EIC Accelerator

What is the EIC Accelerator?

The EIC Accelerator supports start-ups and SMEs to scale up high impact innovations with the potential to create new markets or disrupt existing ones. The EIC Accelerator provides a unique combination of funding from EUR 0.5 to EUR 17.5 million and Business Acceleration Services.

The EIC Accelerator focuses on innovations building on scientific discovery or technological breakthroughs (‘deep tech’) and where significant funding is needed over a long timeframe before returns can be generated (‘patient capital’). Such innovations often struggle to attract financing because the risks and time period involved are too high. Funding and support from the EIC Accelerator is designed to enable such innovators to attract the full investment amounts needed for scale up in a shorter timeframe.

The EIC Accelerator is open to innovations in any field of technology or application. However, innovations that harm the environment or social welfare or that are designed primarily for military applications will not be supported.

The EIC Accelerator supports the later stages of technology development as well as scale up. The technology component of your innovation must therefore have been tested and validated in a laboratory or other relevant environment (e.g. at least Technology Readiness Level 5/6 or higher). The EIC Accelerator looks to support companies where the EIC support will act as a catalyst to crowd in other investors necessary for the scale up of the innovation.

Who can apply?

In order to apply you must meet one of the following eligibility conditions:

• A single company classified as a SME and established within a Member State or an Associated Country
• A single company classified as a ‘Small mid-cap’ (up to 500 employees) established in a Member State or an Associated Country, but your application can only be for rapid scale up purposes (e.g. Technology Readiness Level 9) and only for the investment component

Or

One or more natural persons (including individual entrepreneurs) or legal entities, which are either:

• from a Member State or an Associated Country intending to establish an SME or small mid-cap by the time of signing the Accelerator contract or, in the case blended finance is awarded, at the latest when agreeing on its investment component
• intending to invest in an SME or small mid-cap in a Member State or an Associated Country and who may submit a proposal on behalf of that SME or small mid-cap, provided that a prior agreement exist with the company
• from a non-associated third country intending to establish an SME (including start-ups) or to relocate an existing SME to a Member State or an Associated Country, by the time of submitting a full application

If you are currently a participant in an eligible project funded by Horizon Europe or Horizon 2020 then you may be able to apply through your existing project under the Fast Track scheme.

How does the EIC Accelerator work?

The evaluation process

Innovation topics covered

EIC Accelerator is open to innovations in any field of technology or application!

There is also a challenge-driven call (same deadlines as the open call) for innovations & applications related to the following areas:

1. Green Deal innovations for the economic recovery

2. Strategic Health and Digital Technologies

Amount of funding

• Grant up to EUR 2.5M for technology development (TRL 5/6 to 8)
• Equity between EUR 0.5 – 15M for scaling up and other activities

Indicative eligible costs

• Demonstration of the technology in the relevant environment
• Prototyping and system level demonstration
• R&D and testing
• Intellectual property management
• Marketing approval

Contact us

Partner up with KiNNO Consultants and maximize your chances for a successful application! We hold the necessary expertise and experience to provide a range of services, from developing your innovation strategy to defining your funding strategy and writing your funding proposal.

Please feel free to reach out to us to gain additional information and schedule an exploratory call.

Click here to download the EIC Accelerator flyer

Contact persons

• Angelos Noulas - STRATEGY & INVESTMENT ADVISOR

E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• Yiannis Geragotellis – INNOVATION CONSULTANT & FUNDING ADVISOR

E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.