EIC - European Innovation Council
The EIC supports deep-tech innovations with highly attractive funding conditions. It is one of the leading initiatives in the European funding landscape and offers three programs that cover different development stages: the Pathfinder for early-stage research, the Transition for industrial research, and the Accelerator for market readiness, scaling, and growth.
Discover the possibilities and learn how you can benefit from the EIC funding programs!
EIC
Who?
SMEs in Europe
How?
Grants of up to €4 million over 2–3 years, with up to 100% funding coverage
What?
Personnel and contract costs, as well as material and marketing costs in research and development
When?
For future projects starting in approximately 6–8 months
EIC Programs: Your Opportunities for Funding Deep-Tech Innovations
EIC Accelerator: Market Readiness and Scaling
The Accelerator program supports companies on their journey to market readiness, scaling, and growth. This program provides comprehensive financial and advisory support to successfully bring your innovative products to market and expand your business.
EIC Pathfinder: Early-Stage Research
The Pathfinder program supports projects in the early research phase that develop innovative approaches and technologies. This program promotes exploratory research and offers the opportunity to test novel concepts and develop initial prototypes.
EIC Transition: Industrial Research
The Transition program focuses on advancing promising research results into industrial applications. Here, you receive support for the development and validation of technologies on the path to successful market introduction and implementation.
Your Path to the EIC Application
The EIC has biannual deadlines for submitting applications. These require a high level of content depth and precise alignment with the respective calls. The application process for the Pathfinder and Transition programs consists of two stages: first, a written evaluation is conducted, followed by a potential interview if the initial evaluation is positive.
Preparing the application materials can take several months, which is why we recommend starting early. The Accelerator program includes a preliminary submission of a project outline, which must receive a positive evaluation from the reviewers before the official application can proceed. Feedback from this initial outline provides valuable insights for the application. Therefore, sufficient time should be allocated for the comprehensive Phase 2 application submission. We recommend beginning the application process at least four to five months before the deadline, as the review of the outline takes approximately six weeks.
Which Program Suits You Best
EIC Pathfinder
✔️ Targeted at early-stage, research-driven companies (TRL 1–4).
✔️ Requires collaboration with at least 3 independent entities, including research institutions and universities.
EIC-Transition
✔️ Targeted at early-stage, research-driven companies (TRL 2–5).
✔️ An EIC Pathfinder, FET, or ERC project is a prerequisite for applying.
EIC-Accelerator
✔️ Targeted at research-driven companies with developed prototypes (TRL 6–8/9).
✔️ The funding supports development up to TRL 8, with equity investments aimed at rapid scaling to TRL 9
Some of Our Partners
Our Goal
Our goal is to maximize your chances of success in securing EIC funding while minimizing your effort. Our experts have successfully handled numerous applications and bring extensive experience to every step of the process.
The high workload and detailed requirements of EIC applications also demand a clear commitment from our partners during the application process, as we rely on your input to prepare high-quality applications. Naturally, we handle the entire application process, including the necessary project management, to ensure timely submission.
Alternatively, we are happy to assist you as part of a review process. We look forward to your inquiry!
