EIC STEP Scale Up

Worum geht es in dieser Ausschreibung?

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.

Was fördert diese Ausschreibung?

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.

Wann endet die Einreichungsfrist?

25. November 2026

25 November 2026.