EIC ACCESS+ Info Session #9: How the EIC is co-financing fundraising and specialist services for EIC-backed innovators

Brussels, October 7th 2025

Summary

›An online info session on 22 October 2025 explains how EIC ACCESS+ co-funds specialist services to strengthen fundraising for EIC beneficiaries.
›EIC ACCESS+ offers co-funding of up to EUR 60 000 per beneficiary, covering up to 50% of eligible service costs drawn from the EIC Service Catalogue.
›The open call runs from 1 November 2024 until 31 May 2026 with a total envelope of EUR 3.45 million and aims to support around 180 companies.
›Eligible applicants are EIC Awardees (Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator) and Seal of Excellence holders registered in EU or Associated countries.
›Applications are processed on a first-come-first-served basis and assessed in cohorts on a frequent cadence but the exact timing language in documents is inconsistent.
›Services must be selected from the EIC Service Catalogue and completed by 30 June 2026 with limits on service duration and reporting and payment rules that vary by grant size.

EIC ACCESS+ Info Session #9 and the co-funding offer

On 22 October 2025 at 15:00 CEST the EIC ACCESS+ consortium ran Info Session number 9 focused on fundraising support for EIC-backed innovators. The session was part of a wider EIC Business Acceleration Services effort to help deep-tech startups and SMEs that already hold EIC awards or a Seal of Excellence to access specialist, sector-focused services through the EIC Service Catalogue. The headline offer is a grant of up to EUR 60 000 per beneficiary that reimburses up to 50 percent of the cost of selected services.

What the session covered

Organisers positioned the session as practical guidance on two linked topics. First, how to access curated fundraising and investor readiness help from vetted providers in the EIC Service Catalogue. Second, how to apply for EIC ACCESS+ co-funding to partially reimburse the cost of those services. The session combined short presentations from EIC partners who offer fundraising-related services with a walkthrough of the co-funding mechanics, an explanation of eligibility, and a live question and answer segment. Attendees could request one-on-one follow-up meetings with providers after the session.

Session date and format:Online, 22 October 2025 at 15:00 CEST, roughly 90 minutes including presentations and a live Q&A. Short individual follow-up slots with EIC Partners were offered after the main event.

Who the offer is for and core eligibility

EIC ACCESS+ co-funding is targeted at European deep-tech start-ups and SMEs that have already been through EIC selection processes. Specifically eligible are recipients of EIC awards under Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator, plus entities holding the Horizon Europe Seal of Excellence. Legal entities must be registered in an EU Member State or an Associated Country. Spin-offs from EIC-funded projects may also be eligible if the link to the parent project is documented.

Who counts as an EIC Awardee:EIC Awardees include projects funded under EIC Pathfinder (early research), EIC Transition (validation and commercialisation preparation) and EIC Accelerator (scaling and commercialisation). The Seal of Excellence is a quality label for proposals deemed fundable but not financed under Horizon Europe.

What the co-funding covers and package structure

The open call offers co-funding to access services listed in the EIC Service Catalogue. Grants reimburse up to 50 percent of eligible service costs, VAT excluded, with a maximum cumulative grant per beneficiary of EUR 60 000. Applicants may combine services across packages but must respect the package caps and overall limit.

Service Package	Maximum grant per package	Typical service examples
Research	Up to EUR 60 000	Access to infrastructure, R&D support, prototyping and proof of concept
Skills improvement	Up to EUR 10 000	Coaching, mentoring, HR and talent support
Business acceleration	Up to EUR 30 000	Acceleration, incubation, venture building, business planning, matchmaking, internationalisation
Access funds	Up to EUR 30 000	IP and legal work, due diligence, fundraising support and investor readiness

Practical deadlines, service timelines and completion rules

The open call launched for online submissions on 1 November 2024 and remains open until 31 May 2026. Several scheduling constraints apply. Services must be completed by 30 June 2026 to be eligible for reimbursement. Individual service delivery periods may not exceed six months except for services covered under the Research package which may run up to one year. These deadlines create a compressed window for projects that apply late in the call period.

Why the completion deadline matters:Because services must finish by 30 June 2026, applicants who only apply late in the call risk being unable to complete longer engagements in time. Research and infrastructure services benefit from a longer permitted delivery window but still face the overall completion cutoff.

Assessment, allocation mechanics and the money available

The EIC ACCESS+ pool totals around €3.45 million and the programme aims to support approximately 180 companies. Funding decisions follow a first-come-first-served principle after eligibility checks. Applications receive an electronic timestamp on submission. The programme publishes that applications will be evaluated in cohorts on a regular cadence and that decisions are taken within a short window after each cohort closes. Some communications say cohorts are assessed weekly, others refer to reviews every two weeks. That inconsistency is material for applicants that rely on precise timing to schedule services and secure providers.

Payments and reporting:For grants up to EUR 10 000 the reimbursement is typically a single payment after service completion and receipt of the provider invoice. For grants above EUR 10 000 the rules provide two instalments, usually 50 percent pre-financing and 50 percent upon completion against invoices. Beneficiaries must submit a short report describing the service and outcomes and complete a satisfaction questionnaire to trigger the final payment.

How to apply and where to find services

Applicants must pick a provider listed in the EIC Service Catalogue, prepare the required documentation and submit through the EIC ACCESS+ Community Hub. The application includes a description of the requested service, expected results and a timeline for delivery. After eligibility checks the Financial Support to Third Parties agreement will be signed for approved projects. Templates and supporting documents are published on the programme website including the Open Call Description, Application Form, FSTP Agreement and the Declaration of Honour.

Step by step application checklist:1. Confirm you are an eligible EIC Awardee or Seal of Excellence holder and that your legal entity is in an EU or Associated country. 2. Search the EIC Service Catalogue and select a vetted service provider. 3. Join the EIC ACCESS+ Community Hub and access the application form. 4. Prepare the supporting documents listed in the open call pack and submit. 5. Note your application timestamp and wait for cohort assessment and eligibility verification.

Who presented at Info Session #9 and the types of providers involved

The session showcased several providers offering fundraising and investor readiness services drawn from the EIC Service Catalogue. Presenters included Futurewave AG (SIGF), Blumorpho, LIRA Ltd, Winnovart, Argentum Consultants, Bee Granted and SmiLe Venture Hub. These organisations offer a mixture of business planning, fundraising readiness, investor outreach and internationalisation support.

Examples of services presented:Investor readiness packages, due diligence preparation, pitch coaching, access to investor networks, assistance with cap table and fundraising strategy, and help identifying suitable international markets.

Context and critical considerations

This co-funding is useful because deep-tech startups often need targeted, expensive specialist services such as lab time, technical due diligence or investor readiness coaching that fall outside normal grant budgets. However the offer has clear limits and trade offs. The total budget is modest relative to the pool of eligible EIC beneficiaries across Europe. The first-come-first-served approach benefits applicants that are organised and ready to move fast. The requirement to use EIC Service Catalogue providers narrows choice to vetted partners which has advantages for quality control but may exclude some local or niche suppliers. The compressed completion deadline may force short engagements or push applicants to select cheaper, shorter services rather than more substantive, longer-term support.

A caution for applicants:Check the timing constraints before you commit to a service or sign a provider contract. If your service will not finish by 30 June 2026 it will not be eligible for reimbursement. Also verify whether the provider accepts the FSTP administrative requirements and invoice timing for public co-funding.

Useful links, helpdesk and staying informed

Applicants should use the EIC ACCESS+ Community Hub to submit applications and join the project community. The EIC Service Catalogue is hosted on the EIC Community Platform where beneficiaries can search by service category and provider. For technical questions and clarifications use the programme helpdesk at helpdesk eicpartnerships-helpdesk@eic-bas.eu or the EIC ACCESS+ help email info@eicaccessplus.eu. The programme also encourages subscribing to the EIC BAS Newsletter to receive updates on open calls and related opportunities.

Contact and support:EIC ACCESS+ Community Hub registration, the EIC Service Catalogue and helpdesk contacts are provided on the EIC ACCESS+ and EIC Community websites. For programme-specific enquiries contact info@eicaccessplus.eu or the EIC partnerships helpdesk.

Key procedural documents to download

Applicants should download and review the Open Call Description, the Application Form, the FSTP Agreement template, the Declaration of Honour and the Open Call Eligibility Criteria from the EIC ACCESS+ website before applying. These documents explain obligations, invoicing rules and the reporting requirements that trigger final payments.

Final takeaways

EIC ACCESS+ provides a pragmatic, modestly financed channel to buy specialist services that can materially improve investor readiness and growth plans for EIC-backed deep-tech companies. The offer works best for teams that are already clear about the services they need and who can move quickly to secure a slot and ensure delivery within the programme deadlines. The constrained budget, first-come-first-served allocation and completion cutoff are real constraints that applicants must manage. For some beneficiaries the co-funding will be a useful multiplier. For others the limits in budget and timing will make the scheme a partial rather than complete solution to the persistent funding and scale-up challenges Europeans deep-tech companies face.