EIC Board Calls for a Bigger Budget to Boost Europe’s Deep Tech Leadership

by Belén García | Jul 8, 2025 | Reading time: 2 minutes | Blog

On July 1, 2025, the European Innovation Council Board published a bold set of recommendations designed to reinforce Europe’s role as a global leader in deep tech innovation. Building on impressive early results, the Board advocates for a significantly expanded mission and budget for the EIC to keep pace with international competitors like the U.S. and China.

Why Now?

The upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) presents a strategic opportunity to scale Europe’s innovation potential. The EIC Board calls for a quadrupled budget under the next Framework Programme (FP10), proposing €7 billion for the EIC Fund alone and the creation of a new Scaleup Europe Fund to catalyse follow-on and larger investments.

Key Recommendations:

🟠Adopt an ARPA-inspired Challenge model for high-risk, high-reward innovation.

🟠Expand the EIC Fund and establish a dedicated Scaleup Fund for growth-stage financing.

🟠Streamline operations to improve the innovator journey and reduce administrative burdens.

🟠Foster stronger synergies with national and regional ecosystems.

🟠Maintain a framework for experimentation, particularly in strategic fields like AI, biotech, clean tech, and quantum technologies.

The EIC has already supported over 700 start-ups and SMEs, leveraging €3 in private capital for every €1 invested through the EIC Fund. These companies are driving technological advances and job creation across Europe.

The message from the EIC Board is clear: to ensure Europe’s economic security and competitiveness, we must scale what works and invest boldly in the future.

Want to dive deeper?

Contact us at info@evolutioneurope.eu or explore our Services page, where you’ll find detailed information on all EIC programmes and how we can support your innovation journey.