EIC Accelerator Grant (SME Instrument Phase 2, EU Funding)

The EIC Accelerator funding (formerly SME Instrument Phase 2) by the European Commission (EC) and the European Innovation Council (EIC) is specifically designed for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) which seek financial support for their innovative product. Read: Assessing an EIC Accelerator Applicant

The funding provides €500,000 to €2,500,000 in the form of a non-refundable grant and up to €15,000,000 via equity financing (i.e. financing which requires equity in exchange) to perform the technical and commercial developments necessary in bringing the innovation to market. In total, blended financing (i.e. the combination of grant and equity) can provide up to €17,500,000 in financial support. Read: Introduction & Grant vs. Blended Finance

Companies from all industries can apply, provided the project is in the prototype stage (i.e. Technology Readiness Level 5) and is unique as well as innovative. Read: Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)


This article was last modified on Apr 15, 2024 @ 11:19

These tips are not only useful for European startups, professional writers, consultants and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) but are generally recommended when writing a business plan or investor documents.

Deadlines: Post-Horizon 2020, the EIC Accelerator accepts Step 1 submissions now while the deadlines for the full applications (Step 2) under Horizon Europe are:

  • Step 1
    • Open now: Apply as soon as possible to be eligible for the next Step 2 submission deadline
      • Proposals are sent for evaluation on the first Tuesday of every month
  • Step 2 (closing 17:00 Brussels Time)
    • 1st cut-off 2025: -
    • 2nd cut-off 2025: March 12th 2025
    • 3rd cut-off 2025: -
    • 4th cut-off 2025: October 1st 2025
  • Step 3
    • 1st cut-off 2025: -
    • 2nd cut-off 2025: TBD
    • 3rd cut-off 2025: -
    • 4th cut-off 2025: TBD

The Step 1 applications must be submitted weeks in advance of Step 2. The next EIC Accelerator cut-off for Step 2 (full proposal) can be found here. After Brexit, UK companies can still apply to the EIC Accelerator under Horizon Europe albeit with non-dilutive grant applications only - thereby excluding equity-financing.

Contact: You can reach out to us via this contact form to work with a professional consultant.

AI Grant Writer: ChatEIC is a fully automated EIC Accelerator grant proposal writer: Get it here.

EU, UK & US Startups: Alternative financing options for EU, UK and US innovation startups are the EIC Pathfinder (combining Future and Emerging Technologies - FET Open & FET Proactive) with €4M per project, Thematic Priorities, European Innovation Partnerships (EIP), Innovate UK with £3M (for UK-companies only) as well as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants with $1M (for US-companies only).

Any more questions? View the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.

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by Stephan Segler, PhD
Professional Grant Consultant at Segler Consulting

General information on the EIC Accelerator template, professional grant writing and how to prepare a successful application can be found in the following articles:

A Quick FTO Guide for EIC Accelerator Applicants in a Rush

2023 Budget Allocations for EIC Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator

Developing the Unique Selling Points (USP) for the EIC Accelerator

Explaining the Resubmission Process for the EIC Accelerator

A Short but Comprehensive Explanation of the EIC Accelerator

EIC Accelerator Success Cases

Deciding Between EIC Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator

A Winning Candidate for the EIC Accelerator

EIC Accelerator Interview Preparation Process: Scripting the Pitch (Part 1)

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