The European Innovation Council (EIC), part of the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, will invest €1.4B in 2025 to support deeptech research and high-potential startups across Europe.
The newly adopted EIC Work Programme 2025 will increase funding by €200M over 2024. Along with the increased budget, the programme introduces enhanced access to scale-up funding through the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) scale-up scheme, developed after the STEP regulation was adopted earlier this year.
Additional updates based on EIC Board recommendations are also included to further support growth in European tech innovation.
Boosting European tech innovation
The EIC introduced the STEP Scale-up scheme, with a €300M budget for 2025 (projected to reach €900M by 2027), to support strategic tech development and reduce EU dependencies.
Investments per company will range from €10 to €30M, aiming to reach €50 to €150M with private co-funding. Targeted sectors include digital, clean tech, and biotech.
Additionally, €120M will fund emerging technologies, and €250M will support early-stage companies in fields like AI and future mobility. Increased access to Business Acceleration Services and Seals of Excellence will further help startups secure additional funding sources, like Cohesion Policy Funds.
EIC Work Programme 2025
The EIC Work Programme 2025 features three primary funding schemes aimed at fostering innovation in Europe. The EIC Pathfinder will provide €262M to multidisciplinary research teams for early-stage technology research, offering grants of up to €4M for projects with breakthrough potential.
The EIC Transition scheme has a budget of €98M to help convert research findings into market opportunities, with grants up to €2.5M for follow-up projects.
The EIC Accelerator will support startups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with €634M to develop and scale innovations, offering grants below €2.5M and investments ranging from €500,000 to €10M.
Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, says, “The European Innovation Council has emerged as a gamechanger in EU support to breakthrough innovation. In 2025, it will boost EU deep tech with even more resources, amounting to €1.4B from Horizon Europe, our research and innovation programme.”
“The targeted support, especially through the STEP scale-up call, will help bridge critical funding gaps and build a stronger, more resilient innovation ecosystem in Europe.”
Additionally, the STEP Scale-up scheme (€300M) will provide equity funding to high-potential companies in critical tech areas to attract private co-investment (investments from €10M to €30M). These funding initiatives are supported by business acceleration services to connect innovators with experts, investors, and industry partners.
Brief about the European Innovation Council
The European Innovation Council (EIC) was established in March 2021 as part of the Horizon Europe programme, building on a pilot phase from 2018 to 2020.
With a budget exceeding €10B for the period 2021-2027, the EIC has supported over 630 companies and more than 450 research projects to date. Its investment arm, the EIC Fund, has made €1B in investments in deeptech startups and has leveraged over four times that amount in co-investments.
The Commission has launched the EIC Trusted Investors Network to enhance venture capital access for EIC-backed companies. Additionally, the STEP regulation, effective from March 2024, allows for greater investment flexibility under the EIC in strategic areas.
Interested applicants can attend EIC information days on November 5 (general one) and 6 (EIC Accelerator Challenges), 2024.
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