The European Innovation Council identifies groundbreaking innovations with the potential to become global market leaders through their disruptive impact. All stages of development are supported, from basic research on breakthrough technologies, through validation, demonstration and product optimisation, to the establishment and growth of startups and SMEs. Both open-topic and thematically targeted calls are available.
The Main Instruments of the EIC - From Idea to Scale up
The EIC’s main instruments cover the full spectrum of development, from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 1 to 9
Pathfinder - From Idea to Proof of Concept
Pathfinder projects (TRL 1 to 4) focus on visionary, radically new technologies emerging from high-risk research and long-term visions. Funding covers all stages from the initial idea through to proof of concept and validation.
Pathfinder Open: Open-topic call for collaborative research projects.
- Funding amounts to up to 4 million euros and covers up to 100% of eligible costs.
- The target group consists of consortia (e.g. research organisations, universities, SMEs, industry) involving at least three different countries.
Pathfinder Challenge: Thematically targeted call to support coherent project portfolios. Both consortium-based research projects and projects by single organisations or companies are eligible.
- Funding amounts to up to 4 million euros and covers up to 100% of eligible costs.
- The target group includes consortia (e.g. research organisations, universities, SMEs, industry) involving at least two or three different countries, as well as individual applicants (SMEs, spin-offs, startups, research institutions, universities).
Transition – From Proof of Concept to Product Development
Transition projects (TRL 4 to 6) aim to bridge the technology transfer phase between scientific proof of concept and product development. This includes activities such as developing a business plan and establishing spin-off companies.
- Funding amounts to up to 2.5 million euros and covers up to 100% of eligible costs.
- The target group consists of single applicants (SMEs, spin-offs, startups, research institutions, universities) or small consortia (maximum of five partners).
Applications must build on results from eligible projects completed no more than 24 months previously and originating from the following instruments and programmes: Pathfinder, ERC Proof of Concept, Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges and Leadership in Industrial Technologies, Horizon Europe Pillar II, European Defence Fund (civil applications only, including dual use), Horizon Europe or Horizon 2020 Research Infrastructures.
The list of projects eligible for the current call can be downloaded from the European Commission website.
Advanced Innovation Challenges – Two-Stage Funding with a Gate Mechanism
The EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges aim to support high-risk, demand-driven deep-tech innovations with transformative potential, particularly in areas where substantial research exists but commercial uptake is lacking.
Funding is provided in two stages:
- Stage 1: 300,000 euros as a lump sum for up to nine months to prepare and assess breakthrough solutions, including feasibility and viability studies.
- Stage 2: Up to 2.5 million euros as a lump sum for up to 2.5 years to further develop the most promising solutions and test them in real-world environments involving users.
Submission to Stage 2 is restricted to projects that have completed Stage 1.
- The target group for Stage 1 consists of single applicants (SMEs, spin-offs, startups, research institutions, universities).
- In Stage 2, the same successful applicants from Stage 1 may apply either individually or with up to two additional partners from different countries.
Accelerator – From Prototype to Market-Ready Product
Accelerator projects (TRL 6 to 9) focus on high-risk innovations with potential disruptive market impact. They are proposed by a single startup or SME to advance a prototype into a market-ready product and scale up the business. Calls are both open-topic and thematically targeted (Challenge).
- The funding combines non-repayable grants of up to 2.5 million euros (covering 70% of eligible costs) with equity investments of up to 10 million euros.
- The target group consists of individual SMEs (including spin-outs and startups) and, in exceptional cases, small mid-caps (fewer than 500 employees).
The application guide for the Accelerator can be downloaded from the European Commission’s website.
NOTE – Plug-in:
In Austria, companies that have already received funding through baseline programmes, Expedition Zukunft, the Spin-off Fellowship, or the aws Seedfinancing Programme can access the national supplementary instrument “EIC Accelerator Plug-in”.
A prerequisite is that they have not failed with their short proposal and have not yet submitted a full proposal.
Companies positively evaluated in the Plug-in selection process may skip the first stage (short application) of the EIC Accelerator and submit a full proposal directly.
STEP – Scaling up of innovations
In alignment with the “Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform” (STEP) – an EU regulation adopted in 2024 defining three key strategic technology areas for Europe – the EIC has launched the new STEP funding programme for companies.
STEP targets companies developing strategic technologies in the fields of digital tech, clean tech, or biotech that have already secured initial funding and are seeking a larger investment round (50–150 million euros) to scale up and become global leaders.
- Funding is provided in the form of equity investments ranging from 10 to 30 million euros (within a funding round of 50-150 million euros led by a qualified lead investor contributing at least 20% of the capital).
- The target group consists of individual SMEs (including spin-outs and startups) and, in exceptional cases, small mid-caps (fewer than 500 employees).
The STEP application guide can be downloaded from the European Commission’s website.