, not an additional independent application stage.
05
Focused Preparation
Our technology review, proposal preparation, investor readiness and quality assurance are consulting services.
06
Defence & Dual-Use
The 17 June 2026 amendment distinguishes civilian, dual-use and defence-specific applications; assess each instrument separately.
Interactive Funding Journey
From innovation to scaling — one continuous track.
Funding Calendar
2026 evaluation batches at a glance.
Batch 01
January
7 Jan 2026
Batch 02
March
4 Mar 2026
Batch 03
May
6 May 2026
Batch 04
July
8 Jul 2026
Batch 05
September
2 Sept 2026
Batch 06
November
4 Nov 2026
Official 2026 cut-offs: 17:00 Brussels local time (CET/CEST). No 2027 dates have been inferred. eic-accelerator.eu is an independent advisory firm. Official source.
Ready to enter the next evaluation batch?
Begin your Short Proposal preparation today — submit when ready.
Trusted by ambitious innovators
Working alongside Europe's most ambitious technology builders.
Fraunhofer
TU München
ETH Zürich
CEA-Leti
Max Planck
EIT Digital
DLR
Helmholtz
VTT
Imperial
300+
Funding Consultations
50+
Technology Experts
20+
Deep Tech Domains
€ Millions
Funding Potential
What we do
Three programmes. One European playbook.
We position your technology against the programme that fits — and run the proposal like a senior product team would run a launch.
01 / 03
EIC Accelerator
Grant and investment for breakthrough innovation.
Grant + equity for breakthrough Deep Tech innovations with the potential to create or shape new markets across Europe.
- Grant below €2.5M; investment €0.5–10M. Blended finance, grant-only and equity-only are subject to programme conditions.
- Grant-funded innovation activities: TRL 6–8. Evidence of maturity and all other programme conditions must be assessed.
- Indicative combined upper range approaching €12.5M, not a guaranteed entitlement
Explore EIC AcceleratorProgramme
02 / 03
EIC STEP Scale Up
Growth financing for strategic technologies.
Digital / Deep Tech, Clean Technologies and Biotechnology. Separate from the standard EIC Accelerator.
- Equity investments €10–30M; supports financing rounds generally €50M or more, with appropriate investor commitment.
- Eligible SMEs and small mid-caps
- Remaining confirmed 2026 batch: 25 November
Explore STEPProgramme
03 / 03
Horizon Europe
Collaborative European R&D funding.
Relevant collaborative calls are potential matches only; no universal TRL, funding or consortium rule.
- Amounts and funding rates vary by call
- Varies by call
- Consortium requirements vary by call
Explore HorizonProgramme
New
Defence &
Dual-Use Technologies.
The 17 June 2026 Work Programme amendment requires a clear distinction between civilian, dual-use and defence-specific applications. Eligibility must be assessed separately for each instrument; military potential is neither automatic eligibility nor a categorical exclusion. EIC STEP Scale Up Defence is a separate pathway from standard STEP.
Civil
Applications
Dual-Use
Applications
Defence
Specific applications
Dual-Use eligibility, scope and conditions are defined by the relevant European programme rules and may change. Our team supports applicants in interpreting and applying these rules; we do not represent the EIC or the European Commission.
Dual Use · Shield
AI
Robotics
Quantum
Cybersecurity
Space
Semiconductors
Photonics
Energy
Adv. Materials
Biotech
Our experts
Technology meets Funding.
No standard consultants. Our team combines former operators, founders, evaluators and domain scientists across Europe's most demanding technology fields.
L
#01
Artificial Intelligence
Dr. A. Lindqvist
ex-Research Lead, 15y
V
#02
Robotics
Prof. M. Vogel
Spin-off founder, 20y
M
#03
Space Systems
Dr. E. Moreau
ESA programme veteran
Y
#04
Quantum
Dr. K. Yamada
PhD physics, EU consortia
C
#05
Cybersecurity
S. Novak, CISO
Critical infrastructure
B
#06
Semiconductors
Dr. R. Bianchi
Fab & design, 18y
H
#07
Defence
Col. (ret.) J. Hartmann
EDF / OCCAR advisor
A
#08
Med-Tech
Dr. L. Andersen
CE/MDR, clinical strategy
E
#09
IP & Commercialisation
T. Becker, EPA
Patent attorney
R
#10
EU Funding
C. Rossi
EIC evaluator, 80+ proposals
L
#11
Finance
M. Lefèvre
Growth equity, ex-EIB
K
#12
Manufacturing
Dr. P. Kowalski
Scale-up & industrialisation
Our consulting process
Six consulting steps from idea to scaling.
Our consulting services are distinct from the formal EIC selection stages: Short Proposal, Full Proposal and EIC Jury Interview. Funding is not guaranteed.
- 01
Innovation Assessment
Technology, market and readiness review against EU programme criteria.
- 02
Funding Strategy
Programme-fit map: EIC, STEP, Horizon, Eurostars, EDF and national instruments.
- 03
Technology Positioning
Sharpening your narrative for European evaluators and investors.
- 04
Proposal Development
Senior-led writing, financials, work packages and risk framing.
- 05
Interview Preparation
Jury simulation with former EIC evaluators and operators.
- 06
Scaling Support
Post-grant execution: equity round, partnerships and KPIs.
Free pre-submission check
20 reasons EIC proposals get rejected.Check yours in 90 seconds.
A structured pre-submission audit covering eligibility, formal compliance, content consistency and final QA — the exact failure points where most EIC applications quietly lose evaluator points before the first paragraph is even read.
Phase 015 checks
Eligibility & Setup
Before a single page of Part B matters, the basics must be airtight.
- Administrative Eligibility
- PIC Validation
- SME Eligibility
- Ownership Structure
- Financial Statements
Phase 025 checks
Proposal Compliance
Most rejections happen on form, not on substance. We eliminate the form risk.
- Part A Completeness
- Part B Compliance
- Page Limit Verification
- Font & PDF Compliance
- Annex Verification
Phase 035 checks
Content Consistency
Evaluators look for contradictions. We make sure there are none.
- Ethics Self-Assessment
- Security Assessment
- IP Documentation
- Financial Model Consistency
- TRL Consistency
Phase 045 checks
Final QA & Submission
The last 48 hours decide whether the previous six months pay off.
- Market Figures Consistency
- Risk Matrix
- Final Quality Assurance
- Submission Test
- Final Submission
Eligibility Wizard
Check your European funding fit.
Free preliminary assessment. No funding guarantees. Company identification and contact details are optional.
Step 1 of 17
Technology Readiness Level (TRL)
0 / 17 completed
Knowledge Center
Built for operators, not bureaucrats.
Case Studies
Real European Deep Tech, real funding outcomes.
Anonymised stories from companies we've supported. Concrete technology, concrete strategy, concrete outcomes.
Quantum · PhotonicsCase 01
Problem
A spin-off with breakthrough photonic chip technology needed €15M to industrialise.
Innovation
Wafer-scale photonic integration with novel materials platform.
Funding Strategy
Combined EIC Accelerator equity with a STEP Scale Up positioning track.
Result
Shortlisted for interview; co-investment commitment from strategic European fund.
AI · RoboticsCase 02
Problem
A scale-up building autonomy stacks needed non-dilutive capital to expand R&D.
Innovation
Edge-AI control stack for industrial mobile robots with safety certification.
Funding Strategy
Horizon Europe cluster proposal with two industrial partners and a research org.
Result
Awarded multi-million grant; 18-month execution plan with measurable KPIs.
Space · Dual-UseCase 03
Problem
A Deep Tech founder developing space surveillance tech needed strategic funding.
Innovation
Optical payload + on-board AI for resilient situational awareness.
Funding Strategy
Repositioned narrative for the new Dual-Use opening within EIC instruments.
Result
Advanced to evaluation with strong programme fit and security-relevant pathway.
FAQ
Questions, answered with precision.
If something is not covered here, the strategy call is the fastest path to a clear answer.
Book strategy call7 January 2026; 4 March 2026; 6 May 2026; 8 July 2026; 2 September 2026; 4 November 2026. Full Proposal batching: 17:00 Brussels local time. Short Proposals: continuous submission with monthly evaluation batches.
No. We are an independent consulting firm. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or authorised by the European Innovation Council (EIC), the European Commission or any official EU body.
Mainly the EIC Accelerator, EIC STEP Scale Up, Horizon Europe (Pillars II and III), Eurostars, and — where applicable — the European Defence Fund and national co-financing instruments.
Breakthrough innovations with significant market-creating or market-disrupting potential. Grant below €2.5M; investment €0.5–10M. Blended finance, grant-only and equity-only are subject to programme conditions.
Equity investments €10–30M; supports financing rounds generally €50M or more, with appropriate investor commitment. Digital / Deep Tech, Clean Technologies and Biotechnology. Separate from the standard EIC Accelerator.
The 17 June 2026 Work Programme amendment requires a clear distinction between civilian, dual-use and defence-specific applications. Eligibility must be assessed separately for each instrument; military potential is neither automatic eligibility nor a categorical exclusion. EIC STEP Scale Up Defence is a separate pathway from standard STEP.
No serious advisor can. We focus on maximising fit, narrative clarity and technical credibility — the factors that consistently move proposals into the top decile of evaluations.
Grant-funded innovation activities: TRL 6–8. Evidence of maturity and all other programme conditions must be assessed. TRL alone does not determine eligibility. Horizon Europe conditions vary by call.
We support universities, research institutions and academic spin-offs in developing their funding and commercialisation strategies.
Six steps from Innovation Assessment to Scaling Support — adapted to the deadline, programme and your internal capacity.
Engagements are typically a mix of fixed fees and milestone-based components. We discuss the model transparently in the first call.
We are a European team operating across multiple member states, working with clients in EU and Horizon-associated countries.
Yes — including partner search, work-package design, financials and coordinator support.
Yes. We run jury simulations with senior advisors and former EIC evaluators.
Yes. Post-grant scaling support includes investor strategy and introductions where appropriate.
Yes — EN and DE, with team members across other European languages.
From Short Application to award typically 9–12+ months depending on cut-off, step and interview scheduling.
Clarity of narrative, technical credibility and programme fit. The award follows the substance.
All engagements are covered by NDA before any technical content is exchanged.
Eligibility is defined by each programme. We can assess your specific case during the strategy call.
Book a strategy call. We assess fit honestly — and tell you if there is no fit.