What the EIC Ecosystem Partnerships and Co-Investment Support Programme does

The European Innovation Council has expanded its Business Acceleration Services to address two persistent gaps among deep tech and health innovators. First, tailored access to specialised, sector-focused services that are not always available through generic acceleration tracks. Second, practical support to attract private capital and prepare companies to engage with high-level investors. The programme bundles a network of partner organisations that publish service offers in the EIC Service Catalogue and a co-investment support strand that readies selected companies for investor contact and matchmaking.

How beneficiaries find services: the EIC Service Catalogue and partner network

The EIC has onboarded a range of ecosystem organisations as EIC Partners. Their offers are listed on the EIC Service Catalogue. The catalogue is searchable and allows EIC beneficiaries and Seal of Excellence holders to filter by project stage, sector and technology readiness level. Service offers can be free or paid, and they span general support such as acceleration and fundraising to specialised assistance like access to laboratory infrastructure or IPO coaching.

The EIC also runs recurring 'Ask me Anything' online sessions where catalogue organisations present their services and answer questions. The programme convenes partners for networking and insight sharing at an annual in-person event. The service catalogue sits in the EIC Community members area and requires login to access detailed offers and application pathways.

How financial support for partner services works through EIC ACCESS+

The catalogue services are not automatically free. Co-funding for listed services is available via the EIC ACCESS+ initiative. Eligible applicants can seek up to 50 percent co-financing of the service cost, within a ceiling of up to €60,000, subject to the rules and calls launched under EIC ACCESS+. Selection and funds depend on separate ACCESS+ application rounds and eligibility checks.

Investor readiness and co-investment support provided by the EIC Fund

Beyond services, the programme supports EIC Fund companies to attract private capital. The co-investment strand focuses on investor readiness and matchmaking. Selected companies receive targeted support such as pitch deck reviews, benchmarking, competitor valuation analysis and complimentary access to top venture capital resources. The EIC Fund organises regular online ePitching sessions and in-person Investor Days where companies can meet sector-specific European investors one to one.

These activities are practical gateways to investor conversations but they do not guarantee follow-on funding. Matchmaking increases exposure and can accelerate due diligence when investor interest exists. The EIC Fund also curates an Investors Network and invites investors to register interest in portfolio companies.

Notable events and open calls in 2024

Two events featured in the 2024 programme calendar. The EIC hosted an online Ask Me Anything for Healthcare-focused services on 20 June 2024. It also ran an ePitching on MedTech on 18 June 2024 specifically for EIC Fund-selected companies working on medical technologies. The MedTech ePitching invited applications with a deadline previously set for 24 April 2024 and delivered coaching and one-to-one meeting opportunities with European VCs.

The MedTech ePitching jury and investor invitees in 2024 included venture capital firms such as Eleven Ventures, Hadean Ventures, High-Tech Gründerfonds, Inveready, Panakès Partners, Pathena Investments, Peppermint Venture Partners, Redalpine, MIG Capital AG, Sofinnova Partners, Turenne Capital and Zubi Capital. Selected companies were asked to provide details of the pitching representative when applying because those names appear in event materials.

Who is eligible and how selection works

Eligibility depends on the strand. For MedTech ePitching, eligible firms were EIC Accelerator beneficiaries that had received the investment component or blended finance recipients under the H2020 EIC Accelerator Pilot and Horizon Europe Accelerator. For catalogue services, EIC beneficiaries and Seal of Excellence holders can access the EIC Service Catalogue and apply to partner services. Co-funding through ACCESS+ requires successful application to specific calls and meeting eligibility checks.

Practical application tips for beneficiaries

When applying to events or partner services, fill forms carefully and provide accurate project identifiers so organisers can verify eligibility. For investor-facing opportunities, prepare concise, evidence-backed documentation because jury members and investors will base selection on the materials you submit. If you do not want your profile used in promotional material or investor calls, raise this early with organisers.

Context and critical notes

The EIC’s move to formalise partnerships and to centralise offers in a searchable catalogue addresses a real need. Many deep tech teams lack access to niche infrastructure and domain regulatory know-how. The co-investment and investor readiness activities also respond to a common bottleneck where European scale-up capital remains concentrated and hard to reach for early stage deep tech.

Yet several pragmatic caveats matter to beneficiaries and observers. First, visibility is not the same as investment. Pitching and matchmaking increase deal flow but do not guarantee commitments. Second, the catalogue includes both free and paid offers so cost and quality vary between partners. Third, co-funding through ACCESS+ requires successful application and is not automatic. Finally, outcomes depend on market fit, traction and investor appetite in a given sector at a given time.

Contacts and next steps

EIC beneficiaries and Seal of Excellence holders who want to explore partner services can access the EIC Service Catalogue via the EIC Community platform and subscribe to bi-monthly catalogue highlights. Those interested in becoming EIC Partners can consult the call for partnerships and read the terms and conditions.

Useful reminders

If you are an EIC beneficiary consider registering for relevant Ask Me Anything sessions, apply early to ACCESS+ calls if you need co-funding for partner services and prepare investor materials in line with pitch coaching guidance. If you are an investor interested in attending sector ePitchings, register interest with the EIC Fund to receive invitations and portfolio access.

The EIC published an impact figure noting around €250 million deployed to date in health related activity in its portfolio. That figure signals significant exposure to the health sector within the EIC ecosystem but it does not imply automatic follow-on investment for individual companies that participate in catalogue services or events.