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EIC work program 2026 adopted

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The Enterprise Europe Network informs:

20.11.2025

The European Commission has published the 2026 work program of the European Innovation Council (EIC). With a total budget of over 1.4 billion euros, the EIC will continue to support innovative projects and high-growth companies in Europe in the coming year. The focus is on deep-tech developments, strategic technologies and the scaling of start-ups and SMEs.

Funding instruments at a glance

  • EIC Pathfinder - €262 million funding for visionary, multidisciplinary research with disruptive potential (up to €4 million).
  • EIC Transition - €100 million Further development of research results into marketable innovations (up to €2.5 million).
  • Advanced Innovation Challenges - € 6 million (pilot) Test run of a new ARPA-like model for high-risk deep-tech solutions (€ 300,000 lump sum).
  • EIC Accelerator - €634m to support start-ups and SMEs in scaling and launching disruptive technologies. Grants of up to € 2.5 million, investments of € 0.5-10 million.
  • EIC STEP Scale-Up - € 300 million Support for highly innovative companies to secure large co-investment rounds (> € 50 million). Investments between € 10-30 million.

In addition to financial support, companies benefit from business acceleration services, such as access to investor networks, industry partners and experts.

Important innovations

  • Pilot: Advanced Innovation Challenges Introduction of an agile, mission-oriented funding model based on the US ARPA model.
  • Simplified EIC Accelerator applications Faster and more efficient processing from 2026 thanks to shortened documents and more frequent evaluation rounds
  • Strengthening European start-ups and scale-ups New international offers, corporate networking formats and a gender index to promote female innovation players.

For small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups that want to develop deep-tech innovations to market maturity, the new EIC 2026 work program opens up a comprehensive funding landscape - from early research to scaling up. In Bavaria, the program enjoys great popularity and success, as it harmonizes perfectly with the top-class regional innovation ecosystems.

EIC 2026 work program

Source: BayFOR