Frequently Asked Questions

EIC Accelerator offers blended finance (grant and equity), suitable for companies where a grant is still impactful. STEP Scale-Up provides pure equity investment, better aligning with larger funding rounds. The choice depends on the company's funding needs and the strategic goals of the EIC.

A company's runway should be assessed in the context of their overall funding plans, including potential loans or bridge rounds. It shouldn't be viewed as a definitive bankruptcy date, but rather as a factor to consider alongside their fundraising strategy.

Companies should answer 'yes' to this question. The EIC finds companies more attractive if they demonstrate the potential to succeed independently. However, this doesn't mean they shouldn't be considered for funding, especially if the EIC investment can provide strategic value.

The jury should first determine if a grant is still life-changing for the company despite the equity raise, considering a funding size threshold. If a grant is not suitable due to the funding size, they should assess if there's a strategic reason for the EIC Fund to invest, potentially through the STEP Scale-Up program.

Even if a company has raised significant funding, it might still be strategically important for the EIC to invest in them. The STEP Scale-Up program can be used as a catch-all for strategically important technologies or companies, irrespective of their funding status or specific technology focus.

Raising funding during the application process should not automatically disqualify a company. The jury should consider the amount of funding raised and the strategic position of the EIC. A threshold for grant eligibility could be established, while equity investment can still be considered through the STEP Scale-Up program.

Pharmaceutical projects often have different TRL requirements due to the extensive clinical trials needed. A footnote for pharma companies allows them to start earlier (TRL5) and finish earlier (TRL7-8) in the funding cycle. This acknowledges that they may not be ready for commercial sales after a €2.5 million grant and one equity round due to the lengthy and costly clinical trial process.

To qualify as DeepTech, your technology must meet specific criteria. It should be novel with few competitors, require deep domain expertise, have large-scale impact potential, demonstrate market urgency, possess a clear competitive moat, and demand high capital for development. Additionally, it should be based on scientific discoveries or interdisciplinary expertise, and not be a simple app, small business, or copycat product.

The EIC Accelerator assesses TRLs to understand the maturity of the technology being developed. A key indicator of TRL6 is whether a prototype or component has been tested by a customer, end-user, or in an industrial setting. Clear definitions of TRLs are crucial to ensure consistent evaluation by both evaluators and jury members.

The EIC Accelerator prioritizes companies where the active team holds a significant portion of the equity. This demonstrates commitment and alignment of interests between the founders and the company's success. It also ensures that the team has the incentive and control to drive the company forward, which is crucial for long-term growth and innovation.

If your answers in the short screener indicate potential issues, you'll receive a notification stating that the EIC doesn't recommend applying. The notification will list the specific issues identified. You can choose to change your answers and apply anyway, but you should be aware of the potential impact on your application's success.

The short screener includes questions about ownership structure, fundraising efforts, company registration location, and intellectual property ownership. For example, it may ask about the percentage of equity held by the active team, the types of investors involved, and whether the company owns its core technology. These questions help the EIC assess the company's readiness and alignment with the program's goals.

The short screener is a questionnaire designed to filter companies early in the application process. It uses simple logic to assess the general company profile and determine if the applicant should proceed with Step 1. This helps to identify potential issues and ensure that only suitable candidates invest time and resources into the full application.

The EIC Accelerator funding, offered by the European Commission and European Innovation Council, provides up to €2.5 million in grant and €10 million in equity financing for startups and Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). It supports projects with high-risk, high-impact potential, aiming to scale up innovative technologies and solutions. The blended financing option allows companies to tailor the funding to their specific needs and growth plans.

The typical starting point for EIC Accelerator projects is TRL6, meaning a prototype or key component has been tested in a relevant environment. The goal is usually to reach TRL8 by the end of the grant phase, indicating that all developments for the final product are complete. For equity funding, the aim is TRL9, signifying completed scaling activities.

Clear TRL definitions are crucial for consistent evaluation and understanding between applicants, evaluators, and jury members. Subjectivity in TRL assessment can lead to discrepancies and unfair evaluations. Standardized definitions that focus on key milestones, such as customer validation or progress in clinical trials, ensure a more objective and transparent process.

Expect questions about the experience and expertise of your founding and management team. Highlight why your team is uniquely positioned to meet the market need and execute the technological developments. Showcase the background and track record of key team members to build confidence.

After your pitch, the jury discusses your application based on three key criteria: Implementation, Impact, and Excellence. Implementation focuses on your team's capability and the leveraging of investments. Impact assesses your commercial strategy and scale-up potential. Excellence evaluates the innovation's feasibility and market readiness.

The 'Impact' criterion focuses on the soundness of your business model and commercialization strategy. The jury will also evaluate the financial planning and projections you've provided. They'll assess whether the innovation has the potential to scale up the company and if the financial needs are adequately quantified.

Companies often fail because they insufficiently address key areas. The most common shortcomings are related to Impact (commercial strategy, business model), Excellence (market-creating potential, financial planning), and Implementation (team capability, team motivation, right timing). Make sure to thoroughly cover these aspects in your pitch and proposal.

'Excellence' refers to the innovation's potential to create a new market or have a significant impact on existing ones. The jury will assess the degree of novelty or disruptiveness of your innovation. They will also consider if the timing is right for your innovation, considering feasibility and market readiness.

Implementation refers to the team's capability and motivation to bring the innovation to market. It also considers whether the company can leverage sufficient investments from the market. For blended finance, it assesses if the company is considered non-bankable by the market.

The EIC Accelerator is highly competitive, so the market-creating, disrupting, and transforming potential of your project is a key assessment criterion. Clearly explain how your innovation will create a new market or significantly impact existing ones. Address both the opportunities and potential threats associated with your approach.

Be prepared to explain the difficulty and feasibility of your proposed project. Justify why competitors haven't solved the problem yet, but also demonstrate that your solution is achievable and not overly expensive. Provide a realistic and actionable roadmap to exploit the business opportunity.

The EIC Accelerator interview primarily focuses on the commercial aspects and go-to-market strategies of your project. The jury wants to understand how you'll reach customers and generate revenue. Make sure your commercial strategy is well-validated with strong partners and relevant metrics.

The commercial impact of your project is crucial. Focus on both the financial impact (revenues, customers, assets) and the transformative impact in the EU (societal, energy, health benefits). Have KPIs ready for both the project duration and the long-term future, including potential exits and valuation.

If your company is already well-financed, it might be less likely to receive EIC Accelerator funding. The EIC aims to support companies that need special financing to overcome challenges in bringing their innovations to market. If you already have sufficient funding, it may suggest that your project is less risky and doesn't require the EIC's support. Clearly justify why additional funding is necessary for your project's success.

Alignment with EU values is crucial for EIC Accelerator funding. The EU wants to support projects that contribute to its broader objectives, such as sustainability, social inclusion, and economic growth. If your project contradicts these values, it's unlikely to receive funding. Demonstrate how your company's mission and activities support the EU's vision for the future.

Before applying, honestly evaluate your innovation's novelty, market potential, and alignment with EU values. Assess whether your financial projections demonstrate significant growth potential. Consider whether your funding needs are primarily for technology development or simply for scaling existing operations. Addressing these questions will provide a more realistic understanding of your chances and help you tailor your application accordingly.

The EIC Accelerator typically funds projects that are at a certain Technology Readiness Level (TRL). Immature technologies are often considered non-bankable and require specialized funding. While the exact TRL requirement may vary, the EIC generally looks for projects that have progressed beyond the early stages of research and development. Ensure your technology is sufficiently mature and ready for commercialization before applying.

A transformative impact means your innovation should significantly benefit the EU and its citizens. This could involve addressing key societal challenges, creating new markets, or improving the quality of life. The EIC is looking for projects that have the potential to reshape industries and contribute to the EU's long-term goals. Clearly articulate how your innovation will create positive change within the EU.

The EU prioritizes spending government funds within its territory. While foreign ownership isn't an automatic disqualifier, it raises questions about control and independence. Significant foreign investment or a management team that appears predominantly foreign can raise concerns. Be prepared to address these concerns and demonstrate that your company is genuinely EU-controlled and contributes to the EU economy.

The EIC Accelerator seeks to fund truly innovative projects. If your product or service is only innovative in a specific region or industry, but the underlying technology is not new, it may be considered a "me-too" business. This can lower barriers to entry for competitors and make your application less attractive to the EIC. Assess whether you're a first mover or simply replicating existing solutions before applying.

While the EIC Accelerator doesn't fund non-profits, it also looks for companies with the potential for significant financial growth. The EIC expects beneficiaries to achieve substantial revenue scale and market impact. If your projected profits are low, it may indicate a lack of commercial scalability, making your application less competitive. Consider if your financial projections align with the EIC's expectations for high-growth companies.

The EIC Accelerator primarily supports companies focused on technological development. If you mainly need funding for scaling up production, purchasing materials, or marketing, your application may not be suitable. However, if these expenses are directly related to and justified by ongoing technological advancements, they may be eligible for funding. Ensure you clearly demonstrate the link between these expenses and your technology development efforts.

Several factors can lead to rejection, including a lack of genuine innovation, low profit potential, using funds primarily for material expenses, and concerns about foreign ownership or control. Additionally, applications may be rejected if the company is already well-financed, the innovation doesn't have a transformative impact on the EU, or the project opposes EU values. Ensure your project addresses these potential pitfalls before applying.

Integrating AI quickly allows the EIC to experiment and refine the system before application numbers increase significantly. A rushed or poorly implemented AI system could damage the evaluation process and the EIC's reputation. By starting early, the EIC can gradually test and improve the AI's performance.

The declining Step 3 interview success rates are a key indicator of the EIC's failing evaluation process. These rates have fallen from 50% in 2021 to only 16% in 2025. This decline indicates that the filtering process in Steps 1 and 2 is not effectively identifying the best companies.

AI-driven evaluations can be significantly faster than the current human-based process. While human evaluations take 6 to 8 weeks, AI can complete the initial evaluation in just a day. This allows the EIC to iterate and refine the selection process more quickly, leading to better outcomes.

AI allows the EIC to hardcode its instructions directly into the system, ensuring that all applications are evaluated according to the same criteria. This eliminates the inconsistencies and misinterpretations that can occur when relying on human evaluators who may have different understandings of the EIC's guidelines. Top-down changes can be implemented quickly.

The EIC's current evaluation process relies on hiring more evaluators, jury members, and program managers as the number of submissions increases. This linear relationship between team size and results is not scalable. A scalable process should provide asymmetric benefits, where the results increase disproportionately to the team size.

The EIC needs an AI team focused on designing prompts, managing the IT system, and integrating feedback from the EIC Board. Since the EIC is a bureaucratic organization, experienced prompt engineers are sufficient. This team will ensure the AI system aligns with the EIC's goals and objectives.

AI-driven evaluations provide the EIC with the opportunity to fine-tune the selection process and improve the quality of applicants reaching the Step 3 interviews. By using AI to filter and rank proposals, the EIC can ensure that only the most promising companies are invited to interview, increasing the success rate and overall effectiveness of the program.

The EIC should focus on turning some of its staff into IT and AI prompting experts and contracting a developer to build the necessary architecture. The next steps also involve considering how existing criteria like gender, diversity, and policy alignment will be integrated into the AI-driven evaluation process, which will be discussed in Part 3.

The EIC has access to a wealth of historical data, including past proposals, evaluations, and funding decisions. This data can be used to train and improve new AI systems rapidly. Additionally, human evaluators can provide feedback on the AI's outcomes, contributing to reinforcement learning and continuous improvement.

The EIC Accelerator offers up to €2.5 million in grant funding and €10 million in equity financing to startups and Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). This funding is provided by the European Commission (EC) and European Innovation Council (EIC). The program is designed to support innovative companies looking to scale up their operations.

Raising funding during the EIC Accelerator application process can impact your eligibility, though the EIC doesn't currently have strict rules on this. It's important to be transparent about any funding rounds. While securing private investment is generally positive, it could raise questions about whether your project truly requires EIC funding, especially if the EIC is aiming to fund companies that cannot attract private funding.

The EIC tracks the leverage ratio, which is the multiple of private investment attracted for every Euro invested by the EIC. However, this metric doesn't differentiate between companies that would have raised funding regardless of EIC involvement and those that were directly enabled by the EIC. A more relevant metric would focus on investments made specifically because of the EIC's support.

The 'valley of death' in DeepTech refers to the long period of fundamental and technological development required before a pilot can be demonstrated, often lasting several years. The EIC Accelerator aims to provide the capital needed for DeepTech companies to survive this challenging phase. This funding bridges the gap between initial research and commercial viability.

The EIC Accelerator's annual budget significantly impacts funding success rates. When the budget is high, more companies receive funding. Conversely, a lower budget means fewer companies are funded, making the competition fiercer. This means you're not just competing against evaluation criteria, but against other applicants for a limited pool of resources.