A broad range of support is available, from grants, investments through the EIC Fund, and prizes to Business Acceleration Services (including access to coaching and mentoring, expertise, and ecosystem partners). The Work Programme identifies the type of support available, how to apply, and how selection decisions are made. In more detail, the amounts funded are summarized as follows:

• EIC Pathfinder Open Call (~EUR 142 million):

Each funded project receives grants up to EUR 3 million (higher if duly justified). Assuming an average grant size of around EUR 3 million, approximately 45-50 projects can be funded.

• EIC Pathfinder Challenges (~EUR 120 million):

Grants up to EUR 4 million per project (or higher if justified).

The budget is shared roughly equally across multiple thematic Challenges, each building a coherent Challenge Portfolio. This suggests approximately 25-30 projects distributed among the specific Challenges. Exact numbers vary as portfolios are constructed to ensure coverage and complementarity.

• EIC Transition Open Call (~EUR 98 million):

Grants up to EUR 2.5 million typically; average projects likely around this size. This implies funding about 35-40 projects addressing technology maturation and business plan development.

• EIC Accelerator (Open and Challenges) (~EUR 634 million total; 384 million Open, 250 million Challenges):

Grant components, usually up to EUR 2.5 million, are paired with equity investments from EUR 0.5 to 10 million for Open and Challenges calls.

Because the grant-investment program is mixed, the number of funded projects depends on the split and total requested amounts.

If, on average, a grant+investment package totals around EUR 4-8 million per project, then about 80-150 projects could be funded across both Open and Challenge calls combined.

• EIC STEP Scale Up Call (~EUR 300 million for investments only):

Investments between EUR 10 and 30 million per project, tailored to facilitating major funding rounds. This implies approximately 10-25 large-scale projects receiving STEP scale-up funding.

Booster Grants for Pathfinder and Transition:

Small fixed funding (up to EUR 50,000) is provided additionally to projects already funded; the number depends on existing awardees but is not fixed.

Responsible for funding

European Commission & EISMEA:

The European Commission, via the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), is entrusted with implementing most EIC activities, including managing grant agreements, evaluation, and project monitoring. The Agency also manages the direct financial support to innovators under these calls (Pathfinder, Transition, and Accelerator). The European Commission directly funds the grants provided under EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition, and EIC Accelerator Open and Challenges calls.

EIC Fund & European Investment Bank (EIB):

The funding for the investment component of the EIC Accelerator and the EIC STEP Scale Up call is managed via the EIC Fund, an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) established specifically to provide equity and quasi-equity investments in companies selected through the Accelerator calls.

The EIC Fund Manager, an external Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM), manages these investments in close cooperation with the European Investment Bank (EIB), which acts as investment adviser and supports due diligence and investment decisions. As part of the overall funding setup, the EIB receives an annual fee for its role in investment management.

National Contact Points & Member States:

Though the funding comes from the EU’s Horizon Europe Programme, National Contact Points (NCPs) across Member States and Associated Countries support and guide potential applicants.

Additionally, some national or regional funding bodies may participate via the Fast Track or Plug-in schemes, allowing projects funded under national programmes to access EIC Accelerator funding more efficiently.

Member States may also transfer budget from European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programmes to fund proposals awarded the Seal of Excellence or Sovereignty (STEP) Seal labels, complementing EU funding.

Date for the results of the call? 

Type of action funded, TRL and Funding Range