EIC Work Programme 2026: Complete Summary of Europe's Innovation Funding Programme

August 22, 202514,562 words73 min

Introduction to EIC Work Programme 2026
Overview and Strategic Goals
Main Funding Schemes
Key Features of EIC Support
Portfolio Management
Evaluation Approach
Intellectual Property and Open Access
Economic Security Measures
EIC-EIT Collaboration
Outlook for 2027
Conclusion and Key Takeaways

1. Introduction to EIC Work Programme 2026

This document represents a working draft of the EIC work programme for the purpose of feedback and comments. This draft has not been adopted or endorsed by the European Commission. Any views expressed are the views of the Commission services and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the Commission. The information transmitted is intended only for the Member State or entity to which it is addressed for discussions and may contain confidential and/or privileged material.

This document presents the 2026 European Innovation Council (EIC) Work Programme funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. It sets out how the EIC will allocate its funding of over EUR [TBD] billion for the year 2026 and has been prepared following the advice of the EIC Board.

The Work Programme defines the calls for applications targeting innovative researchers, startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), scale up companies, and funders and other organisations and individuals interested in innovation. The focus is on breakthrough technologies and game-changing innovations which are high risk and with a high potential for impact and to scale up internationally and become market leaders.

A broad range of support is available, ranging from grants, investments through the EIC Fund, prizes to Business Acceleration Services (including access to coaching and mentoring, expertise and ecosystem partners). The Work Programme sets out the type of support available, how to apply, and how selection decisions are taken.

It's important for those seeking funding opportunities through the EIC to carefully read and understand the Work Programme to ensure they align with the objectives and meet the eligibility criteria as well as understand each step of the process.

Potential applicants, and those interested in the EIC in general, can find more information, including background to the EIC mission, organisation and practical guidance (e.g. challenge guides, frequently asked questions), on the EIC website: https://eic.ec.europa.eu.

Support and advice for potential applicants is available in each EU Member State and Associated County, through National Contact Points of Horizon Europe (Funding & Tenders (europa.eu)) and through the Enterprise Europe Network (https://een.ec.europa.eu/).

Applications can be submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal (https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home), which can also be accessed via the EIC website (https://eic.ec.europa.eu).

Strategic Goals and Key Performance Indicators

The EIC was established to identify, develop and scale up breakthrough technologies and companies, to achieve the green and digital transition.

The EIC Board provides strategic advice for the EIC Work Programme. For the period 2021-27 the EIC Board has recommended six strategic goals, with associated Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), providing clear direction, track progress, and guide implementation and potential new actions. The baselines and progress against KPI targets will be included in the annual EIC impact reports. The KPIs represent mid to long term targets.

Six Strategic Goals for the EIC:

To be the investor of choice for those with visionary ideas: The EIC must have continent-wide recognition and traction with high potential start-ups, entrepreneurs and innovative researchers, in particular from underrepresented groups such as women innovators and those from less developed ecosystems.
To crowd in EUR 30-50 billion investment into European deep tech: The EIC must bridge a critical financing gap faced by deep tech companies and leverage the EIC Fund to influence the allocation of private assets in their support.
To pull through high-risk technologies in critical areas for society and open strategic autonomy: The EIC must take risks and support the most promising deep tech opportunities from the earliest stage to commercial scale-up, delivering relevant innovations for society and safeguarding against dependencies for key technologies.
To increase the number of European unicorns and scale ups: The EIC must support the growth and scaling up of European start-ups and SMEs to match and ultimately surpass the performance of the USA and Asia.
To catalyse innovation impacts from European public research and innovation: The EIC must build partnerships to draw on, and commercialise, the best ideas from the research base across the EU, and scale-up start-ups funded under other EU or national initiatives.
To achieve operational excellence: The agility and speed of EIC operations and decision making must align with the expectations of applicants, investors and market norms.

In addition, the EIC Board has published a set of recommendations to improve the participation of innovators from widening countries in the EIC. The recommendations are taken forward in the implementation of the EIC Work Programme, for example in the outreach activities and selection of EIC experts and jury members.

2. Overview and Strategic Goals

Overview of the 2026 Work Programme

3. Main Funding Schemes

The funding and support available in 2025 is organised into five main funding schemes:

the EIC Pathfinder for advanced research to develop the scientific basis to underpin breakthrough technologies (Section II);
the EIC Transition to validate technologies and develop business plans for specific applications (Section III);
The EIC Advance Research Challenges to solve specific, ambitious societal or technological problems quickly through staged milestones (section IV)
the EIC Accelerator to support companies (SMEs, start-ups, spin-offs and in some cases small mid-caps) to bring their innovations to market and scale them up (Section V); and
the EIC Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) Scale Up which provides high amounts of investments to scaleup companies in critical areas (SMEs, start-ups, spin-offs and small mid-caps) (Section VI).

In each case, the direct financial support to innovators is complemented with access to a range of externally contracted, bespoke Business Acceleration Services (Section VII) providing access to leading expertise, corporates, investors and ecosystem actors.

Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator provide for "Open" funding which can support technologies and innovations in any field without any predefined priority areas. In the case of the Pathfinder and Accelerator, this Open funding is complemented by a set of "Challenges" which target specific technologies and innovations of strategic interest for the Union. The EIC STEP Scale Up call targets technologies and innovations within the fields of digital technologies, clean and resource efficient technologies, including net-zero technologies; and biotechnologies. Outside of the calls, a budget is also set aside to support follow on investments to companies selected under previous EIC Work Programmes.

The Work Programme also supports a number of innovation prizes (Section VIII), and additional supporting actions allowing the functioning of the EIC such as expert contracts, data management, communication and IT (Section IX).

Linkages between these funding schemes will be maximised through proactive management (see below) and approaches, such as additional 'Booster' grants to EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition projects (Annex 5), the Fast Track scheme to accelerate the access of successful projects from EU programmes to the EIC Accelerator (Annex 3) and the Plug in for access of projects stemming from national programmes (Annex 4).

Summary of Main Calls in 2026

Call	Who can apply	What for	Deadlines/Cut offs
EIC Pathfinder	Open call: only consortia can apply. Higher amounts if duly justified. Challenges call: smaller consortia (at least two eligible entities) or single applicants as well as larger consortia.	Grants up to EUR 4.5 million. Projects to achieve the proof of principle and validate the scientific basis of breakthrough technologies (starting from early TRLs aiming at achieving TRL3 or 4)	06/05/2026 28/10/2026
EIC Transition	Single applicants (SMEs, spin-offs, start-ups, research organisations, universities) or small consortia (minimum 2, maximum 5 eligible entities).	Grants of up to EUR 2.5 million to validate and demonstrate technology in application-relevant environment (starting at TRL 3 achieved or 4 aiming at achieving TRL 5 or 6) and develop business and market readiness.	16/09/2026
EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges	Single applicants (SMEs, spin-offs, start-ups, research organisations, universities) or small consortia (minimum 2, maximum 5 eligible entities).	First stage grants up to [] to develop potential solutions followed by larger grants up to €2.5m to prototype and user test selected solutions
EIC Accelerator	Single start-ups and SMEs (including spin-offs), individuals (intending to launch a start-up/ SME) and in some cases small mid-caps (fewer than 499 employees).	Grant component below EUR 2.5M for innovation activities (TRL 6 to 8) Investment component of EUR 1M up to 10 million for scaling up and other activities. Grant only and investment only component under certain conditions.	Continuous with batches: 7/01/2026; 04/03/2026; 06/05/2026; 08/07/2026; 02/09/2026; 03/11/2026
EIC– STEP Scale Up	Single startups and SMEs, small mid-caps, investors on behalf of eligible companies	Investment component of EUR 10 up to 30 million for scaling up strategic technologies for Europe.	One cut off per quarter: 11/02/2026; 06/05/2026; 09/09/2026; 25/11/2026

Main Changes of the 2026 Work Programme

The 2026 EIC Work Programme introduces a number of changes and simplifications, following advice from the EIC Board, the mid-term review of Horizon Europe, the policy priorities of the EU in particular the Startup and Scaleup Strategy, and experience and feedback from implementation.

Main changes are:

Introduction of pilot EIC Advance Innovation Challenges to re-inforce the risk taking and user uptake of innovations. This call will be implemented through two stages of funding, a first stage open to all applicants calls for proposed solutions to the challenge, and a second stage to be funded through a call for 2027 to select a limited number of the first stage projects to proceed to implement their solutions.
An increase in the indicative budget size of EIC Pathfinder projects to €4.5 million to enable progress to proof of concept stage, along with further introduction of lump-sum together with some minor improvements to the evaluation process.
The inclusion of research results from Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020 research infrastructures as eligible for the EIC Transition call, alongside results from EIC Pathfinder, ERC Proof of Concept, and from Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe.
A major simplification and shortening of the EIC Accelerator evaluation process: reducing the length of application forms which can be reused from short to full application stages: enabling applicants to reuse short applications for the full application stage; introducing a technical due diligence on full applications before the jury phase and to accelerate the subsequent investment decisions; and moving to regular batching of full applications and three jury weeks per year.
Clarifications for the EIC STEP Scaleup call, reflecting experience of implementing this call in 2025
Reinforced Business Acceleration Services for internationalisation and engaging with corporates
Support for a regular Gender and Diversity Innovation index, building on the recent pilot projects
An update of the Plug In scheme, following the completion of the pilot phase in 2023-25.

13. Key Features of EIC Support

The EIC support goes far beyond funding, and it aims at supporting the emergence, acceleration and growth of EIC innovations and deep tech companies. In order to further leverage the EIC investments, all EIC Awardees will be provided with access to a range of externally contracted, bespoke Business Acceleration Services (BAS) at any stage of development of their activities. The EIC uses its pan-European reach to connect EIC Awardees with partners from all around Europe and beyond, thereby also contributing to further develop the innovation ecosystem in Europe by providing access to and from a deal flow of top-level European innovators.

EIC Awardees will also be offered facilitated access to relevant research and technology infrastructures, including those hosted by the Joint Research Centre and receiving funding from Union programmes including on High Performance Computing and in-orbit demonstration and verification activities.

Proactive Project and Portfolio Management by EIC Programme Managers

Support awarded by the EIC, and in particular by the EIC Pathfinder, is more than a one-off funding of a research project. By covering the full innovation cycle, whenever possible EIC aims to push results to higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRL). Whilst EIC Pathfinder Awardees will bear no obligation regarding the development of innovations as part of their project (beyond the evaluated proposal), the EIC will encourage and stimulate further maturation of preliminary findings and results by providing guidance as well as additional and continuous support, including financial one.

Moreover, EIC takes a proactive approach of project and programme management, performed by EIC Programme Managers, to identify, develop and implement such technology visions and to nurture potential market-creating innovations out of EIC funded projects and activities. Proactive management applies to EIC Pathfinder Challenges, EIC Transition and EIC Accelerator projects and consists of the following:

Periodic Reviews and Milestone Assessment

The milestones defined by the proposals for funding will be used to periodically review the progress
Reviews will assess whether the activities foreseen to reach the milestones have been completed and will consider the results and outputs against the overall objectives
The reviews will be undertaken with support of independent experts and overseen by EIC Programme Managers for projects within their portfolios

Review Outcomes and Actions

Following the reviews, the EIC support may be continued on the basis of its implementation according to the description of action, amendments to the grant agreements may be requested or, in case a project has not met agreed milestones, it may be suspended/terminated. It can be even terminated if it has completely lost economic or technological relevance (in accordance with the grant agreement).

Reviews may also result in requests for amendments to ongoing or planned activities or deployment of some necessary Business Acceleration Services (or other relevant ones, like those from EIT-KICs), including additional coaching days and access to crucial expertise. For EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition projects, reviews may also involve an assessment to submit a proposal directly to the EIC Accelerator under the Fast Track scheme or to submit a proposal for additional Booster grants. In addition to the reviews, the EIC Awardees will be expected to keep the Agency regularly informed of progress and pre-alerted in case of difficulties.

EIC Portfolio Management

The EIC funded projects may be included in one or more thematic or Challenge based portfolios of projects ('EIC Portfolios'), providing the projects with a productive setting in which to advance their ideas. For EIC Challenges, the portfolio will reflect the scope of the challenge ("Challenge Portfolio"). Projects to be funded through EIC Open calls may be requested to join one or more Thematic Portfolios.

Projects selected under EIC Pathfinder Challenges will work together with Programme Managers and pursue together as a portfolio a common roadmap for the Challenge. This roadmap is prepared under the guidance of the EIC programme Manager and sets out collective activities, objectives and milestones. In order to take into account relevant changes in science and innovation or the portfolio's achievements or consistency, the objectives and roadmap of an EIC Challenge Portfolio must regularly be assessed and if necessary, revised. Based on any such revision, the Agency may request to amend the projects' activities, milestones and deliverables in accordance with the grant agreement. If a project has been selected under an EIC Challenge topic, and where no amendment can be agreed upon to ensure coherence with the updated objectives of the related Challenge Portfolio, the Agency may suspend or terminate the project in accordance with the grant agreement. EIC portfolio activities are identified and developed by EIC Programme Managers in consultation with the EIC Awardees of the projects in the EIC Portfolio, with relevant Commission services and where appropriate with other interested EIC Community members and third parties such as members of the innovation ecosystem. They aim at developing cooperation within an EIC Portfolio in order to achieve its objectives, enhance research, prepare transition to innovation and stimulate business opportunities understanding and enhancing of regulatory framework, and strengthen the EIC Community. Such activities may cover participation to conferences, workshops or meetings, experience and data sharing, and participation to any relevant Business Acceleration Services events.

A Tailored Approach to Proposal Evaluation

The EIC approach to the evaluation of proposals is tailored to the objectives of each of the EIC funding schemes. For the most mature technologies, when business and market readiness levels are close to market funding, greater emphasis is put on interviews with applicants and a simplified binary scoring (GO/NO GO).

EIC Pathfinder Evaluation

For the EIC Pathfinder, which supports science-towards-technology breakthrough research, the evaluation follows a peer review method where proposals are evaluated, scored and ranked by experts based on weighted criteria and thresholds.

EIC Transition Evaluation

For the EIC Transition, which funds innovation activities that go beyond the experimental proof of concept, proposals will first be evaluated remotely, scored, and ranked based on criteria and thresholds. For the top ranked applicants which are invited to the interview, the jury will decide based on a binary scoring (GO/NO GO).

EIC Accelerator Evaluation

For the EIC Accelerator, which supports high risk/high gain innovations to go to the market and scale up, proposals will be evaluated remotely and at interviews based on a binary scoring (GO/NO GO).

EIC STEP Scale Up Evaluation

For the EIC STEP Scale Up, which supports promising companies developing critical technologies, to help them secure larger funding rounds for further scaling their businesses, proposals will be evaluated following remote interview based on a binary scoring (GO/NO GO).

Policy of Open Access and Intellectual Property Rights

For the EIC Pathfinder, provisions will be applied to ensure open access to scientific publications and promote the uptake of research results.

Moreover, EIC aims to stimulate the cross-fertilisation and exploitation of results from EIC supported projects. Therefore, EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition projects may be requested at any stage by EIC Programme Managers to actively share information about results (including preliminary findings), within their EIC Portfolio and with other relevant EIC projects and parties. The goal is to stimulate and nurture potential innovation out of EIC Pathfinder or EIC Transition results and explore pathways to further development. This exchange of information between EIC Awardees will be without prejudice to their own legitimate interests to exploit the results or findings. To ensure full confidentiality, such sharing will be subject to non-disclosure obligations regarding confidential results, with EIC Awardees retaining the right on a case-by-case basis to fully disclose or not their intellectual property.

Technology transfer and other relevant support is expected to be provided by universities and research organisations for exploiting the results of EIC projects. In the absence of such support and without prejudice to ownership of results, the inventors of results generated by EIC Pathfinder and Transition projects may be entrusted with appropriate access rights for the purpose of further development and exploitation. Exploitation activities may be eligible to additional financial support and services offered by the EIC.

Economic Security Measures

Eligibility Criteria

In line with Article 136 of the Financial Regulation, in order to protect the Union's strategic assets, interests, or security also taking into account the technological objectives and expected outcomes, where necessary and duly justified, legal entities which are directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible third country or by a legal entity established in a non-eligible third country cannot participate as recipients.

This restriction is exceptionally applied under the following calls:

specific Challenges under the EIC Accelerator
the STEP scale up call which supports strategic areas in Digital technologies and deep tech, Clean and resource efficient technologies, Biotechnologies

Investment Safeguards

The inclusion of economic security safeguards in investment agreements by the EIC Fund for companies selected to receive an investment component under the EIC Accelerator, in order to safeguard the Union's strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security and to achieve technological objectives and expected outcomes for companies selected under the EIC STEP Scale Up call as well as within the four priority technology areas defined in the Commission Recommendation on critical technology areas, namely: advanced semiconductors technologies, artificial intelligence technologies, quantum technologies and biotechnologies. The different possible safeguards are described in the EIC Fund Investment Guidelines and will be tailored to each specific investee. Where the need for such safeguard measures is identified in the Commission Award Decision, the EIC Fund will apply at least one of the safeguard measures in the investment agreement.

The requirement for investment-related measures will be introduced in the Commission Award Decision only in the case of projects (i) selected under the STEP Scale up call or falling within the four priority technology areas and (ii) involving specific technologies listed in the second column of the Annex to Commission Recommendation C(2023)6689. Moreover, the safeguard measures will only concern projects whose core purpose is to develop one of these specific technologies and not projects where these technologies are a tool or method that will be applied for a specific application, but without substantial development of the technology itself.

Intellectual Property Protection

EIC Investments and Compliance

The EIC applies the EU rules, policies and procedures, addressing the requirements in respect of money laundering, terrorism financing, tax avoidance, tax fraud, tax evasion contained in Article 158(2)(a) of the Financial Regulation and complies with the prohibition to enter into new or renewed operations with entities incorporated or established in jurisdictions listed under the relevant Union policy on non-cooperative jurisdictions or that are identified as high-risk third countries or that do not effectively comply with Union or internationally agreed tax standards on transparency and exchange of information, as well as the possibility to derogate from this requirement when the action is physically implemented in one of those jurisdictions, contained in Article 158(2)(b) of the Financial Regulation.

The breach of these obligations may lead to the interruption of the equity investment process.

EIC-EIT Collaboration

The EIC is progressively increasing collaboration and synergies with the EIT and its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) with the overall aim of strengthening the European Innovation Ecosystem. A number of collaboration areas are already in place and will continue to be supported under the current Work Programme facilitating the access to services to European innovators.

Collaboration Areas

Fast Track process: By EIT KICs, that allows proposals from companies selected by the EIT KICs to enter the EIC Accelerator evaluation at the second stage will continue
Service access: EIC beneficiaries will have access to the services provided by the EIT KICs via the partnerships agreed with the Business Acceleration Services
Next Generation Innovation Talents: The scheme allows EIT Label Masters and Doctoral programmes, EIT Alumni, EIT Jumpstarter beneficiaries to undertake secondments in EIC and EIT supported startups and SMEs
Women entrepreneurs: Collaboration will continue to promote women entrepreneurs, with EIT access to the EIC Women Leadership Programme and a joint approach to the women innovator's prizes

Key Features Summary

The key features of EIC support can be summarized as follows:

Comprehensive support: A combination of financial and non-financial support to accelerate and grow EIC innovations and companies
Proactive management: EIC Programme Managers provide ongoing guidance and support throughout the project lifecycle
Tailored evaluation: Different evaluation approaches for different funding schemes based on maturity and objectives
Open access and IP management: Balanced approach to open science and intellectual property protection
Economic security: Comprehensive measures to protect EU strategic interests and assets
Ecosystem collaboration: Strong partnerships with EIT and other innovation ecosystem actors
Portfolio approach: Strategic management of project portfolios to maximize impact and synergies
Continuous support: Ongoing assistance beyond initial funding through Business Acceleration Services

14. Portfolio Management

EIC Portfolio Structure and Organization

EIC Programme Managers

EIC Programme Managers are high-level experts in specific fields of technology, business and innovation and who manage one or more EIC Portfolios. They are appointed to work in the Agency for a limited duration, in order to develop visions for breakthrough technologies and innovations, and to proactively manage portfolios of projects. They are appointed in accordance with point 1.2.2. of Pillar III in Annex I to Council Decision 2021/764, as temporary staff employed by the Agency to manage one or more EIC Portfolios.

EIC Programme Managers are subject to strict rules concerning conflicts of interest and confidentiality. They play a crucial role in:

Identifying, developing and implementing technology visions
Nurturing potential market-creating innovations out of EIC funded projects and activities
Managing proactive project and programme management approaches
Overseeing portfolio reviews and milestone assessments
Facilitating collaboration within EIC Portfolios
Coordinating with EIC Project Officers and other stakeholders

Portfolio Activities and Collaboration

EIC portfolio activities are identified and developed by EIC Programme Managers in consultation with the EIC Awardees of the projects in the EIC Portfolio, with relevant Commission services and where appropriate with other interested EIC Community members and third parties such as members of the innovation ecosystem. They aim at developing cooperation within an EIC Portfolio in order to achieve its objectives, enhance research, prepare transition to innovation and stimulate business opportunities understanding and enhancing of regulatory framework, and strengthen the EIC Community.

Types of Portfolio Activities

Portfolio activities could include, but are not limited to:

Defining common objectives and activities
Building synergies within the EIC Portfolio and with any outside relevant partners, including within the EIT Community
Engaging strategic partners to overcome common challenges
(Co)-organising events
Maximising data sharing
Raising visibility of the EIC Portfolio's community and the EIC
Participation to conferences, workshops or meetings
Experience and data sharing
Participation to any relevant Business Acceleration Services events

Portfolio Management in Different Funding Schemes

EIC Pathfinder Portfolio Management

For EIC Pathfinder projects, the EIC Project Officer and relevant EIC Programme Manager will contact applicants and provide support during the grant agreement preparation to plan the portfolio activities which will be expected to entail collaboration between projects. During the execution of the project, you will interact continuously with the EIC Project Officer assigned to your project and the EIC Programme Manager, assigned to the Challenge Portfolio of your project, who will oversee all the portfolio projects.

For EIC Pathfinder Challenges, EIC Programme Managers participate as members in some evaluation committees as specified in the call texts. The evaluation committee will consist of EIC expert evaluators and EIC Programme Managers, and a portfolio approach will be used to get a variety of potential solutions.

EIC Transition Portfolio Management

EIC Transition projects benefit from the support of EIC Tech to Market Advisers, who are agents employed by the Agency to assist primarily the EIC Transition projects, in agreement with EIC Programme Managers and in cooperation with EIC Project Officers, with the design and the execution of the transition plan and to facilitate access to, and follow-up of, the relevant Business Acceleration Services.

EIC Accelerator Portfolio Management

For the EIC Accelerator, EIC Programme Managers and, in the case of the EIC Accelerator representatives of the EIB as Investment Adviser to the EIC Fund, may participate in jury interviews as observers, but will not be members of the jury. The EIC Jury will be composed of between four and six members and may additionally include one EIC Programme Manager with expertise in your area or managing one of the EIC Portfolios your project could be allocated to.

EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges Portfolio Management

The EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges are shaped and steered by EIC Programme Managers, in collaboration with users and ecosystem actors, to ensure strong alignment between cutting-edge science, demand, and policy priorities.

Information Sharing and Confidentiality in Portfolios

EIC aims to stimulate the cross-fertilisation and exploitation of results from EIC supported projects. Therefore, EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition projects may be requested at any stage by EIC Programme Managers to actively share information about results (including preliminary findings), within their EIC Portfolio and with other relevant EIC projects and parties. The goal is to stimulate and nurture potential innovation out of EIC Pathfinder or EIC Transition results and explore pathways to further development.

Access to Information About Results

At any time and without prejudice to the EIC Awardee's ownership of results, the EIC Programme Manager may request any EIC Awardee to facilitate information on results (preliminary or final) generated by the action, with the aim to probe their potential for further innovation.

Where any such result (preliminary or final) was not already made public through agreed dissemination activities or a patent or protection by any other intellectual property right, that information shall be earmarked and treated by the Agency as confidential and disseminated only to:

Other EIC Awardees, bound by an EIC grant agreement or an EIC contract, that refers to or includes the obligations detailed under non-disclosure obligations
EIC inventors having signed a non-disclosure agreement with the Agency, providing for the obligations detailed under non-disclosure obligations
Other member of the EIC Community platform established in a Member State or an Associated Country and having signed a non-disclosure agreement with the Agency, providing for the obligations detailed under non-disclosure obligations

Non-Disclosure Obligations

Where EIC Awardees are informed on or given access or disclosure to any preliminary findings, results or other intellectual property generated by other EIC actions, and where this information is earmarked as confidential, they must:

Keep it strictly confidential
Not disclose it to any person without the prior written consent of the owner, and then only under conditions of confidentiality equal to those provided under this section
Use the same degree of care to protect its confidentiality as the EIC awardee uses to protect its own confidential information of a similar nature
Provide information within 30 days upon request from the EIC Programme Manager for the purpose of EIC portfolio activities

Objection Rights

EIC Awardees may object to the obligation provided for under information sharing when:

Committing to either publish or patent or protect by any other intellectual property right and without unreasonable delays, or
Demonstrating concrete exploitation of the said preliminary findings and results, subject to initial discussion with and final agreement of the Agency on the corresponding update of the Plan for dissemination and exploitation

Portfolio-Based Support and Services

The BAS services are also used by EIC Programme Managers and EIC Project Officers to proactively manage the EIC portfolios. This includes:

Evidence-based support to operational activities such as the proactive management by EIC Programme Managers
Support to the EIC Feedback to Policy (F2P) mandate
Support to EIC equity related activities
Portfolio-wide Business Acceleration Services
Collaborative events and workshops
Cross-portfolio knowledge sharing and best practices

Portfolio Evaluation and Assessment

Portfolio activities are evaluated based on specific criteria:

Contribution of the activity to the objectives of the EIC Portfolio (Excellence)
Timeliness of the activity proposed to maximise its impact (Impact)
Engagement of EIC Portfolio's projects and relevant external partners (Quality and efficiency of implementation)

Portfolio Management Benefits

The portfolio management approach provides several key benefits:

Synergy Creation: Projects within portfolios can leverage each other's expertise and resources
Strategic Alignment: Ensures all projects contribute to common objectives and milestones
Knowledge Sharing: Facilitates exchange of best practices and lessons learned
Resource Optimization: Maximizes the impact of EIC investments through coordinated activities
Ecosystem Building: Strengthens the broader innovation ecosystem through collaborative activities
Market Creation: Enables portfolio-wide approaches to market development and commercialization
Policy Impact: Provides coordinated input to policy development and regulatory frameworks

Portfolio Management Tools and Platforms

The EIC Community platform serves as a key tool for portfolio management, facilitating:

Communication between EIC Awardees and Programme Managers
Access to Business Acceleration Services
Discussions, exchanges and match making
Virtual meetings and collaborative sessions
Access to EIC Ecosystem Partners
Portfolio-wide announcements and updates

This comprehensive portfolio management approach ensures that EIC investments are maximized through strategic coordination, knowledge sharing, and collaborative activities that benefit both individual projects and the broader European innovation ecosystem.

15. Evaluation Approach

Tailored Evaluation Approach

Evaluation Methods by Funding Scheme

EIC Pathfinder Evaluation

EIC Pathfinder Open Evaluation Process

Your proposal will be first evaluated and scored individually by at least three EIC expert evaluators with respect to the award criteria. The score for each award criterion will be the average of the evaluators' scores. The overall score from this individual evaluation phase will be the weighted sum of the three median scores from the three award criteria.

The evaluation committee, which will be composed of EIC expert evaluators different than those who evaluated the proposals individually, will decide on the final score on the basis of the score from the individual evaluation phase and the outcome of its consensus discussion. The evaluation committee may also propose some minor adjustments to the proposals as far as needed for the consistency of the portfolio approach. These adjustments will be in conformity with the conditions of the call.

EIC Pathfinder Challenges Evaluation Process

Your proposal will be evaluated first by EIC expert evaluators. You will be informed about the result of this evaluation, including feedback on your proposal, indicatively within 9 weeks after the call deadline. If your proposal successfully passes the first step evaluation, you will be invited to an interview with an EIC jury.

In a first step, at least three EIC expert evaluators will evaluate and score your proposal against each award criterion. The overall score for each evaluation criterion will be the average of the corresponding scores attributed by the individual evaluators. The total score of your proposal will be the sum of the overall scores from the three evaluation criteria. Proposals invited to interview must have met all evaluation criteria thresholds from the remote evaluation.

The second step is an interview with an EIC jury. At the interview your proposal may be represented by a maximum of five persons. Only individuals mentioned in the proposal and involved in the future project implementation can represent the proposal. The EIC Jury will be composed of between four and six members and may additionally include one EIC Programme Manager with expertise in your area or managing one of the EIC Portfolios your project could be allocated to. The Agency may provide the EIC Jury with information related to the original project from which the result was generated.

During the interview you should convincingly pitch your proposal to the EIC Jury, who will ask you questions aimed at clarifying various aspects of your proposal in line with the award criteria (in particular those regarding the quality of the team, the different elements of the proposal, the implementation, and KPIs). The EIC Jury will recommend your proposal for funding, place it on a reserve list or not ('GO', 'GO Reserve' 'NO GO').

EIC Transition Evaluation

EIC Transition Evaluation Process

Your proposal will be first evaluated and scored individually by at least three EIC expert evaluators with respect to the award criteria. After the individual evaluation, these evaluators will get together in a consensus group to agree on a common position on comments and scores. The evaluation committee will be composed of EIC expert evaluators and EIC Programme Managers.

If you meet all evaluation criteria thresholds at the first step but are not selected for funding (including from a No-GO recommendation from the jury), you will be awarded a Seal of Excellence. If the proposal is successful at the first step, you will be invited to an interview with an EIC jury.

EIC Accelerator Evaluation

For the EIC Accelerator, which supports high risk/high gain innovations to go to the market and scale up, proposals will be evaluated remotely and at interviews based on a binary scoring (GO/NO GO).

EIC Accelerator Evaluation Process

The EIC Accelerator evaluation process consists of three main steps:

Short proposals which may be submitted at any time, and which will be evaluated remotely by EIC expert evaluators
Full proposals for selected applicants from step 1
Interview with an EIC jury for selected applicants as the final step in the evaluation process

Step 1: Short Proposal Evaluation

Short proposals will be evaluated by four EIC expert evaluators. These four evaluators' competences will match the area of technology and market application of your innovation. The EIC expert evaluators will look at the innovativeness/disruptiveness of your idea, its impact and your team using the evaluation criteria specified below.

By an Evaluation Committee of at least three independent experts and the Agency staff organised in thematic panels (e.g., digital, lifesciences, cleantech) who will score your proposal against the award criteria. The evaluation committee will recommend one of the following outcomes:

A GO and invited to submit a full proposal
A NO GO but awarded a Seal of Excellence if the Jury confirms the assessment of the evaluation committee that the criteria are met, but it is not recommended for funding within the budget available
A NO GO if the proposal does not meet the evaluation criteria identified at the technical due diligence and evaluation committee stages and which mean the proposal does not meet all of the evaluation criteria. In such cases, you will receive feedback to justify this recommendation

Step 2: Full Proposal Evaluation

The top ranked applications, between 2 and 2.5 times the budget available, will be invited to the jury interview. The EIC jury will have access to your full proposal and the technical due diligence report. During your interview you will be requested to present your proposal and interact with the Jury on a number of questions.

Full proposals will be assessed according to the award criteria. The EIC Jury may focus the interview on any element of your proposal based on the remote evaluation and technical due diligence report.

Step 3: Jury Interview

The EIC Jury members, based on your interview and their overall assessment, will recommend one of three outcomes for your proposal:

GO: Your proposal meets all of the evaluation criteria and is recommended for a potential equity investment. The Jury may provide observations for consideration by the EIC Fund regarding the investment amount or other considerations
NO GO: Your proposal does not meet all the evaluation criteria required for funding. You will receive detailed feedback outlining the areas where your proposal fell short to help you improve for future applications

EIC STEP Scale Up Evaluation

EIC STEP Scale Up Evaluation Process

Proposals will be assessed according to the award criteria. The EIC Jury may focus the interview on any element of your proposal based on its own assessment.

The EIC Jury members, based on your interview and their overall assessment, will recommend one of three outcomes for your proposal:

GO and Sovereignty Seal: Your proposal meets all of the evaluation criteria and is recommended for a potential equity investment
NO GO and Sovereignty Seal: Your proposal meets the excellence criteria but is not recommended for funding
NO GO: Your proposal does not meet all the evaluation criteria required for funding

EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges Evaluation

Your proposal will be evaluated committee consisting of EIC expert evaluators and chaired by an EIC programme manager responsible for the Challenge. A portfolio approach will be used to get a variety of potential solutions.

EIC Expert Evaluators and Evaluation Committees

EIC Expert Evaluators are external independent experts in their field who assess proposals for funding against the criteria defined in the Work Programme. The EIC expert evaluators are selected from the Funding & Tenders Portal Expert Database.

EIC evaluation committees are panels of EIC expert evaluators who evaluate proposals and rank those that have passed the applicable thresholds. In the case of EIC Pathfinder Challenges, EIC Programme Managers participate as members in some evaluation committees as specified in the call texts.

EIC Juries

EIC Juries are panels of specifically selected EIC expert evaluators (including, for example, independent investors, business angels and entrepreneurs) who conduct face to face interviews with applicants to the EIC Transition, EIC Accelerator and EIC STEP Scale Up calls as part of the evaluation procedure. EIC Programme Managers and, in the case of the EIC Accelerator representatives of the EIB as Investment Adviser to the EIC Fund, may participate in jury interviews as observers, but will not be members of the jury.

Evaluation Criteria Framework

The evaluation criteria are tailored to each funding scheme and typically include:

Excellence: Quality of the proposed research/innovation activities
Impact: Potential for creating new markets or addressing societal challenges
Quality and Efficiency of Implementation: Quality of the team and implementation approach

Scoring and Thresholds

Evaluation scores will be awarded for the criteria, and not for the different aspects listed. For Coordination and Support Actions full applications, each criterion will be scored out of 5. The threshold for individual criteria will be 3.0 and the overall threshold will be 10.0.

For proposals that pass the individual threshold, they will be considered for funding, with the final selection based on ranking and available budget.

Seal of Excellence

If you meet all evaluation criteria thresholds but are not selected for funding due to budget constraints, you will be awarded a Seal of Excellence. This quality label can help you access alternative funding sources and demonstrates that your proposal met the high standards required by the EIC.

Feedback and Communication

Applicants receive detailed feedback on their proposals, including:

Individual evaluator comments and scores
Consensus group feedback
Jury interview feedback (where applicable)
Specific areas for improvement
Timeline for results communication

Evaluation Timeline

Typical evaluation timelines include:

Remote evaluation: Indicatively within 9 weeks after the call deadline
Jury interviews: Indicatively within 4 weeks from the start of the interviews
Final results: Varies by funding scheme and call type

Quality Assurance and Independence

The evaluation process ensures:

Independence: External experts with no conflicts of interest
Transparency: Clear criteria and processes
Consistency: Standardized evaluation approaches
Fairness: Equal treatment of all proposals
Confidentiality: Protection of sensitive information

Specialized Evaluation Features

Patent Assessment

For EIC Accelerator proposals, the European Patent Office (EPO) will provide an assessment of the patent strategy of EIC proposals shortlisted for EIC Jury interview. EPO experts will not participate directly in the evaluation process but will provide their assessment to the EIC Jury as material 'for information'. The assessment will not be binding and the Jury appointed by the EIC will have complete freedom to decide on its relevance.

Portfolio Considerations

For Challenge-based calls, a portfolio approach is used to ensure a variety of potential solutions and strategic coherence across funded projects. The evaluation committee may propose adjustments to proposals for consistency of the portfolio approach.

Technical Due Diligence

For certain funding schemes, technical due diligence is conducted to assess the technical feasibility and commercial potential of proposals. This includes detailed technical and market analysis by specialized experts.

This comprehensive evaluation approach ensures that the EIC selects the most promising innovations while maintaining high standards of excellence, impact, and implementation quality across all funding schemes.

16. Intellectual Property and Open Access

Policy Overview

The EIC implements a comprehensive policy on open access and Intellectual Property rights that balances the need for knowledge sharing and innovation with the protection of intellectual assets. For the EIC Pathfinder, provisions will be applied to ensure open access to scientific publications and promote the uptake of research results. For the EIC Accelerator, the Intellectual Property rules are included in the contract and/or investment agreement.

Open Access Requirements

Scientific Publications

EIC beneficiaries must ensure open access to all peer-reviewed scientific publications relating to their results. This includes:

Depositing the research output in a repository and providing open access to it under a CC BY licence, a public domain dedication (CC 0) or equivalent
Ensuring immediate open access to the publication version, or at the latest within 6 months of publication (12 months for social sciences and humanities)
Providing information about the research output in a repository

Exceptions to Open Access

As an exception, if providing open access would be against the beneficiaries' legitimate interests, the beneficiaries must grant non-exclusive licences, on fair and reasonable conditions, to legal entities that need the research output for the sole purpose of addressing a specific public policy challenge.

Intellectual Property Management

Ownership and Protection

EIC Awardees retain ownership of the intellectual property generated by their projects. However, they must:

Formally protect the generated Intellectual Property (IP) in an adequate way
Develop a comprehensive intellectual property strategy
Carry out freedom to operate analysis
Ensure they have the necessary Intellectual Property Rights to commercialise the results

IP Strategy Requirements

For EIC Transition projects, you must confirm in your proposal that you are the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) owner or holder and have the necessary rights to commercialise the results of the project for the whole duration of the EIC Transition project.

Information Sharing and Cross-Fertilisation

Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure

This exchange of information between EIC Awardees will be without prejudice to their own legitimate interests to exploit the results or findings. To ensure full confidentiality, such sharing will be subject to non-disclosure obligations regarding confidential results, with EIC Awardees retaining the right on a case-by-case basis to fully disclose or not their intellectual property.

Access to Information About Results

Other EIC Awardees, bound by an EIC grant agreement or an EIC contract, that refers to or includes the obligations detailed under non-disclosure obligations
EIC inventors having signed a non-disclosure agreement with the Agency, providing for the obligations detailed under non-disclosure obligations
Other member of the EIC Community platform established in a Member State or an Associated Country and having signed a non-disclosure agreement with the Agency, providing for the obligations detailed under non-disclosure obligations

Objection Rights

EIC Awardees may object to the obligation provided for under information sharing when:

Committing to either publish or patent or protect by any other intellectual property right and without unreasonable delays, or
Demonstrating concrete exploitation of the said preliminary findings and results, subject to initial discussion with and final agreement of the Agency on the corresponding update of the Plan for dissemination and exploitation

Non-Disclosure Obligations

Keep it strictly confidential
Not disclose it to any person without the prior written consent of the owner, and then only under conditions of confidentiality equal to those provided under this section
Use the same degree of care to protect its confidentiality as the EIC awardee uses to protect its own confidential information of a similar nature
Act in good faith at all times
Not use any of it for any purpose other than assessing opportunities to propose other research or innovation activities to the EIC, or any other initiative agreed by the owner

Duration of Obligations

The provisions of non-disclosure obligations will be in force for a period of 60 months following the end or the termination of the grant agreement or of the participation of the EIC awardee, at the end of which period they will cease to have effect.

Plan for Exploitation and Dissemination

EIC Awardees must report to the Agency on their exploitation and dissemination activities:

In accordance with the grant agreement, together with any updated version of the plan for exploitation and dissemination
Within 30 days upon request from the EIC Programme Manager for the purpose of EIC portfolio activities

The Agency may also request an update of the plan for exploitation and dissemination of the results at any time during the implementation of the action.

Consortium Agreement Requirements

EIC Awardees must address and agree in their Consortium agreement on all related intellectual property issues, from ownership and co-ownership of results to the consortium's internal approval process for their dissemination. EIC Awardees must also identify therein any pre-existing technology fitting the action's needs and objectives and try to reach appropriate licensing agreement between them to prevent research funding redundancy.

The EIC Awardees are deemed to have signed the Consortium agreement at the date of the signature of this grant agreement. The Agency may require a copy at any time in accordance with the grant agreement.

Dissemination Activities

Each EIC awardee will propose and undertake dissemination activities of the plan for exploitation and dissemination agreed by the Agency with the aim of supporting innovation in the European Union and fostering the development of the EIC Community, opting for publications as main route to bring technical and scientific knowledge to the public.

Conditions for Dissemination

When approving the plan for exploitation and dissemination of the results or any update, the Agency may subject any proposed dissemination activity to one or a combination of the following conditions:

The prior assessment of any innovation potential of the results to be disseminated
The prior protection of the result to be disseminated, in accordance with the grant agreement, the cost being eligible

Agency Support for Dissemination

Where the Agency disagrees to a dissemination activity, it will actively assist the EIC Awardees to achieve compliance with the required conditions, without unreasonable delay and in due time, notably by proposing complementary EIC support for exploitation or a support of the Business Acceleration Services.

The Agency is hereby entrusted with the right to also disseminate and promote the exploitation of any results that are made public by the EIC awardee or with its assent.

Exploitation of Results

EIC Awardees must use their best efforts to exploit their results or have them exploited by a third party, in priority those established in a Member State or an Associated Country, including through transfer or licensing. The Agency may object to a transfer of ownership or the exclusive licensing of results under certain conditions as detailed in the EIC grant agreement.

Reporting Requirements

EIC Awardees must report on any exploitation operation:

At the reporting periods provided for in the grant agreement
With the periodicity agreed at the end of the action together with the final exploitation and dissemination plan
Within 30 days upon request from the Agency, within 4 years after final payment

Support for EIC Inventors

Each EIC Awardee agrees upon signature of the grant agreement, to ensure the necessary support or access rights for the further development and exploitation of results that any of its EIC Inventors have contributed to (respecting the transfer rule).

If the EIC Awardee provides financial or other support to the EIC Inventor for any such exploitation, royalties or other returns may be shared with the EIC Awardee on mutually beneficial terms, provided the conclusion of any such agreement does not prevent the EIC Inventor(s) to exercise their rights. Such financial support should include as a minimum the full or partial funding of the costs of relevant Intellectual Property Right protection in major jurisdictions. Other support includes expertise, access to infrastructure and facilities, or other forms of support. The royalties and other returns to the EIC Awardee should be fair and proportionate to the financial and other support provided.

Default Access Rights

If the EIC Awardee does not commit to provide support within a maximum period of 6 months from the date of the first formal request from the EIC Inventor, or that support is manifestly inadequate, then the EIC Awardee must entrust sufficient access rights to allow the EIC Inventor to further develop and exploit the result. If the EIC Awardee does not provide support for exploitation, then by default the access rights to the EIC Inventor are royalty free.

Technology Transfer Support

Economic Security and IP Transfer

A requirement exists in the grant agreement for all EIC beneficiaries to inform the Agency in cases where the Intellectual Property generated by EIC projects is proposed to be transferred to an entity in a non-associated third country. This is part of the economic security measures to protect Europe from economic security risks.

Failure to Exploit or Disseminate

The Agency is entrusted with the right to disseminate and promote the exploitation of results that have not been made public through dissemination activities or patent or protection by any other IPR, where the EIC awardee owning it:

Does not provide any information regarding exploitation or dissemination of those results, or
Neither intends to exploit nor disseminate those results, or
Declares to continue research activities on those results but without a view of their subsequent exploitation, or
Where, despite its best efforts, no exploitation or dissemination takes place within the delays provided in the final exploitation and dissemination plan set out in the grant agreement and in the absence of any demonstrated alternative exploitation or dissemination opportunity

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Where the EIC awardee continues to oppose to the dissemination by the Agency or refuses to provide any data or document necessary for the said dissemination, the Agency may impose penalties in accordance with the grant agreement.

IP Protection Support

The EIC provides various forms of support for intellectual property protection:

Financial support: Full or partial funding of the costs of relevant Intellectual Property Right protection in major jurisdictions
Expertise: Access to IP experts and specialists
Infrastructure: Access to facilities and resources for IP development
Training: Specialized trainings on intellectual property protection
Due diligence: Technology due diligence support including IP assessment

Key Principles

The EIC's approach to Intellectual Property and Open Access is based on several key principles:

Balance: Striking the right balance between open access and IP protection
Innovation: Promoting innovation through knowledge sharing and cross-fertilisation
Protection: Ensuring adequate protection of intellectual assets
Exploitation: Maximizing the exploitation potential of research results
Transparency: Maintaining transparency in IP management and dissemination
Security: Protecting EU strategic interests through economic security measures

This comprehensive approach ensures that EIC projects can both protect their intellectual assets and contribute to the broader innovation ecosystem through appropriate knowledge sharing and dissemination activities.

17. Economic Security Measures

Overview of Economic Security Strategy

Following the Communication on the European Economic Security Strategy and the Commission Recommendation on critical technology areas for the EU's economic security, a number of provisions have been made to protect Europe from economic security risks. These measures are designed to safeguard the Union's strategic assets, interests, autonomy, and security while ensuring that technological objectives and expected outcomes are achieved.

Key Economic Security Measures

1. Eligibility Criteria Restrictions

Scope of Application

This restriction is exceptionally applied under the following calls:

Specific Challenges under the EIC Accelerator
The STEP scale up call which supports strategic areas in Digital technologies and deep tech, Clean and resource efficient technologies, Biotechnologies

Definition of Non-Eligible Third Countries

Non-eligible third countries are countries other than countries associated to the Horizon Europe Framework Programme for the purposes of the relevant EIC actions and other countries specified in the call texts. Unless otherwise stated, such non-eligible countries are all countries other than EU Member States and Associated Countries.

Assessment Criteria

When participants are owned and controlled by natural persons, the nationality of these natural persons is the relevant factor for the assessment. However, depending on the risk assessment, and with a view to attracting global talent, the Agency, with the confirmation of its parent DGs and the programme committee may decide to use the place of residence of such controlling owners as the relevant factor for the assessment.

2. Investment Safeguards

Advanced semiconductors technologies
Artificial intelligence technologies
Quantum technologies
Biotechnologies

Implementation of Investment Safeguards

The different possible safeguards are described in the EIC Fund Investment Guidelines and will be tailored to each specific investee. Where the need for such safeguard measures is identified in the Commission Award Decision, the EIC Fund will apply at least one of the safeguard measures in the investment agreement.

Conditions for Investment Safeguards

3. Intellectual Property Transfer Restrictions

A requirement exists in the grant agreement for all EIC beneficiaries to inform the Agency in cases where the Intellectual Property generated by EIC projects is proposed to be transferred to an entity in a non-associated third country. This measure ensures that strategic intellectual property remains within the EU or associated countries.

Critical Technology Areas

The economic security measures specifically target the four priority technology areas defined in the Commission Recommendation on critical technology areas for the EU's economic security:

Advanced Semiconductors Technologies

This includes technologies related to semiconductor manufacturing, design, and advanced chip development that are critical for Europe's technological sovereignty and economic security.

Artificial Intelligence Technologies

This encompasses AI development, machine learning, and related technologies that have significant implications for economic competitiveness and security.

Quantum Technologies

This includes quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing technologies that represent the next generation of computing and communication capabilities.

Biotechnologies

This covers advanced biotechnological applications, synthetic biology, and related life sciences technologies that are critical for health, agriculture, and industrial applications.

EIC Investment Compliance

Non-Cooperative Jurisdictions

The requirements concerning the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions (as amended from time to time) for tax purposes issued by the Council are applied by the EIC in respect of EIC Accelerator investments. This ensures that EIC investments do not support entities in jurisdictions that do not meet international tax standards.

Sanction Lists Compliance

The EIC Fund shall not enter into any contract or maintain a business relationship with any institution or individual listed on sanction lists, and in particular shall not make any funds available directly or indirectly to any institution or individual listed in sanction lists. This includes compliance with Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine.

Financial Crime Prevention

The EIC applies the EU rules, policies and procedures, addressing the requirements in respect of:

Money laundering
Terrorism financing
Tax avoidance
Tax fraud
Tax evasion

High-Risk Jurisdictions

The EIC complies with the prohibition to enter into new or renewed operations with entities incorporated or established in jurisdictions listed under the relevant Union policy on non-cooperative jurisdictions or that are identified as high-risk third countries or that do not effectively comply with Union or internationally agreed tax standards on transparency and exchange of information, as well as the possibility to derogate from this requirement when the action is physically implemented in one of those jurisdictions.

Consequences of Non-Compliance

The breach of these obligations may lead to the interruption of the equity investment process. This ensures that all EIC investments maintain the highest standards of compliance with EU economic security requirements.

Application to Specific Funding Schemes

EIC Accelerator

For the EIC Accelerator, economic security measures are particularly important due to the significant investment amounts and the strategic nature of the supported technologies. Investment safeguards are included in investment agreements to protect EU strategic interests.

EIC STEP Scale Up

The STEP Scale Up call specifically targets strategic areas in Digital technologies and deep tech, Clean and resource efficient technologies, and Biotechnologies, making it subject to enhanced economic security measures.

EIC Pathfinder and Transition

While these schemes may have different levels of economic security requirements, they are still subject to the general IP transfer restrictions and eligibility criteria to ensure protection of EU strategic interests.

Risk Assessment and Monitoring

The economic security measures include comprehensive risk assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

Continuous monitoring: Ongoing assessment of economic security risks
Dynamic updates: Regular updates to risk assessments based on changing geopolitical and economic conditions
Stakeholder consultation: Engagement with relevant stakeholders to identify emerging risks
Policy coordination: Coordination with other EU policies and initiatives

Balancing Security and Innovation

The economic security measures are designed to balance the need for protection with the promotion of innovation:

Targeted approach: Measures are applied only where necessary and duly justified
Proportionality: Restrictions are proportional to the identified risks
Global talent attraction: Provisions for attracting global talent while maintaining security
Innovation promotion: Measures do not unduly restrict legitimate innovation activities

International Cooperation

The economic security measures are implemented in coordination with international partners and align with broader EU foreign policy objectives:

Multilateral coordination: Alignment with international standards and agreements
Partner country engagement: Cooperation with associated countries and strategic partners
Policy coherence: Integration with broader EU economic and security policies

Compliance and Enforcement

Effective implementation of economic security measures requires robust compliance and enforcement mechanisms:

Due diligence: Comprehensive due diligence processes for all investments
Regular audits: Periodic audits to ensure compliance with economic security requirements
Reporting obligations: Clear reporting requirements for beneficiaries and investees
Sanctions: Appropriate sanctions for non-compliance

Future Developments

The economic security framework is designed to be adaptable to evolving threats and challenges:

Regular review: Periodic review and update of economic security measures
Technology evolution: Adaptation to new technologies and emerging risks
Policy integration: Integration with broader EU security and economic policies
Stakeholder engagement: Ongoing engagement with stakeholders to refine measures

These comprehensive economic security measures ensure that the EIC can support cutting-edge innovation while protecting Europe's strategic interests and maintaining the highest standards of security and compliance. The measures are designed to be effective, proportional, and adaptable to changing circumstances while promoting legitimate innovation activities.

18. EIC-EIT Collaboration

Overview of Collaboration

Key Collaboration Areas

1. Fast Track Process

The Fast Track process by EIT KICs, that allows proposals from companies selected by the EIT KICs to enter the EIC Accelerator evaluation at the second stage will continue. This streamlined process enables EIT-supported companies to access EIC Accelerator funding more efficiently.

Fast Track Scheme Details

The 'Fast Track' scheme is a specific process applicable to the EIC Accelerator. It provides for a specific treatment of proposals that result from existing Horizon Europe or Horizon 2020 projects. Under the Fast Track scheme, applicants do not apply directly to the EIC Accelerator call. Instead, a project review is carried out by the responsible granting authority or national funding body to assess the potential for the project results to be developed into an innovation that could be supported by the EIC Accelerator.

Fast Track Implementation

Fast Track applicants will then be invited to prepare a full proposal for the EIC Accelerator following the notification about the successful result of the initial review. The Fast track Accelerator applicants will be submitted to the same submission limitations that apply to the EIC Accelerator. They will receive coaching as specified in the EIC Accelerator section. Full proposals to the EIC Accelerator stemming from the Fast Track scheme will be assessed as set out in the EIC Accelerator section, and will be treated in exactly the same way as all other full proposals.

2. Service Access and Partnerships

EIC beneficiaries will have access to the services provided by the EIT KICs via the partnerships agreed with the Business Acceleration Services. This includes access to:

EIT KIC expertise and networks
Innovation support services
Business development resources
Market access opportunities
Technology transfer services

3. Next Generation Innovation Talents Scheme

The "Next Generation Innovation Talents" scheme allows EIT Label Masters and Doctoral programmes, EIT Alumni, EIT Jumpstarter beneficiaries to undertake secondments in EIC and EIT supported startups and SMEs.

Scheme Objectives

The Next Generation Innovation Talents scheme supports EU funded researchers (from European Innovation Council (EIC), European Research Council (ERC), European Institute of Technology (EIT), Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) to carry out an innovation internship in a startup funded by the EIC or EIT. The aim is on the one hand to enable researchers and aspiring innovators to better understand and gain direct experience of real-world innovation and entrepreneurship while allowing innovative start-ups to access new ideas and insights from cutting edge of research.

Eligibility and Support

EIC Pathfinder and Transition beneficiaries can participate in the 'Next Generation Innovation Talents' scheme. The personnel costs of researchers participating in this scheme are eligible under EIC Pathfinder and Transition grant agreements.

4. Women Entrepreneurs Support

Collaboration will continue to promote women entrepreneurs, with EIT access to the EIC Women Leadership Programme and a joint approach to the women innovator's prizes. This includes:

Joint promotion of women entrepreneurship
Shared access to leadership programmes
Collaborative approach to innovation prizes
Joint initiatives to support women in innovation

EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs)

The EIT KICs are key partners in the EIC-EIT collaboration. They include:

EIT Digital: Focus on digital transformation and technology
EIT Climate-KIC: Addressing climate change through innovation
EIT Health: Healthcare innovation and life sciences
EIT InnoEnergy: Sustainable energy innovation
EIT Manufacturing: Advanced manufacturing and industry 4.0
EIT Food: Food innovation and sustainability
EIT Urban Mobility: Smart urban mobility solutions
EIT RawMaterials: Sustainable raw materials management
EIT Culture & Creativity: Cultural and creative industries

Collaboration Benefits

For EIC Beneficiaries

The collaboration provides EIC beneficiaries with:

Enhanced service access: Access to EIT KIC services and networks
Streamlined processes: Fast Track access to EIC Accelerator
Broader ecosystem: Integration into the wider European innovation ecosystem
Additional support: Complementary services and resources
Network opportunities: Access to EIT's extensive partner network

For EIT Beneficiaries

The collaboration provides EIT beneficiaries with:

Funding opportunities: Access to EIC funding schemes
Scale-up support: EIC Accelerator support for scaling innovations
Business acceleration: Access to EIC Business Acceleration Services
Investment support: Potential access to EIC Fund investments
Portfolio integration: Integration into EIC portfolios and programmes

Operational Integration

Service Coordination

The collaboration ensures coordinated service delivery through:

Partnership agreements: Formal agreements between EIC and EIT KICs
Service mapping: Clear identification of complementary services
Joint delivery: Coordinated delivery of innovation support services
Resource sharing: Shared use of expertise and resources

Information Sharing

Effective collaboration is supported by:

Regular communication: Ongoing dialogue between EIC and EIT
Best practice sharing: Exchange of successful approaches and methodologies
Joint learning: Collaborative learning and improvement
Policy coordination: Aligned policy approaches and objectives

Future Collaboration Development

The EIC-EIT collaboration is designed to evolve and expand over time:

Progressive enhancement: Continuous improvement of collaboration mechanisms
New initiatives: Development of new collaborative programmes
Expanded scope: Broadening the range of collaboration areas
Deepened integration: Further integration of services and processes

Impact on European Innovation Ecosystem

The EIC-EIT collaboration contributes to strengthening the European Innovation Ecosystem by:

Reducing fragmentation: Creating a more cohesive innovation support system
Enhancing efficiency: Streamlining access to innovation support
Increasing impact: Maximizing the impact of EU innovation investments
Fostering synergies: Creating synergies between different innovation initiatives
Supporting scale-up: Better supporting the scale-up of European innovations

Monitoring and Evaluation

The effectiveness of the EIC-EIT collaboration is monitored through:

Performance indicators: Tracking collaboration outcomes and impacts
Beneficiary feedback: Collecting feedback from programme beneficiaries
Regular reviews: Periodic assessment of collaboration effectiveness
Continuous improvement: Ongoing refinement of collaboration mechanisms

Strategic Alignment

The EIC-EIT collaboration is strategically aligned with broader EU objectives:

Innovation policy: Supporting EU innovation policy objectives
Economic growth: Contributing to European economic growth and competitiveness
Global leadership: Supporting EU global leadership in innovation
Sustainable development: Promoting sustainable development through innovation

This comprehensive collaboration between the EIC and EIT represents a significant step towards creating a more integrated and effective European innovation ecosystem, providing innovators with seamless access to the full range of EU innovation support services.

19. Outlook for 2027

Preparation Process

The EIC Work Programme for 2027 will be prepared following the advice provided by the EIC Board. This ensures that the future programme reflects the strategic guidance and insights from leading innovators and innovative researchers who comprise the EIC Board, including the full-time President of the EIC Board.

Continuity of Core Funding Schemes

It is envisaged that the main calls on Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator and STEP will continue without major changes. This continuity provides stability for the European innovation ecosystem and ensures that established funding mechanisms continue to support breakthrough innovations across the full innovation cycle.

EIC Pathfinder Continuity

The EIC Pathfinder programme, supporting science-towards-technology breakthrough research, is expected to continue with both Open and Challenges calls, maintaining its role as the foundation for breakthrough innovations.

EIC Transition Continuity

The EIC Transition programme, funding innovation activities that go beyond the experimental proof of concept, will continue to bridge the gap between research and market-ready innovations.

EIC Accelerator Continuity

The flagship EIC Accelerator programme, supporting high risk/high gain innovations to go to market and scale up, will continue to be the primary mechanism for supporting mature innovations with significant market potential.

EIC STEP Scale Up Continuity

The EIC STEP Scale Up call, supporting promising companies developing critical technologies with EUR 10-30 million equity investments, will continue to address strategic technology areas and support European technological sovereignty.

Assessment and Evolution of New Initiatives

ARPA Challenges Evaluation

The experience with the ARPA challenges call will be assessed with a view to the continuation and improvement of this support. This assessment will evaluate the effectiveness of the new experimental funding instrument and determine how it can be enhanced or expanded in future programmes.

Challenge Identification Process

The identification of the challenges will draw from the insights of the EIC Programme Managers and reflect the EU policy priorities and continuation of co-funding with Pillar 2. This ensures that future challenges are strategically aligned with European priorities and leverage the expertise of Programme Managers who are high-level experts in specific fields of technology, business and innovation.

Future Pilots and Changes

Further pilots and changes may be introduced to bridge with proposals for the future of the EIC under the successor to the Horizon Europe programme. This forward-looking approach ensures that the EIC remains at the forefront of innovation support and adapts to evolving needs and opportunities.

Potential Areas for New Pilots

Future pilots may focus on:

New funding mechanisms: Exploring innovative approaches to funding breakthrough innovations
Enhanced collaboration models: Developing new ways to collaborate with other EU programmes and initiatives
Technology-specific initiatives: Creating targeted support for emerging technology areas
Geographic expansion: Extending support to new regions or innovation ecosystems
Digital transformation: Leveraging digital technologies to enhance programme delivery

Strategic Considerations for 2027

Policy Alignment

The 2027 Work Programme will continue to align with broader EU policy priorities, including:

Green transition: Supporting innovations that contribute to climate neutrality and sustainability
Digital transformation: Promoting digital innovations and technologies
Strategic autonomy: Strengthening Europe's technological sovereignty
Economic competitiveness: Enhancing Europe's global competitive position
Social inclusion: Ensuring innovations benefit all segments of society

Ecosystem Integration

The future programme will continue to strengthen integration with the broader European innovation ecosystem:

EIT collaboration: Deepening collaboration with EIT and its Knowledge and Innovation Communities
Regional programmes: Enhanced coordination with national and regional innovation programmes
International partnerships: Strengthening international innovation partnerships
Private sector engagement: Increasing engagement with private sector partners

Successor Programme Preparation

The 2027 Work Programme will serve as a bridge to the successor to the Horizon Europe programme, ensuring continuity and evolution of EU innovation support. This transition period will be crucial for:

Lessons learned: Incorporating insights from the current programme period
Stakeholder consultation: Engaging with stakeholders to shape the future programme
Policy development: Contributing to the development of future EU innovation policy
Institutional preparation: Preparing institutions and processes for the new programme

Expected Developments

Enhanced Digital Infrastructure

The 2027 programme is likely to see continued enhancement of digital infrastructure and processes, including:

Improved platforms: Enhanced EIC Community platform and digital services
AI integration: Greater use of artificial intelligence in programme management
Data analytics: Enhanced data analytics for programme monitoring and evaluation
Virtual collaboration: Expanded virtual collaboration tools and platforms

Strengthened Support Services

Business Acceleration Services and other support mechanisms are expected to evolve:

Enhanced coaching: More sophisticated coaching and mentoring services
Expanded networks: Broader networks of ecosystem partners and service providers
Specialized support: More specialized support for different technology areas and sectors
International expansion: Extended international reach and partnerships

Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

The 2027 programme will continue to emphasize robust monitoring and evaluation:

Performance indicators: Enhanced performance indicators and metrics
Impact assessment: Comprehensive impact assessment methodologies
Stakeholder feedback: Regular stakeholder feedback and consultation
Continuous improvement: Ongoing programme improvement based on evidence

Budget and Resource Considerations

The 2027 programme will need to consider:

Budget allocation: Optimal allocation of resources across different funding schemes
Efficiency gains: Continued focus on operational efficiency and effectiveness
Leverage effects: Maximizing leverage of private sector and other funding sources
Value for money: Ensuring maximum value for EU investment in innovation

Stakeholder Engagement

The preparation of the 2027 Work Programme will involve extensive stakeholder engagement:

EIC Board guidance: Strategic guidance from the EIC Board
Programme Manager insights: Input from EIC Programme Managers based on their portfolio experience
Beneficiary feedback: Feedback from current and past EIC beneficiaries
Expert consultation: Consultation with innovation experts and stakeholders
Policy coordination: Coordination with other EU policy areas and programmes

Long-term Vision

The 2027 Work Programme will contribute to the long-term vision of the EIC as a key driver of European innovation:

Global leadership: Supporting Europe's position as a global innovation leader
Sustainable growth: Promoting sustainable economic growth through innovation
Societal impact: Ensuring innovations address major societal challenges
Ecosystem strength: Strengthening the European innovation ecosystem
Future readiness: Preparing Europe for future technological and societal changes

This forward-looking approach ensures that the EIC continues to evolve and adapt to meet the changing needs of the European innovation ecosystem while maintaining its core mission of supporting breakthrough innovations that can transform Europe and address global challenges.

20. Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Strategic Overview of EIC Work Programme 2026

The EIC Work Programme 2026 represents a comprehensive and strategically designed framework for supporting breakthrough innovations across the full innovation cycle in Europe. With a total budget of approximately EUR 1.2 billion, the programme provides a unique combination of financial support, business acceleration services, and strategic guidance to drive Europe's innovation leadership and technological sovereignty.

Comprehensive Funding Ecosystem

Five Core Funding Schemes

The EIC offers a complete innovation funding ecosystem through five main funding schemes:

EIC Pathfinder (EUR 343 million): Supporting science-towards-technology breakthrough research with both Open and Challenges calls, covering TRL 1-4
EIC Transition (EUR 131 million): Funding innovation activities beyond experimental proof of concept, covering TRL 4-6
EIC Accelerator (EUR 675 million): The flagship programme supporting high-risk/high-gain innovations to market and scale-up, covering TRL 6-9
EIC STEP Scale Up (EUR 50 million): Strategic equity investments of EUR 10-30 million in critical technology areas
EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges (EUR 15 million): New ARPA-style pilot programme with two-stage funding model

Strategic Technology Focus

The programme specifically targets critical technology areas for EU economic security:

Advanced semiconductors technologies
Artificial intelligence technologies
Quantum technologies
Biotechnologies
Digital technologies and deep tech
Clean and resource efficient technologies

Comprehensive Support Services

Business Acceleration Services (EUR 45 million)

The EIC provides extensive non-financial support through Business Acceleration Services:

Coaching Services: Personalized business coaching for EIC Awardees
International Trade Fairs: Support for participation in major trade fairs
Ecosystem Partnerships: Access to high-quality service providers
EIC Scaling Club 2.0: Support for scaling deep tech companies
EIC Community Platform: Virtual meeting place for networking and collaboration

Portfolio Management and Programme Managers

The EIC employs a proactive portfolio management approach with dedicated Programme Managers who:

Develop technology visions and breakthrough innovations
Manage thematic and challenge-based portfolios
Facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing
Provide strategic guidance and support
Ensure portfolio coherence and impact

Quality Assurance and Evaluation

Tailored Evaluation Approach

The EIC implements sophisticated evaluation processes tailored to each funding scheme:

EIC Pathfinder: Peer review method with weighted criteria and thresholds
EIC Transition: Remote evaluation followed by jury interviews with binary scoring
EIC Accelerator: Three-stage process with remote evaluation and jury interviews
EIC STEP Scale Up: Remote interview-based evaluation with binary scoring
EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges: Committee evaluation with portfolio approach

Expert Evaluation System

The evaluation system relies on:

Independent expert evaluators selected from the Funding & Tenders Portal Expert Database
EIC Juries composed of investors, business angels, and entrepreneurs
EIC Programme Managers providing strategic oversight
Technical due diligence for investment decisions
Quality labels including Seal of Excellence and Sovereignty (STEP) Seal

Strategic Partnerships and Collaboration

EIC-EIT Collaboration

The EIC maintains strong collaboration with the European Institute of Technology:

Fast Track Process: Streamlined access for EIT KIC companies to EIC Accelerator
Service Integration: EIC beneficiaries access EIT KIC services
Next Generation Innovation Talents: Secondment opportunities for researchers
Women Entrepreneurs Support: Joint approach to promoting women in innovation

Ecosystem Integration

The programme integrates with the broader European innovation ecosystem:

Partnerships with EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities
Collaboration with Enterprise Europe Network
Integration with national and regional programmes
International partnerships and cooperation

Economic Security and Strategic Protection

Comprehensive Security Measures

The EIC implements robust economic security measures:

Eligibility Restrictions: Protection against non-eligible third country control
Investment Safeguards: Economic security safeguards in investment agreements
IP Transfer Controls: Monitoring of IP transfers to non-associated third countries
Compliance Framework: Adherence to EU financial regulations and sanctions

Critical Technology Protection

Enhanced protection for strategic technology areas:

Advanced semiconductors technologies
Artificial intelligence technologies
Quantum technologies
Biotechnologies

Intellectual Property and Knowledge Management

Balanced IP Approach

The EIC implements a balanced approach to intellectual property:

Open Access: Requirements for scientific publications with CC BY licensing
IP Protection: Support for formal IP protection and patent strategies
Information Sharing: Controlled sharing within EIC portfolios for cross-fertilisation
Exploitation Support: Comprehensive support for result exploitation

Portfolio-Based Knowledge Management

Strategic knowledge management through:

Portfolio-based information sharing and collaboration
Non-disclosure obligations for confidential information
Support for EIC Inventors in result exploitation
Technology transfer and commercialization support

Prestigious Recognition and Awards

EIC Prizes (EUR 4.5 million)

The programme includes prestigious recognition mechanisms:

European Prize for Women Innovators: Recognizing outstanding women entrepreneurs
European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital): Celebrating innovative cities
Seal of Excellence: Quality label for excellent unfunded proposals
Sovereignty (STEP) Seal: Recognition for strategic technology proposals

Comprehensive Infrastructure and Support

Supporting Actions (EUR 15.5 million)

The programme includes extensive supporting infrastructure:

EIC Board Honoraria: Expert guidance and strategic oversight
External Expertise: Monitoring, ethics, and policy advice
Communication and Outreach: Events, publications, and awareness activities
IT Systems Integration: Digital infrastructure and AI support
Strategic Intelligence Research: Future-oriented research and analysis
Gender and Diversity Index: Measuring and addressing innovation disparities
Booster Grant Scheme: Additional financial support for innovation activities

Future-Oriented Development

Strategic Evolution

The programme is designed for continuous evolution:

2027 Continuity: Core funding schemes expected to continue without major changes
ARPA Challenges Assessment: Evaluation of new experimental funding instrument
Challenge Evolution: Dynamic challenge identification based on Programme Manager insights
Successor Programme Bridge: Preparation for post-Horizon Europe framework

Adaptive Framework

The programme maintains flexibility for future developments:

Regular assessment and improvement of funding mechanisms
Integration of lessons learned and best practices
Stakeholder consultation and feedback integration
Policy alignment with evolving EU priorities

Key Success Factors

Strategic Advantages

The EIC Work Programme 2026 offers several strategic advantages:

Comprehensive Coverage: Full innovation cycle support from research to market
Strategic Focus: Targeted support for critical technology areas
Quality Assurance: Rigorous evaluation and selection processes
Ecosystem Integration: Strong partnerships and collaboration networks
Security Protection: Robust economic security measures
Future Orientation: Adaptive framework for evolving needs

Impact and Outcomes

The programme is designed to deliver significant impact:

Innovation Leadership: Supporting Europe's position as a global innovation leader
Economic Growth: Driving sustainable economic growth through innovation
Technological Sovereignty: Strengthening Europe's technological independence
Societal Benefits: Addressing major societal challenges through innovation
Ecosystem Strength: Building a robust European innovation ecosystem

Strategic Recommendations

For Applicants

Key recommendations for potential applicants:

Strategic Alignment: Ensure proposals align with EIC strategic priorities
Quality Focus: Emphasize excellence, impact, and implementation quality
Ecosystem Engagement: Leverage EIC ecosystem and support services
IP Strategy: Develop comprehensive intellectual property strategies
Security Compliance: Ensure compliance with economic security requirements

For the Innovation Ecosystem

Recommendations for ecosystem stakeholders:

Partnership Development: Strengthen collaboration between different innovation actors
Service Integration: Enhance integration of complementary services
Knowledge Sharing: Promote knowledge sharing and best practices
Capacity Building: Invest in innovation capacity and capabilities

Conclusion

The EIC Work Programme 2026 represents a comprehensive, strategically designed, and future-oriented framework for supporting breakthrough innovations in Europe. With its combination of financial support, business acceleration services, strategic guidance, and robust quality assurance mechanisms, the programme is well-positioned to drive Europe's innovation leadership and technological sovereignty.

The programme's success lies in its ability to provide end-to-end support across the innovation cycle, from early-stage research to market deployment, while maintaining the highest standards of quality, security, and impact. Through its strategic focus on critical technology areas, comprehensive support services, and strong ecosystem integration, the EIC is creating a powerful platform for European innovation excellence.

As Europe faces increasing global competition and complex societal challenges, the EIC Work Programme 2026 provides the tools, resources, and strategic framework needed to support breakthrough innovations that can transform Europe and address global challenges. The programme's adaptive design and future-oriented approach ensure that it will continue to evolve and meet the changing needs of the European innovation ecosystem.

Through this comprehensive and strategically designed programme, the European Innovation Council is playing a crucial role in strengthening Europe's innovation capacity, supporting technological sovereignty, and driving sustainable economic growth. The EIC Work Programme 2026 represents a significant investment in Europe's innovation future and a powerful commitment to maintaining Europe's position as a global innovation leader.

Eureka Network

Eureka Network offers multiple international collaborative R&D programs including Network Projects, Clusters, Eurostars, Globalstars, and Innowwide, with funding ranging from €50K to €6.75M per project depending on the specific program. The network focuses on market-driven innovation and deep-tech development across diverse technology sectors including ICT/Digital, Industrial/Manufacturing, Bio/Medical Technologies, Energy/Environment, Quantum, AI, and Circular Economy. Applicants include SMEs, large enterprises, research organizations, universities, and startups, with Eurostars specifically targeting R&D-performing SMEs.

Get Started

EIC Transition

EIC Transition provides up to €2.5 million in funding to bridge the 'valley of death' between laboratory research and market deployment, focusing on technology maturation and validation. The program supports single legal entities or small consortia of 2-5 partners including SMEs, start-ups, spin-offs, and research organizations. Technology areas include Health/Medical Technologies, Green/Environmental Innovation, Digital/Microelectronics, Quantum Technologies, and AI/Robotics.

Get Started

EIC STEP Scale-Up

EIC STEP Scale-Up offers substantial equity investments of €10-30 million for established deep-tech companies ready for hyper-growth and large-scale expansion. The program targets SMEs or small mid-caps with up to 499 employees who have secured pre-commitment from qualified investors. Focus areas include Digital & Deep Tech (Semiconductors, AI, Quantum), Clean Technologies for Net-Zero goals, and Biotechnologies.

Get Started

EIC Pre-Accelerator

EIC Pre-Accelerator is a pilot program providing €300,000-€500,000 in funding for early-stage deep-tech development and preparation for the EIC Accelerator program. The initiative is exclusively available to single SMEs or small mid-caps from 'Widening countries' to support regional innovation development. The program covers deep-tech innovations across physical, biological, and digital domains.

Get Started

EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges

EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges is a new pilot program offering €300,000 (Stage 1) and up to €2.5 million (Stage 2) for breakthrough deep-tech solutions through ARPA-style staged funding with demand-side integration. The program targets single entities or small consortia (2-3 partners) including SMEs, start-ups, and research organizations. Focus areas include Physical AI for autonomous robotics and New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for animal-free biomedical testing, requiring TRL 4 entry with end-user commitment.

Get Started

EIC Pathfinder

EIC Pathfinder offers up to €3 million for Open calls and up to €4 million for Challenge-based calls to support early-stage research and development with proof-of-principle validation. The program requires research consortia with a minimum of 3 partners from 3 different countries, including universities, research organizations, and SMEs. Technology focus areas include Health/Medical, Quantum Technologies, AI, Environmental/Energy, and Advanced Materials.

Get Started

EIC Accelerator

EIC Accelerator provides flexible funding options including blended finance (€2.5M grant + €0.5M-€10M equity), grant-only (up to €2.5M), or equity-only arrangements for scale-up and market deployment of breakthrough innovations. The program targets SMEs, start-ups, and small mid-caps with up to 499 employees, with MedTech/Healthcare representing 35% of funded projects. Other technology areas include Biopharma, Energy, AI, Quantum, Aerospace, Advanced Materials, and Semiconductors.

Get Started

Innovation Partnership

Innovation Partnership facilitates collaborative innovation between public and private sectors with typical funding of €1-5 million per project. The program supports cross-sectoral strategic technologies through public-private partnerships and consortia. Projects focus on addressing societal challenges through collaborative innovation approaches.

Get Started

Innovation Fund

The EU Innovation Fund provides substantial funding of €7.5 million to €300 million for large-scale demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies. The program targets clean energy, carbon capture, renewable energy, and energy storage technologies to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. Applicants include large companies, consortia, and public entities capable of implementing large-scale demonstration projects.

Get Started

Innovate UK

Innovate UK offers various programs with funding ranging from £25K to £10M depending on the specific initiative, supporting business-led innovation, collaborative R&D, and knowledge transfer. The organization funds projects across all sectors with particular focus on emerging technologies and supports UK-based businesses, research organizations, and universities. Programs are designed to drive economic growth through innovation and technology commercialization.

Get Started

Industrial Partnership

Industrial Partnership provides €2-10 million in funding for industrial research and innovation partnerships focusing on manufacturing, industrial technologies, and digital transformation. The program supports industrial consortia and research organizations in developing collaborative solutions for industrial challenges. Projects aim to strengthen European industrial competitiveness through strategic partnerships.

Get Started

Eurostars

Eurostars is a joint EU-Eureka program offering €50K-€500K for international R&D collaboration specifically led by SMEs. The program takes a bottom-up approach, accepting projects from all technology fields without predefined thematic restrictions. R&D-performing SMEs must lead the consortium and demonstrate significant R&D activities.

Get Started

LIFE Programme

The LIFE Programme provides €1-10 million in funding for environmental protection, climate action, and nature conservation projects across the European Union. The program supports environmental technologies, climate adaptation strategies, and biodiversity conservation initiatives. Applicants include public authorities, private companies, NGOs, and research institutions working on environmental and climate challenges.

Get Started

Neotec

Neotec is a Spanish program offering €250K-€1M in funding for technology-based business creation and development, supporting the growth of innovative Spanish SMEs and start-ups. The program covers all technology sectors and aims to strengthen Spain's technology ecosystem. Funding is specifically targeted at Spanish technology-based SMEs and start-ups to enhance their competitiveness and market presence.

Get Started

Thematic Priorities

EU Thematic Priorities encompass various programs aligned with EU strategic priorities including green transition, digital transformation, health, and security initiatives. Funding amounts vary based on the specific program and call requirements, with projects designed to address key European challenges. Applicant eligibility varies by specific program and call, with different requirements for different thematic areas.

Get Started

EIC AcceleratorHorizon Europe#grants#startup#deeptech

← Back to Posts

EIC Work Programme 2026: Complete Summary of Europe's Innovation Funding Programme

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to EIC Work Programme 2026

Strategic Goals and Key Performance Indicators

Six Strategic Goals for the EIC:

2. Overview and Strategic Goals

Overview of the 2026 Work Programme

3. Main Funding Schemes

Summary of Main Calls in 2026

Main Changes of the 2026 Work Programme

13. Key Features of EIC Support

Proactive Project and Portfolio Management by EIC Programme Managers

Periodic Reviews and Milestone Assessment

Review Outcomes and Actions

EIC Portfolio Management

A Tailored Approach to Proposal Evaluation

EIC Pathfinder Evaluation

EIC Transition Evaluation

EIC Accelerator Evaluation

EIC STEP Scale Up Evaluation

Policy of Open Access and Intellectual Property Rights

Economic Security Measures

Eligibility Criteria

Investment Safeguards

Intellectual Property Protection

EIC Investments and Compliance

EIC-EIT Collaboration

Collaboration Areas

Key Features Summary

14. Portfolio Management

EIC Portfolio Structure and Organization

EIC Programme Managers

Portfolio Activities and Collaboration

Types of Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Management in Different Funding Schemes

EIC Pathfinder Portfolio Management

EIC Transition Portfolio Management

EIC Accelerator Portfolio Management

EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges Portfolio Management

Information Sharing and Confidentiality in Portfolios

Access to Information About Results

Non-Disclosure Obligations

Objection Rights

Portfolio-Based Support and Services

Portfolio Evaluation and Assessment

Portfolio Management Benefits

Portfolio Management Tools and Platforms

15. Evaluation Approach

Tailored Evaluation Approach

Evaluation Methods by Funding Scheme

EIC Pathfinder Evaluation

EIC Pathfinder Open Evaluation Process

EIC Pathfinder Challenges Evaluation Process

EIC Transition Evaluation

EIC Transition Evaluation Process

EIC Accelerator Evaluation

EIC Accelerator Evaluation Process

Step 1: Short Proposal Evaluation

Step 2: Full Proposal Evaluation

Step 3: Jury Interview

EIC STEP Scale Up Evaluation

EIC STEP Scale Up Evaluation Process

EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges Evaluation

EIC Expert Evaluators and Evaluation Committees

EIC Juries

Evaluation Criteria Framework

Scoring and Thresholds

Seal of Excellence

Feedback and Communication

Evaluation Timeline

Quality Assurance and Independence

Specialized Evaluation Features

Patent Assessment

Portfolio Considerations

Technical Due Diligence

16. Intellectual Property and Open Access

Policy Overview

Open Access Requirements

Scientific Publications

Exceptions to Open Access