The European Commission has published the new provisions for the EIC Accelerator 2026, the flagship programme of the European Innovation Council dedicated to supporting high-potential innovative startups and SMEs.

The EIC Accelerator, which is part of the EIC Work Programme 2026, supports the development and scaling up of breakthrough technologies and high-impact solutions capable of creating new markets or transforming existing ones.

The programme is aimed at individual startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and, in certain cases, small mid-caps that have an innovation already validated in a relevant environment (TRL 6–8) and require significant financial resources to accelerate their growth.

What is the EIC Accelerator

The EIC Accelerator, a Horizon Europe programme, supports startups and SMEs developing innovative products, services or business models capable of revolutionising existing markets or creating new ones, both in Europe and globally.

The programme is designed for entities with ambitions for growth and scaling up that require significant funding but for which the risks are too high for private investors alone.

Who can participate

Applications are open to entities from EU Member States and countries associated with the Horizon Europe programme:

• Individual startups or SMEs (including spin-offs);
• Small mid-caps with up to 499 employees that require rapid scaling of activities at TRL 9. These may only apply for the investment component;
• Natural or legal persons interested in establishing an SME or a mid-cap.

Only one application may be submitted to the EIC Accelerator. Further applications may only be submitted after the outcome of the initial application has been received.

The EIC welcomes applications from innovators from all EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon Europe, with a particular focus on startups and SMEs led by female CEOs.

Available funding

The call has a total budget of €634 million and combines non-repayable grants with direct investments.
The programme provides the following main forms of support:

• Grants of up to €2.5 million for innovation activities, to be completed within 24 months.
  Grant-only, for startups and SMEs with scaling-up capacity.
• Equity investments ranging from €1 million to €10 million, with the possibility of higher amounts through the STEP ScaleUP scheme.
• It is also possible to access blended finance, which combines grants and investment.
  Investment only: for companies that wish to scale rapidly without the need for a grant.

Two funding streams are available in 2026:

• EIC Accelerator Open, open to any technological field, with a total budget of €414 million.
• EIC Accelerator Challenges, dedicated to strategic themes, with a total budget of €220 million.

Application process

The procedure consists of three main stages:

1. Short proposal, which can be submitted at any time and is reviewed monthly.
2. Full proposal, to be submitted by one of the six cut-off dates scheduled for 2026 (07/01, 04/03, 06/05, 08/07, 02/09, 04/11).
3. Interview with the EIC jury, reserved for the highest-rated projects.

Projects that achieve a score of at least 13/15 in the remote evaluation but are not selected for funding will receive the Seal of Excellence, which can be used to access alternative funding.

Applications for the call must be submitted via the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal.
The closing date for the call is 17 December 2026.

Support services
Beneficiaries will have access to EIC Business Acceleration Services, including mentoring, coaching, connections to international ecosystems and investors, and networking activities.

For further information and application support, Lombardy-based companies can contact EEN Confindustria Lombardia, which provides free assistance as part of the Enterprise Europe Network: een1@confindustria.lombardia.it

For further information, please visit the official European Commission page.

Source: EIC Accelerator - European Innovation Council - European Commission