EIC Accelerator supports scale-ups to overcome valley of death

In this article:

The benefits of EIC Accelerator
Bridging the valley of death with a blend of grants and equity
Identify, develop, and scale up breakthrough technologies
Who can apply for the EIC Accelerator?
Criteria to meet if you want to be eligible
When to apply?
Successful support of EIC Accelerator project
Our 7 steps to EIC Accelerator success
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The benefits of EIC Accelerator

Each year, hundreds of pioneering companies apply for the EIC Accelerator to turn their research results or prototypes into market-ready products. For selected companies, the benefits are transformative:

• up to 2.5 million euros in grant funding covering up to 70% of eligible project costs;
• equity investments up to 10 million euros through the EIC Fund, which acts as a long-term strategic investor;
• access to world-class business acceleration services, including coaching, mentoring, international trade fairs, and investor matchmaking;
• the prestige of being part of the EIC Community, a curated network of Europe’s top innovators, corporates, and investors.

For many companies, this support is a decisive push toward becoming Europe’s next generation of deep-tech unicorns.

Bridging the valley of death with a blend of grants and equity

Europe’s deep-tech companies are driving innovation in artificial intelligence, clean energy, quantum, advanced materials, health tech, and other strategic sectors. However, these breakthroughs often require long development cycles, substantial capital, and risk-taking beyond the comfort zone of traditional investors.

The EIC Accelerator fills this critical funding gap by combining non-dilutive grants with patient equity capital; a unique blend designed to attract co-investment and shorten the time to market. Beyond financial support, the program offers tailored acceleration services that help entrepreneurs refine their business model, strengthen investor readiness, and navigate regulatory landscapes.

By applying to the EIC Accelerator, start-ups gain access to:

• a pan-European label of excellence, recognized by investors and industry;
• the possibility to test and validate technologies under real conditions;
• the backing of the European Commission as a strategic partner for long-term growth;
• support to expand beyond national markets and establish a strong global footprint.

Simply put, the EIC Accelerator doesn’t just fund innovation; it accelerates business growth!

Identify, develop, and scale up breakthrough technologies

The EIC Accelerator is one of the five main funding schemes under the European Innovation Council, part of the EU’s Horizon Europe framework. Its mission is to identify, develop, and scale up breakthrough technologies that can transform industries, solve societal challenges, and strengthen Europe’s technological sovereignty.
The 2026 EIC Work Program allocates 634 million euros to the Accelerator, including 414 million euros for EIC Accelerator Open – which is open to innovations in any field – and 220 million euros for EIC Accelerator Challenges, which focus on strategic EU priorities such as:

• advanced materials for renewable energy and energy storage systems;
• alternative concepts and key enabling technologies for fusion power plants;
• biotech for regenerating agricultural soils;
• boosting the European critical raw materials value chain;
• deep tech for climate adaptation.

Projects typically advance technologies from TRL 6 (prototype tested in relevant environment) to TRL 8 (system complete and qualified). Support is complemented by proactive portfolio management and strategic investment through the EIC Fund, ensuring long-term growth and market uptake.

Who can apply for the EIC Accelerator?

The EIC Accelerator is designed for individual companies with groundbreaking innovations and the ambition to scale up globally. Eligible applicants include:

• single SMEs (fewer than 250 employees) established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country;
• small mid-caps (up to 499 employees), but only for investment-only or blended finance support in exceptional cases;
• individual entrepreneurs intending to establish an SME in an eligible country;
• start-ups or spin-offs originating from universities or research organizations.

Large companies can also benefit indirectly by spinning off disruptive technologies into a new SME, which can then apply independently for Accelerator support.

Criteria to meet if you want to be eligible

To be successful, applicants must meet strict eligibility and quality criteria. Projects must meet requirements in the following areas:

1. Technology excellence:
   • be high-risk and high-impact, with clear potential to create or disrupt markets;
   • be based on cutting-edge science, engineering, or technology (“deep tech”);
   • have achieved at least TRL 6, with a prototype validated in a relevant environment;
2. Market impact:
   • require significant funding to reach commercial scale;
   • present a sound intellectual property (IP) strategy;
   • demonstrate European added value and scalability.
3. Implementation plan quality:
   • have a strong and credible management team;
   • the team is well incentivized;
   • possible risks are clearly mitigated.

EIC Accelerator applications are assessed in three stages:

1. short proposal (12-page summary, video pitch, and deck) reviewed by four independent experts;
2. full proposal (max. 20 pages for Part B) evaluated by a technology expert and an expert panel including a remote interview with technical expert;
3. an interview before an EIC jury, including investors and entrepreneurs, to assess impact, excellence, and the quality of the implementation plan and team.

When to apply?

Short proposals can be submitted anytime via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The full proposal application can be submitted in 6 different cut-off dates in 2026:

• January 7, 2026
• March 4, 2026
• May 6, 2026
• July 8, 2026
• September 2, 2026
• November 4, 2026.

Interview rounds are expected in April, August, December 2026.

Successful support of EIC Accelerator project

Over the past years, PNO Innovation has successfully supported dozens of companies in securing EIC Accelerator funding, often in fields such as advanced photonics, biotech, clean energy, and AI. Our success rate in EIC Accelerator applications is among the highest in Europe, with clients regularly securing multi-million-euro funding.

A recent example is VoxelSensors, a Belgian deep-tech company developing single-photon 3D perception technology for next-generation spatial computing. With PNO’s guidance, VoxelSensors won a coveted EIC Accelerator Challenge grant, positioning it to scale its proprietary Switching Pixels® sensor systems across Europe’s XR and Industry 5.0 markets.

Thanks to EIC support, projects like these can achieve the critical milestones that unlock large-scale private investments and market entry.

Our 7 steps to EIC Accelerator success

With over 40 years of experience and hundreds of successful EU innovation projects, PNO Innovation is one of Europe’s leading consultancy groups for EIC Accelerator applications. Our multi-disciplinary team, covering finance, business strategy, technology, and EU policy, guides clients from first idea to final funding decision and beyond. We offer a comprehensive, step-by-step service:

Step 1. Viability check, Project scoping, Writing & submitting short proposal

• Assessing whether your project fits EIC criteria and funding potential;
• refining technology, market opportunity and team capability;
• reviewing your application, pitch deck and video.

Step 2. Application preparation, Writing & submitting full proposal

• Instructions on latest EIC Call details and process management of full proposal;
• support in writing and submitting the full proposals, including implementation plan, pitch deck, financials, and video;
• technical interview support with the aid of a simulation.

Step 3. Interview preparation

• Full interview support with intensive coaching and simulation of the jury pitch to maximize impact.

If awarded:

Step 4. Grant agreement, and Compliance support

Step 5. In case of equity investment: Due diligence support

Step 6. Project realization support

• Optional market development activities depending on project maturity and Technology Readiness Level (TRL) reached by the end of project.

Step 7. Compliance support

Is your project eligible for EIC Accelerator? Let’s talk!

Contact PNO Innovation today to explore how we can help you win the next EIC Accelerator call and scale your impact across Europe. The first step is to discuss your project idea with the experts at PNO Innovation. Whether it concerns one of the above steps or the entire process, our guidance is just as focused on ultimate success as you are. Ask us about our successful experience with EIC the Accelerator scheme. Call +31(0)88 838 13 81 or send us a message using the form below.