The European Innovation Council (EIC) Business Acceleration Services has officially launched an open call powered by the EIC ACCESS+ initiative. The call offers up to EUR 60,000 in grants, covering up to 50% of the costs, to access specialised services from the EIC Service Catalogue for deep-tech startups and SMEs that have received EIC Awards or the prestigious Seal of Excellence under the Horizon Europe program. Companies can use the funds to access vital resources to accelerate their growth and scale their innovations.
Supporting Europe’s Deep-Tech innovators
The EIC ACCESS+ project aims to address specific challenges that deep-tech innovators often face when bringing their ground-breaking solutions to the market. These challenges, such as access to infrastructure, talent, and funding, can frequently prevent promising innovations from reaching their full potential. The EIC directly tackles these obstacles by offering financial support enabling beneficiaries to access specialised services listed in the EIC Service Catalogue. This searchable platform gathers the services of the organisations providing support to EIC innovators under the EIC Ecosystem Partnership Programme.
Through this permanent open call, EIC Awardees and Seal of Excellence holders can apply for up to 50% financial support to cover the costs of services designed to help them grow. The total funding available through this initiative is €3.45 million, and the program will be open for applications from 1 November 2024 until 31 May 2026.
A wide range of services tailored to innovation needs
Applicants can choose from four service packages that provide targeted support:
-
Research Package – Access to infrastructure, R&D support, prototyping, and proof of concept.
-
Business Acceleration Package – Services such as business planning, matchmaking, internationalisation, and venture building.
-
Skills Improvement Package – Coaching, mentoring, and talent management.
-
Access to Funds Package – Assistance with fundraising, IP and legal services, and due diligence.
Grants will cover up to 50% of the service costs (VAT excluded), with a maximum cumulative grant amount of EUR 60,000 per applicant. This flexible approach allows applicants to access one or more services based on their specific needs.
A simple application process
The application process is streamlined to ensure ease of participation. Starting November 2024, applicants can submit their requests through a dedicated online form. All applications will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis, with assessments conducted by the EIC ACCESS+ Team.
Selected applicants will sign a Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) Agreement, and depending on the service package selected, the grant will be disbursed in one or two instalments.
Who can apply?
The open call is open to EIC Awardees (from the EIC Pathfinder, Transition, and Accelerator programs) and Seal of Excellence holders (Horizon Europe Programme). The EIC Awardees from the EU countries or the Associate Countries are encouraged to apply.
Applicants from these categories can receive support tailored to their needs, with a specific focus on achieving tangible results, such as product innovation, internationalisation, new market entry, or securing external funding.
Next steps
Interested parties are encouraged to review the full details of the open call and application guidelines on the EIC ACCESS+ website. An info session will be held on 18 November 2024 to provide an overview of the financial support available. More details will be announced soon.
About the EIC Service Catalogue
The EIC Service Catalogue is brought to you by the EIC Ecosystem Partnership Programme. This programme is creating a network of partner organisations to address one of the greatest challenges for EIC innovators: accessing specialized sector-focused services. By forging new strategic partnerships with key actors, such as Business Accelerators, Incubators, Research and Training Organizations, the EIC helps its innovators access their resources, facilities and expertise, so that no individual need is left unaddressed. These offers are then listed in the EIC Service Catalogue, a searchable platform through which EIC beneficiaries and Seal of Excellence holders can explore the service offers from the EIC Partners.
For any questions or technical issues concerning the programme, please contact us through the EIC Community’s contact page with the subject ‘EIC Ecosystem Partnership Programme’ or contact our helpdesk at eicpartnerships-helpdesk@eic-bas.eu.
DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.