The European Innovation Council (EIC) has received a surge of interest in its final EIC Accelerator funding round for 2025, with 923 start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) submitting full applications by the 1 October deadline
In total, applicants for the EIC Accelerator have requested almost €7 billion in funding, showing the growing appetite for deep-tech and high-impact innovation financing across Europe.
Blended finance is in high demand.
Blended finance is the most requested form of support from all the applications. A total of 683 companies, representing 74% of all applicants, have requested this mixed funding model. The continued preference for blended finance reflects the strong demand for both immediate capital and long-term investment to scale breakthrough innovations.
The EIC Accelerator is known for backing high-risk, high-potential technologies, and the 2025 figures suggest that European innovators are increasingly turning to this programme as a strategic funding source. Designed to support companies with disruptive solutions that have the potential to create new markets or significantly impact existing ones, the EIC Accelerator has become a central pillar of the EU’s innovation landscape.
Diversity and geographic reach
This round also saw increased participation from women-led companies. Approximately 33% of proposals were submitted by businesses led by women in key leadership roles, specifically, CEO, CTO, or CSO. This figure marks a step forward in gender representation within the European innovation ecosystem, an area the EIC has actively sought to improve in recent years.
The applicants represent a diverse geographic spread, with proposals submitted from companies in 32 countries. This includes 12 widening countries that receive additional EU support to boost research and innovation performance. Germany, Spain, and France led in the number of applications, underlining their continued strength in Europe’s innovation economy.
Evaluation and selection timeline
With the submission period closed, all proposals are now undergoing expert evaluation. Independent reviewers will assess the applications based on innovation potential, impact, and implementation feasibility. Companies that pass this initial evaluation stage will be invited to present their ideas during a live pitch session in front of a jury composed of investors and business experts.
These pitch sessions are scheduled to take place between 19 and 23 January 2026. Final funding decisions are expected by the end of February 2026. For companies selected for equity support, the process will then move to the EIC Fund, which will make the final investment decisions.
2026 funding
The 1 October 2025 deadline marked the final complete application cut-off for this year’s EIC Accelerator. However, the programme will continue to offer funding opportunities in 2026. The next round of full application deadlines, along with other details, will be outlined in the 2026 EIC Work Programme, expected to be published in early November 2025.
Although the cut-off for complete applications has passed, companies can still submit short applications at any time. These short applications serve as a gateway to the complete application stage and allow companies to engage with the programme on a rolling basis.
