Now Open: Innovation Fund and EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges

Last week, a few important EU grant calls finally (re)opened.

As you likely know, many grant programs close and reopen annually, creating new versions of the call each time, which can make tracking difficult. However, since the program names remain the same, you can now simply use Subsdy to follow a keyword and receive notifications whenever a new matching call for proposals is published.

If you subscribe to Subsdy and follow keywords like "Innovation Fund" or "Advanced Innovation Challenges," you likely received the publication notifications already, just like I did:

Innovation Fund

The EU Innovation Fund offers €7.5 million to €300 million for large-scale demonstrations of low-carbon technologies, such as clean energy and carbon capture, to accelerate the green transition.

11 New 2026 Calls

Innovation Fund 2025 Net Zero Technologies:

• General decarbonisation - Small-Scale Projects
• General decarbonisation - Medium-Scale Projects
• General decarbonisation - Large-Scale Projects
• Clean-tech manufacturing
• Pilot projects

Fixed Premium Auctions:

• Industrial Process Heat Decarbonisation - Medium Temperature Heat - 3 to 5 MW
• Industrial Process Heat Decarbonisation - Medium Temperature Heat - Above 5 MW
• Industrial Process Heat Decarbonisation - High Temperature Heat
• RFNBO hydrogen production
• RFNBO and/or electrolytic low-carbon hydrogen production
• RFNBO and/or electrolytic low-carbon hydrogen production for the maritime and aviation sectors

EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges

This new pilot initiative delivers €300,000 (Stage 1) and up to €2.5 million (Stage 2) in staged funding for breakthrough deep-tech innovations in Physical AI and animal-free biomedical testing.

2 New 2026 Calls

• Accelerating Physical AI: Embodied Intelligence for the Next Frontier of AI-Powered Robotics
• Translating Disruptive New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) into Practice

My Thoughts on the EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges

The Advanced Innovation Challenges are a very interesting new addition. They offer relatively small grants in the first stage but provide significantly more funding in the second. This structure is particularly suitable for very early-stage companies, especially those emerging from research institutes. For startups with significant salary costs, the initial €300,000 grant might not go far, while research institutes, where salaries are often covered, would find it more suitable.

A major benefit of the Advanced Innovation Challenges is the high probability of securing follow-on funding, as the second stage selects from the pool of Stage 1 winners, significantly reducing the risk. The downside is the extremely narrow technology focus: robotics combined with AI, and alternative methods to animal testing.

Considering the urgent problems Europe currently faces, such as high electricity costs, a struggling manufacturing sector, a lagging compute buildout, and the risk of losing relevance in the global economy, it is strange to see one of only two challenges focused on animal testing. While this is an impactful area of development, it does not seem to be the most pressing priority for Europe right now.

It is also very European to add "regulatory innovation" to the expected impacts of the challenge.

It would have been nice to see a broader eligibility pool instead, since this is a two-stage process and strict challenge topic areas will shrink the Stage 2 pool even further. Selecting at least four challenges and aiming to cover key sectors such as robotics/AI, biotechnology, energy, and manufacturing more broadly could have been wise.

Expected Call Openings

I am tracking several keywords via Subsdy and expect the EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition, and potentially EIC Accelerator Step 2 calls to be added to the database once the EIC publishes them. For the 2025 version, the EIC Accelerator Step 2 calls were quietly published during the year, so it will be interesting to see if this will also happen in 2026.

I am also very curious to see if the EIC Pre-Accelerator will make a comeback, but I would not expect it to happen in 2026, since the budgets are already set and the previous run will only be evaluated in February. The EIC Pre-Accelerator could potentially return in 2027, though, depending on how the first batch went.

Prepare Your Application

Need help with the EIC Accelerator or other grants? Here are some options:

• Starter Pack (lowest-risk entry via AI writer ChatEIC and content)
• Advisory (personalized guidance to help you write)
• Writing (complete end-to-end service, including writing and submission)
• Review (personal proposal review by an expert)

Other resources:

• Subsdy (AI grant discovery)
• Subsdy News (regular articles on new grant opportunities in the EU)
• Newsletter (share this newsletter with a colleague)

These tips are not only useful for European startups, professional writers, consultants and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) but are generally recommended when writing a business plan or investor documents.

Deadlines: Post-Horizon 2020, the EIC Accelerator accepts Step 1 submissions now while the deadlines for the full applications (Step 2) under Horizon Europe are listed below. The Step 1 applications must be submitted weeks in advance of Step 2. The next EIC Accelerator cut-off for Step 2 (full proposal) can be found here. After Brexit, UK companies can still apply to the EIC Accelerator under Horizon Europe albeit with non-dilutive grant applications only - thereby excluding equity-financing. Switzerland has resumed its participation in Horizon Europe and is now eligible for the EIC Accelerator.

Contact: You can reach out to us via this contact form to work with a professional consultant.

AI Grant Writer: ChatEIC is a fully automated EIC Accelerator grant proposal writer: Get it here.

EIC Accelerator: EIC Accelerator delivers flexible funding options including blended finance (€2.5M grant + €0.5M-€10M equity), grant-only (up to €2.5M), or equity-only arrangements for scale-up and market deployment of breakthrough innovations. The initiative targets SMEs, start-ups, and small mid-caps with up to 499 employees. Technology areas include Biotech, Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Quantum, Aerospace, Advanced Materials, and Semiconductors. Get Started

EIC Pathfinder: EIC Pathfinder delivers up to €3 million for Open calls and up to €4 million for Challenge-based calls to support early-stage research and development with proof-of-principle validation. The initiative requires research consortia with a minimum of 3 partners from 3 different countries, including universities, research organizations, and SMEs. Primary technology focus areas include Health/Medical, Quantum Technologies, AI, Environmental/Energy, and Advanced Materials. Get Started

EIC Transition: EIC Transition delivers up to €2.5 million in funding to overcome the 'valley of death' gap between laboratory research and market deployment, emphasizing technology maturation and validation. The initiative supports single legal entities or small consortia of 2-5 partners including SMEs, start-ups, spin-offs, and research organizations. Key technology domains include Health/Medical Technologies, Green/Environmental Innovation, Digital/Microelectronics, Quantum Technologies, and AI/Robotics. Get Started

EIC STEP Scale-Up: EIC STEP Scale-Up delivers significant equity investments of €10-30 million for established deep-tech companies prepared for hyper-growth and large-scale expansion. The initiative targets SMEs or small mid-caps with up to 499 employees who have obtained pre-commitment from qualified investors. Primary focus areas include Digital & Deep Tech (Semiconductors, AI, Quantum), Clean Technologies for Net-Zero objectives, and Biotechnologies. Get Started

EIC Pre-Accelerator: EIC Pre-Accelerator represents a pilot initiative delivering €300,000-€500,000 in funding for early-stage deep-tech development and preparation for the EIC Accelerator program. This program is exclusively accessible to single SMEs or small mid-caps from 'Widening countries' to foster regional innovation development. The initiative encompasses deep-tech innovations across physical, biological, and digital domains. Get Started

EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges: EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges represents a new pilot initiative delivering €300,000 (Stage 1) and up to €2.5 million (Stage 2) for breakthrough deep-tech innovations through ARPA-style staged funding mechanisms with integrated demand-side engagement. This initiative targets single entities or small consortia (2-3 partners) including SMEs, start-ups, and research organizations. Primary focus areas include Physical AI for autonomous robotics applications and New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for animal-free biomedical testing, with TRL 4 entry requirements and demonstrated end-user commitment. Get Started

Eureka Network: The Eureka Network delivers various international collaborative R&D initiatives such as Network Projects, Clusters, Eurostars, Globalstars, and Innowwide, providing funding from €50K to €6.75M per project based on the specific initiative. This network emphasizes market-driven innovation and deep-tech advancement across multiple technology sectors including ICT/Digital, Industrial/Manufacturing, Bio/Medical Technologies, Energy/Environment, Quantum, AI, and Circular Economy. Eligible participants include SMEs, large enterprises, research organizations, universities, and startups, with Eurostars particularly focused on R&D-performing SMEs. Get Started

Eurostars: Eurostars represents a joint EU-Eureka initiative delivering €50K-€500K for international R&D collaboration specifically led by SMEs. The program adopts a bottom-up approach, accepting projects from all technology fields without predefined thematic restrictions. R&D-performing SMEs must lead the consortium and demonstrate significant R&D activities. Get Started

Innovation Partnership: Innovation Partnership enables collaborative innovation between public and private sectors with typical funding of €1-5 million per project. The initiative supports cross-sectoral strategic technologies through public-private partnerships and consortia. Projects concentrate on addressing societal challenges through collaborative innovation approaches. Get Started

Innovation Fund: The EU Innovation Fund delivers substantial funding of €7.5 million to €300 million for large-scale demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies. The initiative targets clean energy, carbon capture, renewable energy, and energy storage technologies to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. Eligible participants include large companies, consortia, and public entities capable of implementing large-scale demonstration projects. Get Started

Innovate UK: Innovate UK delivers various programs with funding ranging from £25K to £10M depending on the specific initiative, supporting business-led innovation, collaborative R&D, and knowledge transfer. The organization funds projects across all sectors with particular emphasis on emerging technologies and supports UK-based businesses, research organizations, and universities. Programs are designed to drive economic growth through innovation and technology commercialization. Get Started

Industrial Partnership: Industrial Partnership delivers €2-10 million in funding for industrial research and innovation partnerships focusing on manufacturing, industrial technologies, and digital transformation. The initiative supports industrial consortia and research organizations in developing collaborative solutions for industrial challenges. Projects aim to strengthen European industrial competitiveness through strategic partnerships. Get Started

LIFE Programme: The LIFE Programme delivers €1-10 million in funding for environmental protection, climate action, and nature conservation projects across the European Union. The initiative supports environmental technologies, climate adaptation strategies, and biodiversity conservation initiatives. Eligible participants include public authorities, private companies, NGOs, and research institutions working on environmental and climate challenges. Get Started

Neotec: Neotec represents a Spanish initiative delivering €250K-€1M in funding for technology-based business creation and development, supporting the growth of innovative Spanish SMEs and start-ups. The program covers all technology sectors and aims to strengthen Spain's technology ecosystem. Funding is specifically targeted at Spanish technology-based SMEs and start-ups to enhance their competitiveness and market presence. Get Started

Thematic Priorities: EU Thematic Priorities encompass various programs aligned with EU strategic priorities including green transition, digital transformation, health, and security initiatives. Funding amounts vary based on the specific program and call requirements, with projects designed to address key European challenges. Applicant eligibility varies by specific program and call, with different requirements for different thematic areas. Get Started

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