EIC ACCESS+ launches co‑funding open call to help EIC deep‑tech awardees access specialised services

Brussels, October 28th 2024

Summary

›EIC ACCESS+ opened a permanent call offering co‑funding of up to 50 percent to help EIC Awardees and Seal of Excellence holders buy services from the EIC Service Catalogue.
›Maximum cumulative grant per applicant is EUR 60,000 and the total budget for the call is EUR 3.45 million.
›Applications open 1 November 2024 and close 31 May 2026 with a first‑come first‑served evaluation process and weekly cohort assessments.
›Four service packages are available: Research, Business Acceleration, Skills Improvement and Access to Funds, each with specific caps.
›Applicants must be EIC Awardees or Horizon Europe Seal of Excellence holders and legally based in EU or associated countries.

EIC ACCESS+ open call aims to lower barriers for Europe's deep tech innovators

The European Innovation Council Business Acceleration Services has launched an open call under the EIC ACCESS+ project to co‑fund access to specialised services for deep‑tech startups and small and medium sized enterprises. The initiative offers up to 50 percent co‑funding for services listed in the EIC Service Catalogue. The maximum cumulative grant per beneficiary is EUR 60,000 and the total allocation for the call is €3.45 million. Applications open on 1 November 2024 and remain available until 31 May 2026, subject to official updates.

What the programme is trying to solve

Deep‑tech companies often require specialist infrastructure, long development cycles and bespoke expertise to move from lab to market. Those needs frequently exceed the scope of standard business support. EIC ACCESS+ is structured to help a defined group of innovators who already hold EIC Awards or a Seal of Excellence to procure targeted services that complement their technology development, commercialisation and fundraising efforts.

EIC ACCESS+ in plain terms:A co‑funding scheme that reimburses up to 50 percent of the costs of selected third party services drawn from the EIC Service Catalogue. The aim is to reduce the immediate cash burden for eligible EIC beneficiaries so they can access specialist services such as prototyping, IP or investor readiness support.

Who can apply and eligibility constraints

The call is restricted to a specific pool of applicants. Eligible entities are EIC Awardees from the EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition and EIC Accelerator programmes and holders of the Horizon Europe Seal of Excellence. Legal entities must be established in a European Union Member State or an associated country. Applicants should verify the full eligibility criteria before applying because some service categories in the EIC Service Catalogue are not covered by the co‑funding scheme.

Who is excluded or likely to be ineligible:Organisations that are not EIC Awardees or Seal of Excellence holders and companies not legally based in EU or associated countries will not qualify. Additionally some service categories listed in the EIC Service Catalogue may be outside the scope of co‑funding.

Service packages and financial ceilings

Applicants choose services from the EIC Service Catalogue. Four broad packages are available with different suggested caps. Grants cover up to 50 percent of eligible service costs subject to a maximum cumulative grant of EUR 60,000 per beneficiary. VAT is excluded from the calculation of eligible costs.

Package	Typical services	Indicative maximum co‑funding per applicant
Research package	Access to infrastructure, R&D support, prototyping, proof of concept	Up to EUR 60,000
Business Acceleration package	Business planning, matchmaking, internationalisation, venture building, incubation	Up to EUR 30,000
Skills Improvement package	Coaching, mentoring, HR and talent management	Up to EUR 10,000
Access to Funds package	Fundraising support, IP and legal services, due diligence	Up to EUR 30,000
Overall call	Total funding available	EUR 3,450,000
Per beneficiary cap	Maximum cumulative grant across packages	EUR 60,000

Application mechanics and timelines

Applications open on 1 November 2024 via a dedicated online form accessible through the EIC ACCESS+ Community Hub. The call runs until 31 May 2026 unless changed by official notice. The selection follows a first‑come first‑served principle. Each submission receives an electronic timestamp. Applications are assessed in weekly cohorts and the assessment for a cohort is completed within seven days from the cohort closing date.

Financial Support to Third Parties Agreement:Successful applicants will sign a Financial Support to Third Parties, or FSTP, agreement. This is the contractual instrument used to transfer the co‑funding to selected beneficiaries. Depending on the type of service procured, payments under the FSTP may be disbursed in one instalment or in two instalments.

How to choose a provider and prepare an application

Applicants must select service providers from the EIC Service Catalogue. The catalogue is a searchable platform that brings together offers from EIC Ecosystem Partners including accelerators, incubators, research infrastructures and specialised advisers. Applicants should review provider offers carefully and collect the documentation required by the application templates available on the ACCESS+ hub.

Application documentation includes:Open Call Description, Application Form, FSTP Agreement template, Declaration of Honour and FAQs. The ACCESS+ project also publishes eligibility criteria and guidance on choosing service providers.

Contacts, help and practical notes

Applicants can use the EIC ACCESS+ Community Hub for submissions and for project updates. A helpdesk is available for questions that are not answered in the published resources. An information session was announced for 18 November 2024 to explain the call and financial support options.

Helpdesk and contact emails:For EIC Ecosystem Partnership enquiries contact eicpartnerships-helpdesk@eic-bas.eu. For ACCESS+ specific updates and community hub matters contact info@eicaccessplus.eu. General queries can also be submitted through the EIC Community contact page.

What this actually means for deep tech founders

The co‑funding can lower short term cash requirements for qualified teams seeking specialised laboratory time, prototyping services or investor readiness work. For capital intensive projects that need large runs of hardware or extended testing phases the 50 percent cap and the EUR 60,000 maximum may not be sufficient. The first‑come first‑served allocation also favours applicants who are well organised and fast at preparing documentation. Startups with less administrative capacity or later knowledge of the call risk being crowded out even if they have strong technical needs.

Common operational caveats to watch for:Eligible costs exclude VAT. The co‑funding is limited to services listed in the EIC Service Catalogue, and not every catalogued service is necessarily covered. The total pot of €3.45 million could be absorbed quickly if demand is high. Companies should verify provider eligibility, invoicing and payment timing before contracting services.

Context within the EU innovation ecosystem

The EIC ACCESS+ initiative sits within a wider EIC effort to build an ecosystem of partners that can supply niche, sector specific services to EIC beneficiaries. The EIC Ecosystem Partnership Programme aims to close gaps in specialised support by creating partnerships with accelerators, technology parks, research infrastructures and corporate partners. That ambition is consistent with ongoing EIC priorities to boost scaling opportunities for deep tech in Europe but practical impact will depend on how fast and equitably the funding is disbursed and on the quality of service providers on the catalogue.

Why the policy matters

Europe's deep tech sector often lags behind in scaling when compared with other regions. Public co funding instruments play a role in de‑risking early commercial steps and creating a bridge to private investment. However the amounts on offer, eligibility limits and administrative rules determine how wide the benefits are spread. Smaller co‑funds can accelerate a subset of projects but they will not replace the need for later stage capital and bespoke long term infrastructure investments.

Next steps for interested applicants

Review the full application guidelines and eligibility criteria on the EIC ACCESS+ website. Register for the EIC ACCESS+ Community Hub to access the application form. Note the 18 November 2024 info session and prepare provider quotes and supporting documents in advance to improve your chances in the first‑come first‑served process.

Official funding identification and legal disclaimer:The EIC ACCESS+ project is funded under Horizon Europe with grant agreement number 101167739. The views expressed by project materials do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency.