New EIC Pre-Accelerator Call to support Early-Stage Deep Tech Startups

Aims

• The call aims to prepare high-potential SMEs for successful funding through the EIC Accelerator or alternative investment channels.

Why Engage in the WIDERA-2025-02 Call?

• The call is a vital opportunity to boost business, investor, and technology readiness, especially for startups operating in the early stages of development. Eligible projects will receive support to bring their innovation from TRL 4 to TRL 6, ensuring they are investment-ready and capable of scaling effectively. Some key details of this call include:
  • Total Available Budget: €20 million | Indicative number of projects: 50
  • Funding: €300,000–€500,000 (lump-sum, max 2 years, 70% funding rate)
  • Eligible applicants: Mono-beneficiary early-stage deep-tech startups in widening countries
  • Expected outcomes: TRL 5+ achieved, investor-ready status, fast track to EIC Accelerator

Who Can Apply?

• This call is open to individual SMEs (mono-beneficiary proposals only) that are:
  • Established in widening countries:
    • EU Member States – Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia
    • Outermost regions – Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, and Ukraine
    • Associated countries eligible for hosting a widening coordinator – Acores, Canarias, Guadeloupe, Guyane, La Reunion, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, Saint-Martin, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, and Turkey
  • Operating in the deep tech domain in the fields of physical, biological, and digital domains
  • Developing innovations validated in the lab (minimum TRL 4)
  • Holding clear Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
  • Able to demonstrate a realistic go-to-market strategy with verifiable KPIs
  • Ready to scale up their operations

For more information, visit Rainno.