HORIZON-EIC-2026-BAS-02-SCLATEUP is sponsored by European Commission — Horizon Europe. Expected Impact: The action is expected to generate the following impact: Strengthening growth skills through mentoring and curated peer learning on fundamental growth barriers such as inclusive work culture, organisation, talent attraction, international expansion, and funding. Increase the number and value of investments deals from strategic European and non-European, co-investments partners, such as public and private investors (including National Promotional Banks and Institutions or/and Regional Banks that provide late-stage investment), including funding through initial public offerings (IPOs) and acquisitions of the participating companies. Increase the number and value of commercial deals from customers and through strategic partners, e.g. corporates, buyers, infrastructure and service providers, within EU as well as in foreign markets. Strengthening attractiveness to attract highly skilled talents. Building a strong peer-network of Europe’s top-performing deep tech founders and key mentors. Strengthen visibility of supported companies and the image of the European deep tech scaleup scene. Objective: The focus for EIC Scaling Club 2.0 is to increase success and support the growth of the top deep tech companies in Europe, by strengthen the skills, knowledge and network of peers, investors and customers needed for growth. Scope: EIC Scaling Club 2.0 should support a minimum of 70 deep tech companies with the potential to scale up as global leaders or potential unicorns. 196 Minimum 35 of these companies should come from the EIC portfolio (primarily EIC Fund portfolio) and the remaining deep tech companies should come from similar programmes at Member State and Associated Country level. The identified companies, ready for series B+ funding rounds, should demonstrate credible high-growth potential and should develop cutting-edge solutions in key technological areas, contributing to Europe’s technological autonomy and supporting EU’s strategic priorities, e.g. AI, advanced materials, quantum, biotech, robotics and space technologies, energy and decarbonisation, as specified in the Competitive Compass for the EU. [1] The cohort of supported companies, active in diverse sectors, should be geographically and gender diverse, engaging companies from across the EU and Horizon Europe Associated countries and a balanced portfolio of women-led companies. The initiative should provide a package of growth-focused capability building support through bespoke networking and learning among peers and partners, as well as facilitating outreach. The initiative should also enhance visibility of the selected companies and the European scaleup scene. The activities The package of growth-focused support to the identified companies, should focus on: strengthening investment readiness strengthening operational excellence facilitate outreach to new customers, business partners and market (e.g. within EU as well as expansion to foreign markets) facilitate access to (late-stage) financing facilitate access to talents. The initiative should leverage the existing networks and build on the success and methodologies of its predecessor action, the EIC Scaling Club . For the implementation, the action should: be tailored to the specific needs of Europe’s deep tech companies in various sectors. It should be delivered in an agile way while, properly balancing companies’ engagement and the action’s added value. be implemented in strong conjunction with the EIC Business Acceleration Services, and the network of EIC ecosystem partners, exploiting synergies and cross-promoting relevant actions, such as the international trade fairs, matchmaking with corporates, innovation procurement, investor outreach, etc. support participating companies’ engagement in relevant scale-up schemes at EU level (EIC Step Scale Up, InvestEU initiative, EU Innovation Fund, etc.) and national levels (soft-landing schemes). play a proactive role in helping EIC build growth, expertise a Programme areas: Additional EIC activities, The European Innovation Council (EIC), Innovative Europe, Horizon Europe (HORIZON) Keywords: Angel investment, Business model innovation, Crowdfunding, Gender in innovation development, Innovation Fund, Innovation strategies, Innovation systems, Market-creating innovation, Private equity, Seed capital, Training and support, Venture operator, Scaling, deeptech, high-growth, technological autonomy, unicorns

Renewable energy technology (RET) solutions in energy communities is sponsored by European Commission — Horizon Europe. Specific Challenge: Individual energy communities encounter different challenges, such as developing a successful governance structure that is sufficiently inclusive and involves different types of actors, carrying out an effective business model and embedding activities within the structure and management of the European Commission to territorial regional and/or local plans (e.g., Just Transition Plans, Climate City Contracts, etc.). By rewarding Energy Communities’ innovative governance structure and management of a RET, the prize aims to inspire other Energy Communities to improve their operations and implementation activities and to foster innovativeness in the compliance of climate goals. In addition, this prize will also serve as inspiration and example to other types of communities to become an energy one, accelerating the pace for the ones that are already being formed/developed. The prize will showcase the best practices from the awarded communities to other ones experiencing similar challenges and issues, portraying a (replicable) framework on how to address these issues successfully. In this way, communities will feel incentivised to apply these practices, to improve their performance, management, etc., and so they can participate in future (similar) prize calls. Since Energy Communities have encountered bottlenecks in terms of management, governance structure, provision of other services, etc., this prize will aid to portray the successful ones on how to develop/carry out a fruitful business model that includes and promotes different type of services, while including and improving social aspects within the community. While showcasing governance innovativeness within the common barriers encountered to operate, the awarded communities will present a clear example that can serve as a replicable framework for other communities on how to overcome challenges and barriers, and address encountered common bottlenecks. Furthermore, the prize is expected to contribute to the broader goals of the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by demonstrating how energy communities can play a pivotal role in achieving climate neutrality at the city level. By embedding their activities within existing strategic and systematic approaches towards climate neutrality, such as the Climate City Contracts, these communities will help cities transition to more sustainable and resilient urban environments. The total money allocated to this prize is €1 million (EUR 1.000.000) to be awarded up to 10 winners as follows: 1 st place: €350.000 2 nd place: €200.000 3 rd place: €100.000 4 th place to tenth place: €50.000 Programme areas: Communities and Cities, Climate, Energy and Mobility, Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, Horizon Europe (HORIZON)