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Expected Outcome: The EIC STEP Scale Up call offers a total indicative budget of EUR 300 million for 2026, which is expected to rise to EUR 900 million for the period 2025-2027. Any unused amount from this budget will be allocated with priority to the EIC Accelerator Open call. The support will be in the form of equity-only investments managed by the EIC Fund.

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Applicants to this call will not receive a grant component. It provides significant financial support, and applicants should apply for an investment of a minimum of EUR 10 million and maximum of EUR 30 million, to co-invest in a funding round in the range of EUR 50 to 150 million, and at least three to five times the amount of the requested EIC contribution.

The specific terms of each investment are considered and negotiated on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the EIC Fund Investment Guidelines. This ensures the investment is tailored to your company's needs while aligning with EIC's objectives.

EIC STEP Scale Up is designed to fill the funding gap for companies to invest in the scale up of high-risk innovations and where the amount needed for the scale up cannot be fully financed by other investors, including InvestEU direct and indirect financial products provided by implementing partners.

Applicants are encouraged to consider in particular complementarity with Venture Debt from InvestEU implementing partners in order to meet their financing needs. When implementing investments, the EIC Fund will ensure that supported companies keep most of their value, including their IP, in the EU or in the Associated Countries in order to contribute to their economic growth and job creation.

Where necessary, the EIC Fund will be requested to take appropriate safeguard measures for individual companies on a case-by-case basis in order to protect European interests as defined in the Investment Guidelines. Beyond funding, your company will benefit from a strong support system that fosters your continued growth within Europe through Business Acceleration Services (details available in Section VII).

Applicants to the EIC STEP Scale Up call who meet the evaluation thresholds will also be awarded a Sovereignty (STEP) Seal, to facilitate and provide possibility of the access to funding and support from other EU programmes and other funders and investors.

Objective: The EIC STEP Scale Up call presents a unique opportunity for ambitious scale up companies (SMEs and small mid-caps) with game-changing innovations in Europe's critical technology areas. It offers a powerful combination of financial and strategic support designed to propel your groundbreaking solution to the forefront of these sectors.

The companies selected under the EIC STEP Scale Up call shall receive investments ranging from EUR 10 to EUR 30 million. This investment can significantly accelerate the development and market launch of your technology, product, or service. With this funding, you'll gain the power to disrupt established markets and forge new ones across Europe, potentially achieving significant global impact.

Crucially, this investment is designed to catalyse major funding rounds in the range of EUR 50 to 150 million, and at least 3-5 times the EIC investment. This call is part of the implementation of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) which supports the development or manufacturing of critical technologies throughout the Union or safeguarding and strengthening their respective value chains.

Besides, support from the EIC, the projects may be eligible for support under other EU programmes included in STEP. In 2026 support for start-ups in semiconductor technologies and quantum technologies will be pursued in particular through the STEP Scale Up call which foresees larger investments targeting strategic technologies including in support of the Chips Act.

The EIC Accelerator Open call remains available in general for startups and SMEs including for quantum and semiconductor technologies. General conditions1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layoutIn order to apply, your innovation must be within the scope of the priority areas defined in the STEP regulation, which includes Critical Raw Materials and further developed in the Guidance note: a.

Digital technologies, and deep tech innovations. This includes: advanced semiconductor technologies; artificial intelligence technologies; quantum technologies; advanced connectivity, navigation and digital technologies; advanced sensing technologies; robotics and autonomous systems; Deep tech innovations (see Glossary of the EIC Work Programme 2026). b.

Clean and resource efficient technologies, including net-zero technologies.

This includes: solar technologies; onshore wind and offshore renewable technologies; battery and energy storage technologies; heat pumps and geothermal technologies; hydrogen technologies; sustainable biogas and biomethane technologies; carbon capture and storage technologies; electricity grid technologies; nuclear fission technologies, sustainable alternative fuel technologies; hydropower technologies; other renewable technologies; energy system -related energy efficiency technologies; renewable fuels of nonbiological origin technologies; biotech climate and energy solutions; transformative industrial technologies for decarbonisation; CO2 transport and utilisation technologies; wind and electric propulsion technologies; other nuclear technologies; advanced materials, manufacturing and recycling technologies, technologies vital to sustainability such as water purification and desalination; and circular economy technologies. c.

Biotechnologies, including medicinal products on the Union list of critical medicines and their components. Including DNA/RNA; proteins and other molecules; cell and tissue culture and engineering; process biotechnology techniques; Gene and RNA vectors; bioinformatics; and nanobiotechnology.

These technologies are deemed critical where they meet either of the following conditions: a. they bring to the internal market an innovative, emerging and cutting-edge element with significant economic potential; b. they contribute to reducing or preventing strategic dependencies of the Union.

The Commission Guidance note, concerning certain provisions of STEP Regulation adopted on May 2024, provides detailed information on the criticality conditions. This call targets companies raising significant funding rounds and you must demonstrate an initial market interest such that the EIC investment acts as a catalyst for larger funding rounds.

You will therefore need to demonstrate that the company already has a precommitment for an equity investment which meets the following elements: The pre-commitment comes from a single qualified investor with demonstrable know-how and experience in the relevant market, technology and jurisdiction and subject to KYC by the EIC Fund or the EIF..

The precommitted investor may be an existing investor in the company and does not necessarily need to be the investor who intends to lead the investment round; The pre-commitment represents at least 20% of the total target funding round you are aiming to raise.

The following entities are eligible to apply: A single company classified as a SME or small mid-cap (up to 499 employees) established within a Member State or an Associated Country (see Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2026). The company may have a holding entity for the purposes of the investment, and this holding company must also be established in a Member State or an Associated Country.

An investor may submit a proposal on behalf of an eligible SME or small midcap as defined above, provided that a prior agreement exists with the company. The investment agreement will be signed with the selected SME or small mid-cap. Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. 2. Eligible Countriesdescribed in Annex 2(B.

Eligibility) of the EIC Work Programme 2026. 3. Other Eligible Conditionsdescribed in Annex 2(General conditions for proposals) of the EIC Work Programme 2026. 4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusiondescribed in Annex 2(C. Financial and Operational Capacity) of the EIC Work Programme 2026. 5a.

Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholdsdescribed in section VI of the EIC Work Programme 2026. 5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processesdescribed in section VI of the EIC Work Programme 2026. 5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreementdescribed in section VI of the EIC Work Programme 2026.

EIC Work Programme 2026 Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA): Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System Standard application form (HE EIC STEP) Guidance HE Programme Guide Call-specific instructions Information on financial support to third parties (HE) Information on clinical studies (HE) Additional documents: HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 13.

General Annexes EIC Work Programme 2026 HE Programme Guide EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement To access the Electronic Submission Service, please click on the submission-button next to the type of action and the type of model grant agreement that corresponds to your proposal.

You will then be asked to confirm your choice, as it cannot be changed in the submission system. Upon confirmation, you will be linked to the correct entry point. To access existing draft proposals for this topic, please login to the Funding & Tenders Portal and select the My Proposals page of the My Area section.