As the European Innovation Council has recently published its 2025 Work Programme, we at Strata have created the EIC Accelerator Guide 2025 with the most important novelties.
EIC Accelerator changes and novelties for 2025
- The maximum investment component is now €10 million. Investments above €10 million are available under the STEP call.
- Applications must have completed all elements of Technology Readiness Level 5.
- The evaluation of short proposals (Step 1) will be batched on a monthly basis with results within 4-6 weeks.
- For proposals submitted through the Open and Challenges Calls, unanimous approval in case of consensus meetings is required for a jury interview invitation.
- Nuclear applications are eligible in the case of the EIC Accelerator.
- Equity-only is now open to new applicants.
- WIDERA programme will introduce a pilot EIC Pre-Accelerator call to support early-stage deep tech startups in the so-called widening countries.
Other important changes are related to the application process, available budget, available funding options, funding forms and the new EIC Accelerator challenges.
Budget for the EIC Accelerator
In order to support disruptive technologies, the EIC Accelerator has a budget of €634 million in 2025. The EIC will experience a budget increase in 2025 as €300 million will be deployed in the EIC STEP scaleup call, a new initiative for single startups and SMEs, small mid-caps, or investors working at the scale-up phase.
What are the funding options of the EIC Accelerator?
Grant funding: up to €2.5 million to carry out activities within TRL6 to TRL8. It covers innovation activities, including demonstration of the technology in the relevant environment, prototyping and system level demonstration, R&D and testing required to meet regulatory and standardization requirements, intellectual property management, and marketing approval.
Equity or quasi-equity investment: up to €10 million for market deployment and scale-up in the form of direct equity investments of convertible loans.
Who can apply for the EIC Accelerator?
- A single start-up or SME (including spin-outs) established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe (HE) Associated Country,
- A ‘Small mid-cap’ (up to 499 employees) established in an EU Member State or HE Associated Country, but only for investment-only or for “blended finance” in exceptional cases for rapid scale up purposes;
- One or more natural persons or legal entities willing to set up a SME.
About the EIC Accelerator
The European Innovation Council (EIC) is Europe’s flagship innovation programme that identifies, funds, and scales up breakthrough technologies and game-changing innovations developed by startups and SMEs. This guide is focused on the EIC Accelerator and intends to serve as an overview or starting point for applicants – startups and SMEs – willing to apply for this programme, and also for tech entrepreneurs seeking European funding.
If you want to know more about the application process for the EIC Accelerator for 2025, learn about its novelties in detail, and access Strata’s unique advice and offering, download our guide filling in this form:
Also, if you want to check our previous EIC Accelerator Guide for 2024, you can now read and download it!
Click on this link and download our guide for free to check on the previous requisites.
