Frequently Asked Questions

Planned features include one-click email updates for followed grants, keyword subscriptions to receive emails for new matching EU grants, and automated notifications for new matches based on active projects. These will let you get updates passively without rerunning searches. The developer will roll them out over time and likely expand matching limits and controls.

Either reference the grant in chat (for example, “tell me more about that EIC grant”) or click the plus icon on the grant widget to add it to your message. The agent will fetch additional fields and clarifications on demand. You can then ask follow-up questions about eligibility, deadlines, or required documents.

A typical discovery search runs multiple background steps and usually completes in about 10 minutes. When finished, results appear as a list of grant widgets in your chat. You can continue the conversation while the search runs and ask the agent to explain interim or final findings.

The agent returns up to 25 grant results and highlights top picks from that set. Service contracts are excluded from the results, so you’ll only see grant opportunities. If you need a different filter applied, tell the agent during Data Acquisition or in the chat.

Yes — the developer doubled all match limits for all tiers so users can experiment more widely with Agent Mode and project matching. This gives you more results and the ability to try different queries without hitting limits quickly. If you need even more capacity, contact the developer to discuss options.

Recent outages from Cloudflare affected OpenAI, Resend, and related services, and Subsdy is hosted on Vercel which has its own limits, so occasional interruptions are possible. The developer rebuilt the agent from scratch to improve robustness, but users may still encounter bugs or downtime. If you run into problems, report them so they can be addressed promptly.

Agent Mode uses LLM and keyword-based initial searches rather than similarity calculations, which often finds different or better matches. It returns up to 25 results and then applies a reasoning model (currently GPT-5 with reasoning) to pick top picks. The chat-first interface also supports dynamic Q&A, fetching grant details, and follow-up discussion inside the same conversation.

Email the developer immediately with a description of the issue and any affected project or match IDs. The developer will analyze and fix bugs ASAP and will restore lost matches, including adding extra matches to compensate. Reporting quickly helps ensure fast recovery and improvements.

During Data Acquisition the agent will ask targeted questions, but you can speed things up by providing project type, technology area, expected budget, timeline, and geographic scope up front. Mention specific keywords or priorities (e.g., TRL, commercialization stage, sustainability focus). The clearer the context, the more accurate the discovery will be.

Yes — the EIC expects 3–4 months for evaluation despite 22-page proposals, which is longer than many applicants expect. Plan your funding runway accordingly (cash runway + bridge options) and communicate realistic timelines with stakeholders; don’t assume fast turnaround or immediate feedback.

Generative-AI (219) and Waste-to-Value (247) drew the most proposals and are therefore the most competitive; Autonomous Robots (93) and Biotech (108) had fewer entries and relatively higher estimated success rates. This matters for applicants: target selection and proposal differentiation are more critical in crowded challenges.

The latest batch had 8 winners all from Germany, the Netherlands, and France, highlighting geographic disparities in access to later-stage finance and ecosystem maturity. Startups in other countries should proactively build investor networks, showcase traction, and consider cross-border investor engagement to compete for such programs.

Post-selection funding rounds require extensive legal, financial and due-diligence processes, negotiation on valuation/terms, and coordination with co-investors, which can take many months. Winners should prepare by having up-to-date financials, cap tables, and legal documents ready to accelerate closing.

In crowded streams, emphasize clear novelty, strong impact metrics, and realistic technical milestones; include robust validation evidence and an explicit risk-mitigation plan. Make the proposal concise, reviewers’ evaluations easy, and highlight why your team is uniquely positioned to deliver the outcomes.

The Pre-Accelerator received 1,083 proposals from 30 countries, requested €479.4M (≈€454K average), and reported 74% men-led vs. 26% women-led companies. Evaluation finishes in Feb 2026 with results expected late Feb/early Mar 2026. With an estimated 44 winners the implied success rate is ~4.17%, though after eligibility checks the practical success rate for eligible applicants is likely closer to 5%.

STEP Scale-Up provides dilutive equity investments of €10–30M via the EIC Fund for later-stage deep-tech startups with proven investor traction. Winners are pre-selected from companies with strong commercial and investor validation, so applicants typically need significant traction and solid due diligence readiness.

Pathfinder received 667 proposals with 3,825 participants from 71 countries, requesting €2.5B against a €120M budget (≈€3.8M average request). Only about 31–32 projects will be funded, implying an overall success rate around 4.7%, so the call was highly competitive.

The EIC flagged further eligibility checks, meaning some submitted applicants likely don't meet widening-country or other criteria. If ineligible proposals are removed (the author suspects eligible applicants drop to ~900), the denominator falls and the success rate for eligible applicants rises — hence the revised ~5% estimate for genuinely eligible submissions.

Assess eligibility carefully (especially widening-country rules), pick the right call for your technology maturity, and ensure your application demonstrates traction and readiness for due diligence. Also plan finances for long evaluation and closing timelines, prepare concise evidence of impact and team capability, and consider co-funding or investor conversations in parallel.

Apply now because budgets remain high and the January cut-off can be less competitive as many companies and consultants delay submissions over the holidays. The 2026 Open Call budget increased by €30 million, improving chances. Early preparation lets you meet the Step 1 deadline and be eligible for the March Step 2 slot and April interviews.

Submit Step 1 by the January 6th, 2026 deadline and expect results by mid-February. If you pass Step 1, you can submit Step 2 on March 4th and potentially be invited to the April interview batch. Start preparation now to meet these dates comfortably and allow time for revisions.

By submitting Step 1 on January 6th and passing, you become eligible for the March 4th Step 2 deadline and the April interview batch, which tends to be less crowded early in the year. Many competitors delay due to holidays or confusion over new templates, so early applicants face fewer rivals. Start now to ensure you meet both Step 1 and Step 2 windows.

Consultants can speed up preparation and help align your proposal to the new templates, but many consultants take holidays and may be unavailable around year-end. If you choose a consultant, confirm their availability for the January and March deadlines and set clear deliverables. Alternatively, prepare internally early to avoid reliance on external help.

Review the new Step 1 template and evaluation criteria, draft concise answers highlighting impact and TRL, and collect essential documents like financials and team CVs. Get internal reviews and iterate quickly to meet January 6th. If possible, assign roles and a timeline so you can finalize the submission before the holiday rush.

If you miss January, immediately map out the next available cut-offs and update your proposal to reflect lessons learned and any new template changes. Use the extra time to strengthen your value proposition, prepare due diligence materials, and rehearse for interviews. Monitor budget announcements and pick a less competitive deadline where possible.

The overall 2026 budget stays high at €634 million, with an additional €30 million for the Open Call compared to 2025. A larger budget typically means more awards and slightly higher success rates, especially in early cut-offs when fewer applicants adapt quickly. Use this funding increase as leverage when timing your application.

Common pitfalls include underestimating the enhanced due diligence, not using the new Step 2 template correctly, and failing to address revised evaluation criteria. Companies often lack updated financial projections or documentation required for due diligence. Prepare comprehensive backup documents and anticipate additional verification requests.

The Step 1 template and evaluation structure were recently updated, and Step 2 now includes more due diligence, a new template, and revised evaluation criteria. These changes create confusion for applicants unfamiliar with the new forms and expectations. Read the latest templates and guidance documents closely and align your proposal to the new criteria.

You only compete with applicants who apply to the same deadline, so choosing a less crowded cut-off increases your odds. When processes or budgets change, early deadlines often have fewer prepared applicants and higher success rates. Check recent patterns and pick a deadline where other teams are likely to procrastinate or be adapting.

Keep an eye on EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition, and potential EIC Accelerator Step 2 calls, as they are commonly published throughout the year. The EIC Pre-Accelerator might return in later years (possibly 2027), but it's unlikely for 2026 due to budget cycles. Use keyword tracking to get alerts whenever these calls are published.

Early-stage deep-tech teams emerging from research institutes or startups developing Physical AI (robotics + AI) or animal-free biomedical testing methods should consider these calls. Stage 1 grants are modest (€300k) but designed to de-risk projects and feed a competitive Stage 2 selection for larger funding. Research groups with existing salary coverage may benefit more from Stage 1 than cash-constrained startups.

The 2026 calls include 11 new topics covering general decarbonisation at small, medium and large scales, clean-tech manufacturing, pilot projects, and several fixed premium auctions focused on industrial process heat decarbonisation and RFNBO/electrolytic hydrogen production (including maritime and aviation use cases). Review the specific call descriptions to match your project scale and technology readiness level.

Use a monitoring tool like Subsdy to follow relevant keywords (e.g., 'Innovation Fund' or 'Advanced Innovation Challenges'). When a new matching call is published, Subsdy will send you a notification. Set up multiple keywords and enable alerts so you don't miss quiet or mid-year publications.

For many startups with significant salary and overhead costs, €300,000 may be tight and might not cover a long runway. It works better for research groups where salaries are already covered or for teams that can leverage in-kind institutional support. If you're a startup, consider partnering with research institutes or planning very focused milestones to maximize the Stage 1 impact.

Yes — the challenges are narrowly focused on Physical AI and animal-free testing, which limits the eligible pool and may exclude other urgent sectors like energy or manufacturing. Narrow topics may reduce the diversity of Stage 2 candidates and exclude strong projects outside those focus areas. If your project isn't in those niches, explore other EIC or Innovation Fund calls instead.

Two important call streams reopened: the Innovation Fund and the EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges. The Innovation Fund supports large-scale demonstrations of low-carbon technologies (€7.5 million to €300 million) and smaller pilot projects across decarbonisation, clean-tech manufacturing and hydrogen. The EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges offer staged funding for breakthrough deep-tech in Physical AI and animal-free biomedical testing (€300,000 in Stage 1 and up to €2.5 million in Stage 2).

Choose the Innovation Fund if you have a large-scale demonstration or industrial decarbonisation project requiring substantial capital and deployment. Choose the EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges if you are an early-stage deep-tech team working specifically in Physical AI or NAMs with a clear route from proof-of-concept to commercialization. Also factor in organizational support: Innovation Fund projects require consortiums and higher budgets, while EIC Stage 1 is suited to lean, research-driven teams.

Stage 1 provides €300,000 to validate high-risk/novel ideas and generate evidence; it's shorter and more exploratory. Stage 2 awards up to €2.5 million to a subset of Stage 1 winners for scaling, demonstration and commercialization activities. Being selected in Stage 1 significantly increases the probability of follow-on Stage 2 funding, so focus Stage 1 proposals on clear go/no-go milestones.

First, identify which project scale and topic match your technology (small/medium/large decarbonisation, manufacturing, hydrogen, etc.). Prepare strong cost estimates, demonstration plans, and environmental impact metrics. Engage partners early (industry, utilities, research centres), and use monitoring tools to catch call publications and deadlines.

Adding external experts will likely lengthen evaluation times beyond the 71 days seen for Step 2 in 2025. Expect evaluations to possibly reach 80–90+ days, which can affect resubmission windows and planning for subsequent cut-offs. Build extra time into your project timeline to accommodate slower feedback.

Run a match or agent search on Subsdy using your technology keywords, TRL, sector and funding needs to surface relevant calls. Save searches and set alerts, then review shortlisted calls weekly—high turnover means new opportunities appear frequently and quick follow-up increases your chances.

Target the next available deadline (January) if you can prepare a strong submission without rushing. There's no strategic advantage to waiting because Step 2 no longer guarantees an earlier interview or ranking against other applicants. Choose the deadline that lets you submit your best, complete proposal.

The EIC Accelerator interviews have been scheduled for the week of January 19–23, 2026. Note that later Step 3 interview windows are planned for June, October 2026 and January 2027 (exact dates TBD).

Prioritize clarity and brevity: use concise tables and Gantt or swimlane charts to summarize tasks, deliverables, milestones and costs. Focus on the essentials—key tasks, responsible partners, critical milestones and budget totals—and use consistent, compact formatting to fit within the 10-page limit.

Updated template versions are provided to Starter Pack and Advisory service users referenced in the newsletter. If you're not using those services, check the official EIC proposal documentation on the EU portal and adapt your structure to the 20-page main proposal plus 10-page annex format.

ChatEIC is a tool launched in versions 1.0 and 2.0 to assist with proposal drafting and revision; version 3.0 will add a new UI and more editing features. It’s been used by clients who passed Step 1 and even reached Step 3, and can speed up drafting, provide structure, and support iterative coaching sessions alongside human advisory help.

Step 1 results for the Nov 4, 2025 deadline were published after 37 days. Step 2 results for the Oct 1, 2025 deadline were published after 71 days. Use these durations for planning, but expect evaluation times to change with new processes and additional reviewers.

Yes—rushing increases the chance of a weak submission and you may not have time to resubmit by March if rejected, since evaluation times are lengthening (71 days observed) and the two Step 2 cut-offs are only 56 days apart. If you need substantial revisions, it’s safer to aim for the later deadline rather than submit a rushed proposal.

The main proposal is reduced to 20 pages and follows the Step 1 structure. Work packages were removed from the main document and consolidated into a separate 10-page annex that must contain WPs, deliverables, milestones, charts, risks, costs and the work plan. CVs are now included as a link (e.g., LinkedIn) rather than full pages and the DMP and previous annexes were removed.

Grants (e.g., part of Accelerator or Transition) provide non-dilutive funding to cover project costs, while equity investments (Accelerator equity, STEP Scale Up) involve the EIC Fund taking an ownership stake in your company. Equity rounds require business traction, scalable market potential, and investor-style due diligence, whereas grants focus more on technical excellence and impact. If you want to retain full ownership and only need project funding, prioritize grant components; if you need large-scale growth capital, consider equity options.