EIC Accelerator — Frequently Asked Questions

You can receive a grant of up to ₹26.25 crore (non-dilutive) for innovation activities. Optionally, you may also receive an equity or quasi-equity investment of between ₹10.5 crore and ₹105 crore from the EIC Fund, either blended with the grant or as a separate investment. Grant-only and investment-only routes are also available.

There is no single deadline for submissions. Short proposals (Step 1) can be submitted any time on the EU Funding & Tenders portal and are batched for evaluation on the first Tuesday of each month. A small number of full proposal deadlines for 2026 have been set: 7 Jan, 4 Mar, 6 May, 8 Jul, 2 Sep, and 4 Nov.

Only single companies—start-ups, SMEs (including spin-outs), and small mid-caps up to 499 employees—established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country are eligible. Indian startups and other third-country entities can apply if they relocate their company to a qualifying country before submitting the full proposal (Step 2). UK applicants are limited to the grant-only track. The EIC especially encourages applications from companies with female CEOs.

The grant component is non-dilutive. If you opt for the investment component (₹10.5 crore–105 crore), it is provided as direct equity or quasi-equity through the EIC Fund, which does take a stake. You can choose grant-only, investment-only, or blended finance combining both.

Your innovation should be at TRL 6 (technology demonstrated in relevant environment) and you plan to reach TRL 8 (system complete and qualified) within 24 months.

For the short proposal: a 12-page form, a pitch deck of up to 10 slides (PDF), and a 3-minute video pitch from up to three core team members. For the full proposal: a 20-page form, pitch deck, implementation plan, financial information, Letters of Intent, Freedom-To-Operate analysis, and a new 3-minute video.

Yes. Proposals scoring at least 13 out of 15 at the remote evaluation stage but not selected for funding receive a Seal of Excellence (and a STEP seal for Challenges), which can help secure financing from other sources.

Short proposals are scored remotely by four expert evaluators. If shortlisted, you submit a full proposal which is evaluated by at least three experts and a technology expert (with an online interview), and the top candidates (up to 2.5× the available budget) are invited to a final face-to-face interview panel with the EIC Jury. Interviews are part of the final step.

Yes. You can apply for the grant alone, the investment alone, or a combination as blended finance. Choose the option that fits your needs.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for EIC Accelerator, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

EIC Accelerator is offered by European Innovation Council, a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.

Apply directly through the official application link on this page. Review the eligibility criteria and prepare your startup documents before you begin.