EIC STEP Scale Up — equity investments of €10–30 million for deep-tech scale-ups (Horizon Europe)

The EIC STEP Scale Up call is open continuously on the Funding & Tenders Portal, and proposals are grouped for evaluation quarterly. After the cut-offs of 11 February, 6 May and 9 September 2026, the last deadline in 2026 is 25 November 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. This cut-off takes place only if the 2026 budget has not been exhausted after the September cut-off.

A company can receive between €10 and 30 million, exclusively as an equity investment managed by the EIC Fund, with no grant component. The funding decision may include an additional margin of up to €5 million per project, if justified and if the EIC Fund has funds available. Companies that need smaller amounts can apply to the EIC Accelerator.

The company must already have a prior equity commitment from a single qualified investor for at least 20% of the targeted funding round. The round must be €50–150 million or more and at least 3–5 times larger than the EIC investment. Syndicated commitments in which no single investor reaches the 20% threshold on its own, and quasi-equity instruments, are not accepted.

Yes. SMEs and small mid-caps with no more than 499 employees, established in an EU Member State or in a country associated with Horizon Europe (excluding the United Kingdom), may apply. The technology must fall within the STEP areas: digital and deep-tech technologies, clean and net-zero technologies or biotechnologies. The proposal may also be submitted by an investor on behalf of the company, on the basis of a prior agreement.

Yes. Following the June 2026 amendment of the EIC 2026 work programme, the STEP Scale Up call can support dual-use innovations in the STEP areas, provided that civil applications are promoted. The first proposals of this type were evaluated in the 9 September 2026 cut-off.

You must submit: a full business plan (maximum 50 pages), a pitch deck (maximum 15 pages), the investor's commitment on the official template, a financial plan, a freedom-to-operate (FTO) analysis and the CVs of key staff. After the eligibility check, companies are invited to an interview with an EIC jury (in about 4–6 weeks), and the result is communicated about two weeks after the interview.

It depends on the complexity of the project and the documents you already have. The first step is the eligibility analysis, which tells you what needs to be prepared.

We tell you before any contract is signed, and if another suitable programme exists, we point you to it.