The European Innovation Council is the part of Horizon Europe for high-risk breakthrough innovation, from early idea to market. Its distinguishing feature is blended finance – a grant alongside a direct equity investment in the company – and most of its instruments are applied for by a single company rather than a consortium.
- 2026 budget
- >€2.1bn
- Accelerator: grant
- up to 70%, cap €2.5m
- Equity investment
- €1–10m
- Applicant
- A single company
The EIC funds what is too risky for a private investor and too applied for classical science. Its 2026 budget exceeds €2.1bn, making it Europe's largest deep-tech support instrument.
Its key difference from the rest of Horizon Europe: it does not only give a grant – it buys a stake in the company.
Three stages of maturity
Pathfinder (~€262m) – early stage, research on a breakthrough technology. Research action, 100%, lump sum, up to €4m.
Transition (€100m) – bringing a technology to market readiness, usually building on Pathfinder or ERC Proof of Concept results. €0.5–2.5m.
Accelerator (~€634m) – the largest and best known, for companies bringing an innovation to market.
Accelerator: how blended finance works
The grant component reimburses up to 70% of costs, capped at €2,499,999. Separately there is an investment component – €1m to €10m of direct equity through the EIC Fund.
A single company applies – an SME or a small mid-cap. No consortium is required or foreseen.
The calendar is unusual too: short proposals are accepted continuously, full proposals in batches roughly every two months.
There are also purely investment instruments without a grant component – STEP Scale Up at €10–30m, including for critical and dual-use technologies. These run first-come, first-served, and if the annual budget runs out the final batch may not happen.
For Ukrainian companies
As an associated country, Ukraine has access to EIC instruments on general terms. Separately, EIC4Ukraine carries €20m: in April 2026 support for 41 Ukrainian deep-tech companies was announced.
The 2026–2027 programme also introduced an EIC Pre-accelerator for Widening countries worth €40m – and Ukraine is one.
Frequently asked questions
Is a consortium needed for the EIC Accelerator?
No. An Accelerator proposal is submitted by a single company, an SME or a small mid-cap. The same applies to Transition and to Pathfinder Challenges. A consortium is only required in the open part of Pathfinder.
What does “blended finance” mean?
That you receive two different things: a grant that reimburses up to 70% of the costs with a ceiling of around €2.5m, and, separately, a direct investment of between €1m and €10m, in return for which the EIC Fund takes a stake in your company. You may also apply for the grant component only.
When should we submit?
Short proposals to the Accelerator are accepted continuously, so you choose the moment of submission. Full proposals are assessed in batches roughly every two months. The investment instruments work on a first-come, first-served basis, and the last batch of the year may not take place if the budget runs out earlier.
Official materials
Read on GetGrant
Sources
- European Innovation Council – work programme and calls eic.ec.europa.eu · checked 27.07.2026
Data current as of 27.07.2026. Verify the terms with the donor’s official portal before applying.
Updated 27.07.2026 · Reviewed by: GetGrant editorial team
