What is the EIC Accelerator?
The EIC Accelerator is the largest funding mechanism for startups in Europe providing grants and equity investments for deep tech innovations close to market.
Key Changes in 2026
- Budget increase for open calls (€414 million), challenge budget reduced (€220 million).
- Grant size unchanged (up to €2.5 million grant, up to €10 million equity).
- Minimum equity investment increased from €0.5 million to €1 million.
Application process streamlined
- Step 1: 12-page proposal, pitch deck, and video, submissions batched monthly.
- Step 2: Full application reduced from 50 pages to 20 pages plus annexes for financials and implementation plan.
- Step 3: Pitch/interview sessions thrice yearly in Brussels.
Introduction of technical due diligence by qualified experts before evaluation panels review proposals.
Increased emphasis on business plan, financial modeling, team incentives, and investor support with more detailed annexes.
Evaluation in 2026
- Excellence, Impact, and Implementation criteria remain.
- New ranking system introduced at the full proposal phase; roughly 40% success from interview stage.
- TRL threshold clarified: projects must have finished at least TRL 5.
- IP requirements relaxed to accommodate sectors where Formal Disclosure Obligations (FDO) may not be applicable (e.g., digital).
- Resubmission rule remains: maximum three submissions per applicant/project across Horizon Europe.
Insights from our experts
- Easier to submit but likely more competitive due to higher application volume, especially in AI.
- Higher focus on the quality of Step 1 proposals.
To know more about the EIC Accelerator in 2026
If you want to know more about the changes that will take place in 2026, what our webinar presented by our funding experts:
EIC Updates for 2026 (Part 3): EIC Accelerator
