Deadline Date: November 25, 2026
The European Innovation Council (EIC) has launched the EIC STEP Scale Up call 2026 to accelerate the growth of ambitious European scale-up companies developing breakthrough technologies in critical sectors.
The EIC STEP Scale Up call presents a unique opportunity for ambitious scale up companies (SMEs and small mid-caps) with game-changing innovations in Europe’s critical technology areas. It offers a powerful combination of financial and strategic support designed to propel groundbreaking solutions to the forefront of these sectors.
The EIC STEP Scale Up call provides a total indicative budget of EUR 300 million for 2026, expected to rise to EUR 900 million for the period 2025–2027. Any unused amount from this budget will be allocated with priority to the EIC Accelerator Open call. The support will be provided in the form of equity-only investments managed by the EIC Fund. Applicants to this call will not receive a grant component. Investments will range between EUR 10 million and EUR 30 million, co-invested in funding rounds of EUR 50 to 150 million, ensuring that each investment catalyses three to five times the requested EIC contribution.
This call is designed to fill the funding gap for companies investing in the scale-up of high-risk innovations where financing needs cannot be fully met by other investors, including InvestEU financial products. Applicants are encouraged to consider complementarity with Venture Debt from InvestEU implementing partners to meet their financing requirements.
When implementing investments, the EIC Fund will ensure that supported companies retain most of their value, including intellectual property, within the EU or Associated Countries to strengthen economic growth and job creation. Where necessary, safeguard measures will be applied to protect European interests in line with the Investment Guidelines.
Beyond funding, companies will benefit from Business Acceleration Services to support continued growth within Europe. Applicants meeting the evaluation thresholds will also receive a Sovereignty (STEP) Seal, facilitating access to additional funding and support from other EU programmes and investors.
The EIC STEP Scale Up call forms part of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), supporting the development and manufacturing of critical technologies and safeguarding their value chains. In 2026, start-ups in semiconductor and quantum technologies will receive targeted support through this call, aligned with strategic initiatives such as the Chips Act, while the EIC Accelerator Open call remains available for general support.
For more information, visit European Commission.
