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European Innovation Council

EIC Pre-Accelerator

What for
Eearly stage deep-tech startups
Develop the technology, business and investment readiness in widening countries (TRL 4 to TRL 6).
Who can apply
SMEs
Single SMEs established in the widening countries
What you get
Grants
Individual grants between 300-500 thousand EUR, coaching & mentoring, networking for a maximum period of 2 years.

What is the EIC Pre-Accelerator?

The pilot 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.

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). 
  • Grant funding 
    • Lump sum from €300K to €500K 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 (2025-2026).
  • Extensive support
    • 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
    • Seals of Excellenceto be awarded, accompanied by free access to BAS.


     

Horizon Europe Work programme (2025) - WIDERA
  • General publications
  • 4 June 2025
Horizon Europe Work programme (2025) - WIDERA
English
(817.18 KB - PDF)
Download

 

Who can apply?

Mono-beneficiary (SME or small mid-cap) from Horizon Europe widening countries 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.

How to apply ?

  1. 2025
    exact date to be determined

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.

 

Apply for the Pre-Accelerator

Direct submissions

  • Fast Track scheme

    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.

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