EIC ACCESS+ reopens its €60k co-funding window: replay of Info Session #11 and what startups need to know

Brussels, March 26th 2026

Summary

›EIC ACCESS+ offers up to €60,000 per beneficiary covering 50% of costs for services in the EIC Service Catalogue.
›The open call runs until 31 May 2026 and requires all funded services to finish by 30 June 2026.
›Eligibility is limited to EIC awardees and Seal of Excellence holders in the EU or Associated Countries.
›Info Session #11 replay showcases vetted service providers and explains application steps via the Community Hub.
›Budget is modest at €3.45 million for about 180 firms, so first-come-first-served rules put a premium on speed.
›Co-funding means founders must still secure the other 50%, which can be a hurdle for early deep-tech ventures.

A practical pathway to paid-for expertise, with caveats

The European Innovation Council’s ACCESS+ programme has made the recording of Info Session #11 available. Held on 11 March, the webinar walks EIC-backed startups and Seal of Excellence holders through how to use the EIC Service Catalogue and apply for co-funding that reimburses half of eligible service costs up to €60,000. The session also enabled one-to-one meetings with listed providers. The offer is focused and time bound, and while it lowers the cost of specialised support, it does not eliminate it.

What ACCESS+ actually funds and who can apply

ACCESS+ is a Business Acceleration Services instrument that co-finances pre-defined external services for eligible companies. Grants cover 50% of service invoices, VAT excluded, with a per-beneficiary ceiling of €60,000 across one or more services. The call is open continuously until 31 May 2026. Services must be sourced from the EIC Service Catalogue and completed by 30 June 2026.

Item	Detail	Notes
Total call budget	€3.45 million	Supports roughly 180 companies
Per-beneficiary cap	Up to €60,000	Covers max 50% of service costs
Funding rate	50%	Remaining 50% covered by beneficiary or other means
Eligibility	EIC Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator awardees; Seal of Excellence; eligible spin-offs	Entity must be registered in EU or Associated Country
Application window	1 Nov 2024 to 31 May 2026	First-come-first-served with electronic timestamp
Service completion	By 30 June 2026	Max duration 6 months, except Research package up to 12 months
Selection cadence	Weekly or bi-weekly cohort reviews	Time-based queueing applies
Payment scheme	≤€10k: single payment after completion; >€10k: 50% pre-finance + 50% after completion	Invoice and short results report required
Double funding rule	Not allowed for the ACCESS+ co-funded 50%	The beneficiary’s 50% share can come from other sources
What cannot be funded	Project management and similar overhead activities	Focus on technological, business, research or similar activities

Service package	ACCESS+ cap per package	Examples of eligible services
Research	Up to €60,000	Access to infrastructure, R&D support, prototyping, proof of concept
Skills improvement	Up to €10,000	Coaching and mentoring, HR and talent
Business acceleration	Up to €30,000	Acceleration, incubation, venture building, business planning, matchmaking, internationalisation
Access funds	Up to €30,000	IP and legal, due diligence, fundraising support

Inside the Catalogue: who presented at Info Session #11

The replay includes short pitches from EIC Service Catalogue partners, most with deep-tech and healthcare strengths. These are listed providers in the EIC ecosystem. The session frames their offers as examples rather than endorsements, and the case studies referenced are illustrative rather than audited outcomes.

Provider	Country	Focus area	Sample services from the session	Timestamp
Arian International	Spain	Internationalisation for deep-tech	Technology–market fit assessment, time-to-market planning, global expansion coaching	04:58
DARE Innovations	Hungary	Early-stage deep-tech in health	Venture-building academy, strategic due diligence for investor readiness, 1:1 mentoring on valuation, go-to-market and financials	08:44
inXso	Finland	Healthcare, deep tech and nanotech	R&D support for international commercialisation, health technology assessment for market access, fundraising, transition to validated clinical assets	15:30
ISE Group	Poland	Market entry and fundraising	Market intelligence, US market acceleration with in-person missions; case studies: Bosagra, Solar Gaps	22:10
Revnuu	Switzerland	Commercialisation for deep-tech and life sciences	Go-to-market strategy, brand, digital marketing, PR, sales execution; case study: Qurv	29:22
Start2 Group	Germany	Global startup ecosystem platform	Internationalisation and acceleration via links to corporates, investors and governments	36:59
Zeeks	United Kingdom	Science marketing	Strategy, content creation, illustration and podcasts for biotech, health and pharma	41:23

How to apply and what to expect

Applicants must first confirm eligibility, then select a provider from the EIC Service Catalogue and articulate expected outcomes in the application. Access to the application form requires joining the EIC ACCESS+ Community Hub. After submission, an electronic timestamp determines queue position. Reviews occur in weekly or bi-weekly cohorts with decisions typically within seven days from the cohort cut-off.

First-come-first-served and its implications:Time-prioritised assessment favours applicants ready to assemble complete documentation early. It can disadvantage smaller or less well-resourced teams that need longer to scope services or align matching funds. Given the small overall budget, late applicants risk missing out even if their need is strong.

Scope limits and common misreads

Only services listed in the EIC Service Catalogue are eligible, and not all catalogue categories are covered by ACCESS+. For instance, Business Support Tools in the catalogue are explicitly excluded from co-funding. The programme does not pay for general project management or administrative tasks. Services should target concrete outcomes such as regulatory milestones, market access validation, investor readiness, IP strategy, or prototyping with defined deliverables.

Key terms and processes explained

EIC ACCESS+ (Business Acceleration Services):A co-funding instrument under the EIC that reimburses 50% of the cost of using vetted external services listed in the EIC Service Catalogue, up to €60,000 per beneficiary.

EIC Service Catalogue:A searchable directory of partner organisations curated by the EIC Ecosystem Partnership Programme. It includes accelerators, incubators, research and training entities and specialised consultancies with offers mapped to deep-tech needs.

Seal of Excellence:A European Commission quality label awarded to proposals judged to merit funding but not financed due to budget limits, making them eligible for certain support schemes such as ACCESS+.

Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) agreement:The grant contract signed by selected beneficiaries that details service scopes, payment tranches, deliverables and reporting duties.

Health Technology Assessment (HTA):A structured evaluation of a health technology’s clinical, economic and societal value. In practice it underpins reimbursement strategies and market access for medical technologies and therapeutics.

Associated Countries:Non-EU countries that have association agreements to Horizon Europe. Entities established there are generally eligible on par with EU Member States.

Technology–market fit:The process of aligning a technical solution’s capabilities with a validated market pain point, purchasing context and regulatory constraints. In deep tech it often requires evidence beyond customer interviews, such as pilots or clinical validation.

Deep tech:Innovation rooted in advanced science or engineering with long development cycles and significant technical and regulatory risks, for example in biotech, photonics, energy and quantum.

Data handling and compliance

ACCESS+ is delivered within the EIC Business Acceleration Services framework and uses EU Login for authentication. Per the EISMEA Data Protection Notice, personal data are processed under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 for community participation, events, coaching, matching and programme management. Applicants should anticipate routine reporting obligations, notably a short service report and satisfaction questionnaire prior to final payment. Services delivered inside Commission premises or certain interviews may require additional identity checks. The EIC platforms use session cookies and analytics consistent with EU institutional IT security and privacy policies.

Context and caveats for founders and boards

The ACCESS+ budget is small relative to the EIC’s multi‑billion euro portfolio, so treat it as tactical support rather than a growth engine. Co-funding can still be a material cash outlay for early teams. First-come-first-served introduces a race dynamic that tends to reward organisations already embedded in EU support structures. Because only catalogue providers are eligible, founders should run standard vendor diligence on capabilities, conflicts and deliverable definitions rather than assuming de facto certification. Finally, the June 2026 service completion deadline compresses timelines, which may not align with longer clinical or hardware cycles.

Where to watch and where to look next

The full recording of Info Session #11 is available on the EIC Community’s YouTube channel. Applicants can review ACCESS+ eligibility criteria and application steps on the project website and through the Community Hub. Previous sessions cover choosing providers, fundraising support, healthcare and climate tech use cases, and how to co-finance the non-funded 50%.

ACCESS+ info sessions timeline and themes

Session	Date	Focus
#1	Not specified	Overview of ACCESS+ funding scheme
#2	21 Jan 2025	How to choose the right Service Catalogue provider
#4	4 Mar 2025	Becoming an EIC Ecosystem Partner and joining the Catalogue
#5	6 May 2025	How to cover the remaining 50% of service costs
#6	26 Jun 2025	Navigating the French innovation ecosystem and French providers
#7	17 Jul 2025	Support for healthcare innovators
#8	16 Sep 2025	Support offers for climate tech innovators
#9	22 Oct 2025	Investor readiness and fundraising support
#11	11 Mar 2026	Catalogue partners showcase and application guidance; replay now available

A concise checklist before you click Apply

Confirm your status as an EIC awardee or Seal of Excellence holder and that your entity is registered in an EU or Associated Country. Define a concrete service scope with a Catalogue provider and document expected outputs. Ensure the 50% co-funding is available in your budget and that your service can be completed by 30 June 2026. Join the EIC ACCESS+ Community Hub to access the application, then submit early to avoid budget run-out. Plan for post-service reporting and invoicing to trigger final payments.

One-on-one provider meetings:The programme facilitates direct discussions between applicants and providers to tailor engagements. Use these to lock down deliverables, timelines and KPIs that map cleanly to ACCESS+ reporting and payment milestones.

Noted case studies, without independent verification

During the session, ISE Group referenced work with Bosagra and Solar Gaps supported through ACCESS+. Revnuu cited Qurv as a client example. These references signal plausible fit between providers and deep-tech needs but should not be read as audited impact data. As with any public programme, founders should base decisions on scoping calls, references and contract clarity rather than session anecdotes.