THE FUNDING MAP / GRANTS AND DEADLINES
EIC Accelerator
Funds the last development steps and market entry of a physical product or deep tech that is too risky for private investors alone. The grant covers TRL 6 to 8 work and the equity part covers scale-up. For a hardtech company this is the largest single EU ticket available without a consortium.
Deadlines
Short applications can be submitted at any time and are batched for evaluation on the first Tuesday of each month at 17:00 Brussels time. Full applications only after a positive short application. No 2027 cut-offs were published as of 2026-09-07. 2026 budget EUR 634 million.
Checked 2026-10-12 against eic.ec.europa.eu . Confirm on the official page before you plan a submission.
Who can apply
Open EU-wide and to Horizon Europe associated countries. Single startups, SMEs and small mid-caps (up to 499 employees) in EU member states or Horizon Europe associated countries. Norway and Iceland are associated, so Norwegian and Icelandic companies qualify. Technology at TRL 6 to 8 with a plan to scale. Natural persons intending to found an SME can also apply. Since 17 June 2026 the programme also funds dual-use and defence technologies.
Amount
Grant of up to EUR 2.5 million (lump sum, 24 month project), plus equity or quasi-equity investments from EUR 0.5 million to EUR 10 million (the EIC Accelerator programme page separately states EUR 1 million to EUR 10 million); blended finance combines both.
Other programs
Never miss a cut-off.
Every two weeks the newsletter carries the deadlines coming up, alongside new raises and who is funding what. Free, 8,000+ readers.