EIC STEP Scale Up
Horizon Europe · HORIZON-EIC-2026-STEP
Equity investments of €10 million to €30 million in scale-up companies developing critical technologies in Europe.
This call is closed. The page stays online for reference.
What is this call about?
The call offers equity-only investments of €10,000,000 to €30,000,000 to scale-up SMEs and small mid-caps with innovations in critical technology areas, to catalyse funding rounds of €50,000,000 to €150,000,000.
What does this call fund?
Scope
EIC STEP Scale Up offers a total indicative budget of €300,000,000 for 2026, expected to rise to €900,000,000 for 2025-2027, and any unused amount goes first to the EIC Accelerator Open call. Support is equity-only, managed by the EIC Fund, and applicants receive no grant component. The call is part of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), which supports the development or manufacturing of critical technologies in the Union and strengthens their value chains. In 2026, support for start-ups in semiconductor and quantum technologies is pursued in particular through this call, with larger investments for strategic technologies including in support of the Chips Act. The EIC Accelerator Open call remains available for start-ups and SMEs more generally, including in quantum and semiconductor technologies.
Investment terms
- Applicants should request an investment of at least €10,000,000 and at most €30,000,000, to co-invest in a funding round of €50,000,000 to €150,000,000 and at least three to five times the requested EIC contribution.
- Specific terms are negotiated case by case under the EIC Fund Investment Guidelines.
- The call fills the funding gap for scale-up of high-risk innovations where the amount needed cannot be fully financed by other investors, including InvestEU financial products. Applicants are encouraged to consider complementarity with venture debt from InvestEU implementing partners.
- The EIC Fund will ensure that supported companies keep most of their value, including intellectual property, in the EU or Associated Countries, and may take safeguard measures case by case to protect European interests.
Added benefits
Selected companies benefit from Business Acceleration Services. Applicants who meet the evaluation thresholds also receive a Sovereignty (STEP) Seal, which helps them access funding and support from other EU programmes, funders and investors, and projects may be eligible for support under other EU programmes included in STEP.
What are the key facts?
- Minimum amount per project
- €10,000,000
- Maximum amount per project
- €30,000,000
- Call code
- HORIZON-EIC-2026-STEP
- Programme
- Horizon Europe
- Funder
- European Innovation Council, through the EIC Fund
- Expected number of projects
- 10
Who can apply for this call?
- The call presents an opportunity for ambitious scale-up companies (SMEs and small mid-caps) with game-changing innovations in Europe's critical technology areas.
- Applicants should request an investment of €10,000,000 to €30,000,000 to co-invest in a round of €50,000,000 to €150,000,000 and at least three to five times the EIC contribution.
- Support is equity-only and applicants do not receive a grant component.
- The EIC Fund will ensure that supported companies keep most of their value, including intellectual property, in the EU or Associated Countries.
Check your eligibility and how your project fits
In your free account, we check the eligibility conditions against the call documents for your organisation and assess how well your project fits this call.
When is the deadline?
25 November 2026
Interested in this call? Summary written with AI from the official call documents. Details can differ, so check the official call page before you apply. Read the official call documents before you decide. The official text is always binding.
Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the official call documents. Official call page Last updated 6 October 2026.