Commission adopts €1.4 billion 2026 EIC work programme to back deep tech with ARPA-style pilots and a Scaleup Europe Fund
- ›The European Commission adopted the 2026 European Innovation Council work programme allocating €1.4 billion to deep tech support.
- ›The programme pilots ARPA-inspired Advanced Innovation Challenges and simplifies the EIC Accelerator application and evaluation process.
- ›The Commission is preparing the Scaleup Europe Fund, a privately managed, co-financed vehicle under the EIC Fund to close late-stage funding gaps.
- ›The work programme continues STEP calls offering larger investments and expands services for scaling and market access while tracking gender participation.
Commission adopts 2026 EIC work programme to boost deep tech
On 6 November 2025 the European Commission adopted the European Innovation Council work programme for 2026 and allocated €1.4 billion to support deep tech entrepreneurs and researchers across Europe. The document frames the funding as focused on simplifying access to substantive finance, accelerating investment readiness, and making it easier for beneficiaries to access customers and partners across the Single Market and beyond. The 2026 programme adds several changes to the EIC portfolio including a faster, shorter EIC Accelerator application, pilot Advanced Innovation Challenges modelled on ARPA style agencies and steps to integrate private co-investors through a planned Scaleup Europe Fund.
What is new in the 2026 programme
The 2026 programme also continues targeted thematic elements introduced or emphasised in prior years. The Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform call launched in 2025 will continue and offer larger investments of up to €30 million under the STEP scheme. The work programme specifies targeted challenge strands alongside open calls, including areas such as critical raw materials, nuclear fusion, artificial intelligence and climate adaptation. It also emphasises implementation of the Startup and Scaleup Strategy through initiatives such as a European Corporate Network, expanded market access services and a Gender Index to track women's participation in the innovation ecosystem.
Definitions and instruments explained
Numbers, dates and legal framework
| Item | Detail | Source figure or date |
| 2026 EIC work programme allocation | Funding opened under the 2026 EIC work programme | €1.4 billion |
| Horizon Europe EIC total budget 2021-2027 | Overall EIC envelope under the current framework programme | Over €10 billion |
| EIC Fund direct investments | Amount invested directly by the EIC Fund to date | €1.4 billion into over 300 companies |
| Private leverage reported | Private co investment raised per euro invested by the EIC Fund | About €3.5 per €1 |
| STEP investment ceiling | Larger investments under the STEP scheme | Up to €30 million |
| Applicant numbers to EIC Accelerator since 2021 | Total applications submitted | More than 15,000 |
| Information days | Dates for EIC info events | 13 Nov 2025 general, 14 Nov 2025 Accelerator challenges, 17 Nov 2025 Advanced Innovation Challenges |
| Legal framework | Regulatory and programme basis | Horizon Europe 2021-2027 and associated EIC work programmes |
Context and critical considerations
The 2026 package plugs into a wider EU effort to reduce gaps in the innovation finance chain. Late stage venture funding and public support for risky, long horizon projects are recognized bottlenecks in Europe. The ARPA model is attractive because it prioritizes mission orientation, flexible contracting and focused program managers who shepherd technical routes. Adapting that model within EU rules is complex because of procurement rules, public budget oversight and the need to preserve competition between Member States and regions.
The announced Scaleup Europe Fund aims to use private asset managers to deploy growth capital. That structure can mobilize market discipline but raises governance questions. Key issues will include how much the public sector accepts of commercial terms, how conflicts of interest are avoided and how the fund measures additionality rather than substituting private capital that would have invested anyway. The Commission frames the Fund as helping firms stay anchored in Europe while scaling internationally. Delivering that outcome will depend on investment terms and on backing from private co investors.
Claims about leverage and impact deserve scrutiny. Reported leverage ratios such as 3.5 times private co investment are common headline metrics. They do not automatically prove systemic impact. Leverage can be influenced by selection effects and follow on funding that may have occurred independently. Long term indicators such as jobs created, company survival, technology deployment in Europe and changes in market concentration will be needed to assess whether public money has shifted outcomes materially.
Who runs the programmes and how to engage
Potential applicants should note the Commission is running several information events and outreach. The EIC invites applicants to register for information days to learn about new Challenge strands, Accelerator changes and advanced innovation pilots. Dates published include events in mid November 2025.
Takeaway
The 2026 EIC work programme is a notable step in the Commission's strategy to accelerate deep tech in Europe. It pairs procedural reforms with new instruments intended to take higher risks and push projects toward prototypes and markets. The Scaleup Europe Fund signals a commitment to tackle late stage financing shortfalls. Delivering on those ambitions will require careful implementation, clearer metrics of success and continued transparency about selection, co investment and longer term outcomes. The policy design choices will determine whether the package shifts Europe’s innovation trajectory or mainly reorganizes existing public support.