EIC STEP Scale Up 2026: €10–€30 Million Equity for European Strategic-Tech Scale-Ups
The European Innovation Council offers €10–€30 million in equity-only investment to eligible European startups, SMEs, and small mid-caps scaling digital, deep-tech, clean-tech, or biotechnology innovations into major funding rounds.
EIC STEP Scale Up 2026: €10–€30 Million Equity for European Strategic-Tech Scale-Ups
Key details
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Opportunity | EIC Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) Scale Up 2026 |
| Funding type | Equity-only investment managed by the EIC Fund |
| Investment size | €10 million to €30 million per company |
| 2026 budget | €300 million |
| Eligible technology areas | Digital and deep tech, clean and resource-efficient technologies, and biotechnology |
| Applicant | A startup, SME, small mid-cap, or an investor applying for an eligible company |
| Company size | Fewer than 500 employees |
| Geographic scope | EU Member States and eligible Horizon Europe associated countries, subject to current participation rules |
| Private capital requirement | Qualified investor interest covering at least 20% of the target funding round |
| Submission status | Continuously open through the Funding & Tenders Portal |
| Remaining 2026 batching dates | 9 September 2026 and 25 November 2026 |
| Official source | European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency |
What the STEP Scale Up opportunity is
The EIC STEP Scale Up call is designed for companies that have moved beyond ordinary early-stage fundraising but still face a financing gap too large for a normal venture round. It sits within the European Union’s Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform, or STEP, and is managed through the European Innovation Council Fund. The support is an investment rather than a grant: successful companies receive equity-only financing intended to help complete a much larger round and establish a strong market position.
The published investment range is €10 million to €30 million per company in 2026. The overall call budget is €300 million. The scale is important. This is not a prototype voucher, a small business grant, or a first cheque for an idea without commercial evidence. It is aimed at a company that is already preparing a major financing round and can explain how EIC participation will help it cross a specific scaling threshold.
The scheme targets three broad groups of strategic technology: digital and deep tech, clean and resource-efficient technologies including net-zero solutions, and biotechnology. The European Commission has also described the call as a way to reduce strategic dependencies and strengthen Europe’s technological competitiveness. The practical test for an applicant is therefore two-sided: the technology must have real commercial and scale potential, and the company must fit a strategic technology area that matters to the European market.
The call remains continuously open on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Proposals are grouped into evaluation sessions rather than being restricted to one annual closing date. The European Innovation Council’s 28 July 2026 update identifies 9 September 2026 and 25 November 2026 as the remaining 2026 batching dates. Because the portal is open continuously, a company can submit outside those dates, but the batching calendar is the useful planning reference for deciding when a complete proposal is likely to enter evaluation.
Who is a realistic fit
The primary applicant is a single startup, SME, or small mid-cap with fewer than 500 employees. The company must be established in an EU Member State or an eligible Horizon Europe associated country under the call’s current participation rules. An investor may also submit a proposal on behalf of an eligible company, which can be useful when a lead investor is already coordinating a large financing round.
The technology must fall within the call’s strategic scope. Digital and deep tech can include areas such as advanced computing, artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum technologies, semiconductors, space-related systems, or other technologies with a credible strategic and commercial case. Clean technology may include resource-efficient and net-zero solutions. Biotechnology is also within scope. These examples are orientation, not a substitute for reading the current STEP guidance and the relevant Horizon Europe rules.
The strongest candidates will already know what the next financing round is meant to accomplish. That might be a manufacturing expansion, a commercial deployment across several markets, a regulatory and production milestone, a large-scale demonstration, or the build-out of a supply chain that cannot be financed from ordinary operating revenue. A company that only says it needs capital to grow is not ready. A company that can connect a precise investment amount to milestones, customers, capacity, and a defensible route to revenue is closer to the intended profile.
There is also an important private-investor condition. The official opportunity page says the company must show initial market interest from a qualified investor covering at least 20% of the total target funding round. This is not a promise that the investor must fund the whole round, but it does mean the EIC request should sit inside a credible financing plan rather than substitute for one. Applicants should establish exactly what evidence the proposed investor can provide and whether the investor meets the call’s definition before building the submission around that commitment.
Country eligibility deserves a careful check. The opportunity summary lists EU Member States and eligible associated countries and excludes the United Kingdom in its short eligibility description. The EIC’s current FAQ also describes 2026 transitional arrangements under which UK entities may be treated as eligible for EIC Fund purposes, conditional on the relevant association terms being applicable when an investment decision is made. UK companies should not rely on a generic Horizon Europe statement; they should confirm the current position with the EIC and their National Contact Point before submission.
What the investment can change
STEP Scale Up is useful because it addresses a financing problem that conventional grants do not solve. A non-dilutive grant can pay for defined innovation activities, but it normally does not provide the equity capital needed to build production, hire a commercial organization, secure distribution, or support a large market entry. STEP provides equity-only investment, so the company must be prepared for an investor relationship and the associated ownership and governance discussions.
The €10 million to €30 million investment is intended to catalyze a much larger round. EIC materials describe the target as funding rounds of €50 million to €150 million or more. That means the application should show how the EIC investment combines with private capital, rather than present the EIC as the sole source of financing. The company should be able to state the total round size, the committed or interested investors, the use of proceeds, and the commercial or technical milestones that the round will finance.
Recipients also gain access to EIC Business Acceleration Services. The official programme page lists global partners, coaches, mentors, expertise, training, and connections to the innovation ecosystem. These services do not replace a good financing case, but they can help a selected company with partnerships, market access, investor conversations, and strategic execution. Companies that treat the non-financial support as an afterthought may miss part of the value of the programme.
A company that meets the evaluation threshold may receive a STEP Seal. The seal is intended to make it easier to pursue additional funding programmes and engage other investors. It is not a cash award and should not be described as a guaranteed second source of money. Its practical value depends on the quality of the evaluation record and the company’s ability to use that signal in a wider financing strategy.
How the application works
The first step is to use the official STEP Scale Up opportunity page and follow the route to the Funding & Tenders Portal. The call is continuously open, but proposals are batched for evaluation. The current remaining 2026 batching dates are 9 September and 25 November. A company targeting the September batch should work backward from the portal deadline and leave time for the investor evidence, ownership information, financial model, and final technical checks.
The published admissibility requirements include a full business plan with information about the company’s ownership and financial structure, plus a justification connected to STEP objectives. The opportunity page gives a maximum length of 50 pages for the business plan. That limit is generous enough for substance but short enough to require editing. The document should read as an investment case with a clear strategic-technology rationale, not as a research report pasted into a funding form.
The submission should connect five elements. First, explain the technology and the problem it solves. Second, establish the company’s maturity, customers, deployments, validation, or other evidence of demand. Third, show why the business needs a large equity round now. Fourth, describe how the proposed round will produce measurable scale. Fifth, explain why EIC participation is relevant to European strategic autonomy, competitiveness, or reduced dependency in the selected technology area.
An investor-led application still needs company-level evidence. A lead investor can submit on behalf of the company, but the company’s ownership structure, financial position, intellectual property rights, management team, and execution plan remain central to the evaluation. Agree early on who owns each answer, who will provide supporting documents, and how confidential information will be handled in the portal submission.
Materials to prepare before writing
Start with a concise data room index. It should point to the current cap table, incorporation and ownership documents, audited or management accounts as appropriate, current financial forecast, material customer agreements, intellectual-property evidence, regulatory status, and the investor materials supporting the proposed round. The exact portal attachments and format requirements should be checked in the current application form, but preparing these records early will expose gaps before the narrative is finalized.
The financing case should include a round model that reconciles. Show the total target round, the requested EIC investment, the private-investor portion, any other committed capital, the intended timing, and the use of proceeds. Link each major spending category to a milestone. If the company plans to build a facility, expand a team, complete qualification, or enter a market, state what completion means and how it will be measured.
For the technology, prepare evidence rather than adjectives. A benchmark, independent test, customer pilot, production yield, energy metric, clinical or regulatory step, or signed commercial agreement is more useful than calling the product disruptive. Make clear which results are complete, which are underway, and which are forecast. Reviewers need to see the difference between measured performance and a target.
For the strategic fit, identify the dependency or market weakness the company addresses. Explain the European capability being built, the supply-chain or deployment consequence, and why the company can scale from its current position. A general statement about technological sovereignty will be weak unless it is tied to the product, customers, manufacturing plan, and competitive position.
How to make the case credible
The central question is not whether the technology is interesting. It is whether a €10 million to €30 million investment can move a technically credible company through a defined scale-up bottleneck. The application should make that bottleneck visible. If the obstacle is production capacity, show current capacity, target capacity, unit economics, equipment timing, and customer demand. If it is deployment or regulation, show the remaining work, the responsible partners, the evidence already accepted, and the consequences of delay.
Investor interest should be more than a logo on a slide. Where possible, provide a clear letter, term-sheet evidence, or other permitted documentation that establishes the investor’s identity, role, proposed amount, and relationship to the target round. Do not describe exploratory conversations as commitments. If an investor is interested subject to diligence, say so and explain what remains to be resolved.
Keep the business plan internally consistent. The market size should match the sales plan. The hiring plan should match the cash forecast. The manufacturing or deployment timetable should match the regulatory and supplier assumptions. The ownership table should match the company’s legal records. Reviewers are likely to notice when the narrative asks for one scale of capital but the spreadsheet, milestones, and round structure imply another.
The company should also explain why equity is the right instrument. The call is not a grant, and an applicant that avoids discussing dilution, governance, investor rights, and the route to a larger round may appear unprepared for the programme. The explanation does not need to predict every financing term, but it should show that the founders and board understand the implications of a large institutional investment.
Common mistakes to avoid
Applying before the round is real. The 20% private-investor condition is a meaningful gate. A warm introduction or a list of venture funds is not equivalent to qualified investor interest. Secure the required evidence first.
Treating STEP as a seed programme. The investment size and target round are designed for scale-up. An idea-stage company or a company still searching for product-market fit is likely to be better served by an earlier EIC or national instrument.
Using strategic language without business proof. Europe-wide impact, sovereignty, and resilience need to connect to customers, supply chains, production, or deployment. Avoid repeating policy language without showing the company’s specific contribution.
Ignoring equity implications. Model the proposed investment and its effect on ownership. If the company has restrictions, unresolved shareholder issues, or complicated IP ownership, resolve them or explain the path to resolution.
Submitting a generic pitch deck. The full business plan must address STEP’s strategic technology purpose, the round structure, and the company’s route to scale. A deck written for a different investor audience will usually leave important questions unanswered.
Leaving country status until the end. Horizon Europe association rules and EIC Fund participation rules can differ in detail. Check the current position for the company’s place of establishment and ownership before spending months on the application.
Timeline and next steps
As of 11 August 2026, the call is continuously open and the next listed evaluation batch is 9 September 2026, followed by 25 November 2026. A company should choose a target batch only after it has enough time to confirm investor evidence, reconcile financial information, obtain internal approvals, and complete the portal form. Submitting for an earlier batch is not automatically better if the round or ownership evidence is incomplete.
The practical next step is to download and read the current STEP guidance and application requirements from the official EIC page. Then ask a National Contact Point to sanity-check eligibility and the proposed route. The EIC page itself points applicants to National Contact Points for guidance on Horizon Europe participation. This is especially worthwhile for companies with unusual ownership, associated-country status, investor-led submission arrangements, or dual-use applications.
Finally, create a one-page decision memo before writing the full plan. It should state the technology area, company size and country, total round, EIC request, qualified private-investor share, scale bottleneck, three to five funded milestones, and the evidence supporting each claim. If the memo cannot answer those points cleanly, the application is not ready. If it can, the longer business plan has a strong factual spine.
Frequently asked questions
Is STEP Scale Up a grant?
No. It is an equity-only investment managed by the EIC Fund. Applicants should plan for an investment process rather than a non-dilutive award.
How much can one company receive?
The 2026 programme page lists an investment of €10 million to €30 million per company. The wider 2026 call budget is €300 million.
Does the EIC have to finance the whole round?
No. The scheme is designed to catalyze larger rounds. The applicant must show qualified private-investor interest covering at least 20% of the total target funding round, and EIC materials describe target rounds of €50 million to €150 million or more.
Can an investor apply?
Yes. An investor may submit a proposal on behalf of an eligible startup, SME, or small mid-cap. The company still needs to satisfy the programme’s eligibility and evidence requirements.
Are small mid-caps eligible?
Yes, provided the company has fewer than 500 employees and meets the other establishment, technology, and call requirements.
What are the remaining 2026 dates?
The European Innovation Council lists 9 September 2026 and 25 November 2026 as the remaining 2026 proposal-batching dates. The call is continuously open on the Funding & Tenders Portal, so applicants should verify the live portal instructions before submitting.
Is a STEP Seal the same as funding?
No. A STEP Seal signals that a proposal met the relevant evaluation threshold and may help the company pursue other funding or investor conversations. It does not guarantee an investment.
Where should applicants get help?
Begin with the official EIC STEP Scale Up page, the Funding & Tenders Portal instructions, and the Horizon Europe National Contact Point network. Those sources are the right places to confirm the live application requirements, country status, and any changes to the evaluation calendar.