EIC Accelerator: a grant plus an equity investment

The Accelerator is the only Horizon Europe instrument where the EU does not merely give a grant but buys a stake in the company. That is why it runs on different rules from the rest of the programme, and why what is assessed here is neither a consortium nor scientific novelty but the company and its capacity to grow.

Blended finance: two different things in one application

The grant component – a lump sum of up to €2.5 million for innovation activities.

The investment component – a direct investment of €1 to €10 million through the EIC Fund in exchange for a stake in the company.

You may apply for the grant component alone. You cannot obtain the investment without going through the grant selection.

Who may apply

A start-up or SME, including spin-outs; a small mid-cap of up to 499 employees, but for the investment component only; and a natural or legal person planning to establish such a company. No consortium is required or foreseen: there is a single applicant.

Selection: three steps and an interview

Step 1 – a short 12-page application, a deck of up to 10 slides and a three-minute video. Remote assessment by four experts.

Step 2 – a full application of around 20 pages with an implementation plan and financial information.

Step 3 – an interview with the EIC jury.

From 2026 the procedure has been simplified: the forms are shorter and full applications are assessed in batches roughly every two months instead of a six-month cycle. Short applications are accepted continuously, so you choose when to submit.

Why the success rate is so low

Because at the final step it is companies, not applications, that compete. A technically flawless project is dropped if the jury does not see a team able to bring the product out, or a market that justifies the investment. That is not a flaw in the procedure but its design: the investment component means the EU becomes a co-owner, and it behaves accordingly.