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Find similar grantsCall opens May 5, 2027 with submission deadline November 18, 2027.
EIC Pre-Accelerator is sponsored by European Innovation Council (EIC) and WIDERA programme under Horizon Europe. This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.
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EIC Pre-Accelerator - European Innovation Council - European Commission What for Early stage deep-tech startups Develop the technology, business and investment readiness in widening countries (TRL 4 to TRL 6). Single SMEs established in the widening countries only (the full list of eligible countries can be found below under 'Who can apply').
Individual grants between 500 thousand and 1 million EUR in 2027 call (300-500 thousand EUR in 2025 call), coaching & mentoring, networking for a maximum period of 2 years. What is the EIC Pre-Accelerator? The EIC Pre-Accelerator call is a joint scheme between the European Innovation Council and the Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area (WIDERA) programme.
It is funded under the WIDERA Work Programme 2025 and WIDERA Work Programme 2026-2027 . The aim of the call is to boost the innovation potential of early-stage deep-tech startups in widening countries by enhancing their business, investor, and technology readiness to secure funding from different sources.
The objective is to raise the readiness of high potential deep-tech startups in widening countries to a level where they will: be successful in applying and attracting the EIC Accelerator funding and/or manage to secure other private investment and/or attract successfully national and regional funding (e.g. through national Seal of Excellence programmes).
Lump sum from €500K to €1M in 2027 (€300K to €500K in 2025) to support early stage development of future technologies. 70 % of eligible cost of the project. The remaining 30% should be co-funded by the beneficiary through its own resources.
Grant for maximum 2 years. Total budget EUR 20 million. Free access to tailored Business Acceleration Services to improve investor readiness (coaching, one-to-one services) and outreach (participation to bootcamps and pitching sessions) Access to the Fast Track to the EIC Accelerator scheme Total budget €40 million in 2027 (€20 million in 2025) Seals of Excellence to be awarded, accompanied by free access to BAS.
Horizon Europe Work Programme (2026-2027) - WIDERA Application form template (from 2025 call - the new one will be published together with a call on 5 May 2027) Mono-beneficiary (SME or small mid-cap) from Horizon Europe widening countries (full list below) which; have high-impact innovation that could create new markets or disrupt existing ones (technology validated in the lab – at least TRL 4); possess the necessary Intellectual Property Rights to ensure freedom to operate and adequate protection of the idea; have a clear vision on the intended pathway to market (milestones together with concrete and verifiable KPIs to assess progress towards the market); have the ambition and commitments to scale up .
Companies from which countries can participate in the EIC Pre-Accelerator call?
Only companies registered in countries belonging to the Horizon Europe widening group are eligible – as described in the Widening Participation and strengthening the European Research Area Work Programme 2026-2027 (page 6): Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and all Associated Countries with equivalent characteristics in terms of R&I performance (Albania, Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and once associated Morocco and Egypt), as well as the Outermost Regions (defined in Art.
349 TFEU). Applications from companies established in other countries will be treated as ineligible. *This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence .
You must submit your proposal via the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal before the given deadline. The call is opening on 5 May 2027 Deadline for submitting your proposal: 18 November 2027 Successful applicants will be granted free access to the EIC Business Acceleration Services , such as coaching and specific events tailored to their needs (e.g. for improving investor and market readiness).
This will be complemented by access to the EIC Accelerator Fast Track for submissions to the Accelerator programme following a project review in the second half of the project. Missed the info session? Catch it below before you submit your application!
General information 23 July 2025 Pre-Accelerator Info Session Presentation Apply for the Pre-Accelerator The Fast Track scheme allows specific treatment of proposals that result from existing Horizon Europe or Horizon 2020 projects. Such projects can submit projects directly to the full application stage of the EIC Accelerator subject to a review of the ongoing project.
All EIC supported projects and companies get access to coaching, mentoring, partnering and other EIC Business Acceleration Services (BAS). The network of National Contact Points (NCPs) is the main structure to provide guidance, practical information and assistance on all aspects of participation in Horizon Europe.
Find your National Contact Point Find answers to questions frequently asked by applicants about types of funding, eligibility, submission of proposals and much more.
Check the frequently asked questions EIC Pathfinder Open 2026 call continues to attract strong interest from the research community EIC awards €118 million to 30 breakthrough research projects under EIC Pathfinder Challenges The European Innovation Council has selected 30 new projects under the 2025 EIC Pathfinder Challenges Call...
EIC Pathfinder and Accelerator projects among the winners of the Innovation Radar Prize Two partners from the EIC Pathfinder-funded projects were among the winners of the Innovation Rader Prize EIC Board welcomes the 2026 work programme The Board endorses the 2026 work programme as the pivotal milestone in advancing Europe's deep-tech and scale-up ambitions.
Strong participation in 2025 EIC Pathfinder Challenges call 667 project proposals received for its 29 October 2025 EIC Pathfinder Challenges deadline. Over €140 million awarded under EIC Pathfinder 2025 to turn visionary science into breakthrough innovation 44 new EIC Pathfinder projects set to receive over €140 million in EU funding. 27-29 May 2026 Conferences and summits Storage and Computing with DNA 2026
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: SMEs or small mid-caps registered exclusively in Horizon Europe widening countries (e.g. Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Poland) with technology at minimum TRL 4 and a clear market pathway. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows €500,000–€1,000,000. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Applications for EIC Pre-Accelerator are due November 18, 2027. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
EIC Pre-Accelerator is funded by European Innovation Council (EIC) and WIDERA programme under Horizon Europe. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
This listing is flagged as international in scope. Check the official notice for country-specific restrictions before applying.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
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