The European Innovation Council received 923 full applications from start-ups and SMEs for the EIC Accelerator 1 October 2025 cut-off. All together, they request almost €7 billion budget. Blended finance continues to be in high demand – 683 companies (74% of total applicants) requested grants combined with equity investments.  

33% of the proposals were submitted by women-led companies (CEO, CTO or CSO). The applicants come from 32 different countries (including 12 widening countries), with the highest number of participants coming from Germany, Spain, and France.  

Next steps 

Proposals are now being evaluated by independent experts. The highest ranked companies will then be invited to pitch in front of a jury of investors and business experts between 19 and 23 January 2026. Final decisions on which companies will receive funding are expected by the end of February 2026 and those selected for equity support will be passed to the EIC Fund for investment decisions.

Funding opportunities in 2026

This was the last EIC Accelerator cut-off this year. New funding opportunities and the dates for Accelerator full applications will be announced in the 2026 EIC work programme that is expected to be adopted at the beginning of November 2025. Short applications (that give access to the full application stage) can be submitted at any time.Â