What it pays
- Blended finance. A grant plus an equity investment.
- Grant only. For companies that can scale up without the equity. A company can get this once during the 2021 to 2027 programme.
- Investment only. Equity, or a form of it such as a convertible loan, for companies that do not need a grant.
The grant pays for innovation work at the demonstration stage, which the EU calls technology readiness levels 6 to 8. Winners also get coaching, mentoring and introductions to investors.
The 2026 budget is €414 million for open proposals in any field and €220 million for set challenge topics.
Who it is for, and who it is not for
You can apply as a single start-up or small or medium-sized company, including a spin-out, based in an EU country or a country associated with Horizon Europe. A person who intends to set up a company can apply too. Small mid-caps of up to 499 employees can apply for investment only.
The EIC looks for a product, service or business model that could create a new market or disrupt an existing one, where the risk is too high for private investors alone. That rules out almost every shop, trade and local service.
The odds are long. In the round announced on 15 June 2026, 87 proposals reached the interview stage and 38 companies were funded, from 16 countries.
Irish companies do win. In 2026 CrannMed in Galway was approved for up to €12.5 million, and Pilot Photonics was awarded over €10 million.
The steps
- Send a short proposal at any time: a 12-page form, a pitch deck of up to ten slides and a video of up to three minutes. Proposals are batched on the first Tuesday of each month, and feedback normally comes in about four to six weeks.
- If you get a go, prepare a full proposal: a 20-page form, a pitch deck, an implementation plan and financial information. The 2026 batching dates are 7 January, 4 March, 6 May, 8 July, 2 September and 4 November.
- A technology expert interviews you online about three to four weeks after the batching date. A panel then scores the proposal.
- The top-ranked companies pitch to an EIC jury. Results come two to three weeks after the interview week.
- Winners sign the grant agreement. The EIC Fund then examines the company before it invests, and that decision takes two to six months.
A company can have only one application in at a time. A proposal that scores well but misses out gets a Seal of Excellence, which is meant to help with other funders.
Help in Ireland
Enterprise Ireland leads Ireland's national support network for Horizon Europe. Its national contact points for the EIC advise applicants, and their details are on horizoneurope.ie. Talk to them before you write anything.
Enterprise Ireland also has its own equity funding for high-potential start-ups, and there are Irish seed and venture funds that invest at this stage.
Common questions
Can a shop, cafe or trade apply to the EIC Accelerator?
In practice, no. The programme backs breakthrough technology that could create or disrupt a market, at the stage of working demonstrations. A local business with no new technology does not fit.
Do I have to give up shares?
Only if you take the investment. A grant-only award involves no shares. With blended finance or investment only, the EIC Fund puts in equity or a convertible loan.
When is the next deadline?
A short proposal can be sent at any time and is assessed in the next monthly batch. For full proposals, the last batching date in 2026 is 4 November at 5pm Brussels time. The EIC page listed no 2027 dates when we checked.
Where this comes from
- European Innovation Council, EIC Accelerator
- European Innovation Council, 38 start-ups and SMEs secure EIC support (15 June 2026)
- Horizon Europe Ireland (Enterprise Ireland), European Innovation Council news
- Enterprise Ireland, Ireland ranks second in Horizon Europe EIC Accelerator funding (national support network)
Checked on 3 October 2026. We are an independent guide, not a government service. Rules change, so confirm the detail on the official page before you apply.