• SMEs and small mid-caps (up to 499 employees) based in an EU Member State or an Associated Country.
• Developing strategic technologies within scope of STEP regulation.
• Already secured initial funding rounds with the aim to raise major funding round (e.g., EUR 50-150 million) to scale up and become a global leader.
• Commercializing the technology contains significant risks that cannot be financed by market investors alone. 
• Investors can also apply on behalf of an eligible SME or small mid-cap, provided a prior agreement exists with the company.
• Recipients must not be controlled by entities in non-associated third countries. 

Applicants need to demonstrate a pre-commitment from a qualified investor for at least 20% of the target funding round. The EIC Fund equity investment must be matched by other investors, who are expected to provide 3-5 times the EIC investment amount.

1. Submission of a full business plan (maximum 50 pages), including financial details and how the company addresses STEP’s strategic objectives.
2. A pitch deck (15 pages maximum).
3. A pre-commitment from a qualified lead investor for at least 20% of the target funding round, according to a template available on the EIC website.
4. Applicants must also submit an ownership declaration and consent to share information with the EIC Fund. Applications can be submitted anytime, but evaluations occur quarterly. 

Find the full template here

• First batch February 25 2024: Batches every 3 months
• Eligibility check from EISMEA and EIB in parallel – 2 weeks.
• March 11- April 4: preparation of interviews by EISMEA—4 weeks
• April 7-11 Interview with jury remotely (EIB and PM observer)
• April 25: information to applicants.
• 2 weeks after the interview, invitation letters to applicants will be sent manually

• Excellence: Novelty and breakthrough potential of the technology, timing, and technological feasibility.
• Impact: Market demand, commercialization strategy, potential to scale, and broader EU market impact, especially regarding reducing strategic dependencies.

Implementation and Risk: Team quality, risk level, and risk mitigation strategies. Applicants must also demonstrate the ability to raise additional investment beyond the EIC Fund.

• €384 million for the Open Call.
• €250 million for the Challenge Call.

1. Acceleration of advanced materials development and upscaling along the value chain
2. Biotechnology driven low emission food production systems
3. GenAI4EU: Creating European Champions in Generative AI
4. Innovative in-space servicing, operations, space-based robotics and technologies for resilient EU space infrastructure
5. Breakthrough innovations for future mobility

• March 12, 2025
• October 1, 2025

Interviews for these cut-offs are scheduled for June 9-13, 2025, and January 19-23, 2026, respectively.ste your chance with a poor-quality proposal! 

• The maximum investment for the EIC Accelerator has been reduced to €10 million (from €15 million in 2024). For larger funding needs, the STEP Scale-Up Call offers investments of €10-30 million.
• Applicants must complete TRL 5 before submission, and the evaluation process now occurs in monthly batches, with results provided within 4-6 weeks.
• The evaluation criteria have shifted to emphasize deep-tech innovations and the ability to attract further investment within two years.
• The excellence of the company sub-criterion has been removed.
• Jury members have increased to six (from 4-5).
• No travel reimbursement for in-person interviews in Brussels.
• Equity funding now targets minority ownership stakes between 10-25% and aims to crowd in co-investors.
• Introduction of the STEP Seal for selected and “No Go” challenge proposals.
• Introduction of the Pre-Accelerator for widening countries under the WIDERA initiative

1. Proposal Submission: Proposals are submitted online, and a short application is initially reviewed.
2. Short Proposal Evaluation: The evaluation is done in batches each month. Proposals are assessed for innovation, feasibility, and scalability. The excellence, impact, and risk of the project are key evaluation criteria.
3. Full Proposal Evaluation: If the short proposal is successful, applicants are invited to submit a full proposal. This includes more detailed technical and business information.
4. Interviews: A jury panel evaluates the full proposals through interviews. This is an important stage where applicants present their projects.
5. Final Decision: After the interview, the jury assesses the risk, novelty, and expected return on investment. The final funding decision is made based on the overall project quality.

• €142 million for the Pathfinder Open Call (up to €3 million per project).
• €120 million for the Pathfinder Challenge Call (up to €4 million per project).

1. Biotech for climate-resilient crops and plant-based biomanufacturing.
2. Generative-AI-based agents for medical diagnosis and cancer treatment.
3. Autonomous robot collectives for construction tasks.
4. Waste-to-value devices for circular production of renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials.

1. Proposal Submission: Proposals are submitted for early-stage, high-risk, breakthrough innovations at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 1-3.
2. Evaluation of Proposals: The focus is on scientific excellence, technological novelty, and the potential for breakthrough. Proposals are reviewed by expert panels.
3. Selection of Projects: Successful proposals proceed to receive funding, and projects are selected based on their ability to advance technology and contribute to the development of new markets or sectors.
4. Interviews: In some cases, interviews are conducted with applicants to assess their ability to move forward with the proposed technology and research plan.
5. Final Decision: A final decision on funding is made after interviews and final evaluations. The projects are then awarded grants to support further research and development.

• The cut-off date for the EIC Pathfinder Open Call is May 21, 2025.
• The cut-off date for the EIC Pathfinder Challenge Call is October 29, 2025.

• Emphasis in technology visions: Applicants must present long-term technology visions.
• Increased Funding for Challenges: Up to €4 million for the Pathfinder Challenge Call.
• Funded projects will receive BAS and are eligible:
  • to submit an EIC transition and and EIC Accelerator via Fast Track.
  • to receive booster grants of up to €50,000 to explore further activities.

EIC Transition is designed to support proposals based on results generated by specific eligible projects. These include:

• EIC Pathfinder projects, encompassing:

  • Horizon 2020 EIC pilot Pathfinder.

  • FET-Open and FET-Proactive.

  • CSA and CSA Lump Sum FET Innovation Launchpad.

  • FET Flagships calls.

• European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept projects funded under Horizon 2020 or Horizon Europe.

• Research and Innovation Actions funded under:

  • Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges and Leadership in Industrial Technologies.

  • Horizon Europe Pillar II, with an eligible Technology Readiness Level (TRL).

• European Defence Fund (EDF) research projects, including the Preparatory Action on Defence Research, provided they focus on civil applications (including dual use).

The 2025 budget for the EIC Transition is €98 million.

1. Proposal Submission: Companies submit proposals for early-stage technologies that are transitioning toward commercialization.
2. Proposal Evaluation: Proposals are evaluated for the innovation’s readiness, market impact, and the company’s growth potential. The focus is on the commercialization of the technology.
3. Interviews: A panel of experts conducts interviews with applicants to evaluate the project’s feasibility, its market potential, and the technology’s business readiness.
4. Decision: After the interview, the final decision is made based on the potential impact of the technology on the EU market and the company’s ability to scale.

• More applicants will be invited to the jury interview phase.
• “GO reserve” recommendations: Jury panels can now recommend projects for funding if additional budget becomes available.
• Seal of Excellence is expanded to all proposals that meet evaluation thresholds but aren’t funded due to budget limits, including consortia, not just mono-beneficiary SMEs.