EIC Service Catalogue: five business‑planning services for EIC-backed innovators
- ›The EIC Service Catalogue highlights five sector-agnostic business planning services for EIC awardees to validate markets, build investor-ready plans and convert strategy into commercial action.
- ›EIC ACCESS+ has been the main co-funding route for these paid services offering up to EUR 60 000 and covering up to 50% of costs but application windows are intermittent and beneficiaries should check the official site for the latest timing.
- ›The five providers showcased are Go Bridge The Gap, TOM SPIKE GmbH, The Way S.R.L Società Benefit, In Extenso Innovation & Croissance and INOVA+ INNOVATION SERVICES S.A, each offering different formats from hands-on market validation to structured financial modelling and go-to-market roadmaps.
- ›The EIC Service Catalogue and broader Business Acceleration Services aim to link funding to practical support but founders should weigh costs, delivery formats and track records before contracting services.
EIC Service Catalogue highlights: business planning edition
Turning a lab result or prototype into a sustainable company requires more than good technology. Founders must test whether customers will pay for the offer, size the market, generate plausible financial forecasts, and translate strategic choices into operational plans that investors, corporates and buyers can evaluate. The EIC Service Catalogue lists partner organisations that provide those capabilities to EIC-backed innovators. This piece distils the business planning services the EIC promoted in October 2026, explains how co-funding has worked, and flags practical considerations founders should keep in mind.
Why structured business planning matters for deep tech
Deep tech teams typically come from research or engineering backgrounds and may under-resource commercial validation. Business planning services help in three areas: market validation to reduce customer risk, financial modelling to clarify capital needs and unit economics, and a commercial roadmap that sequences pilots, sales and fundraising. For investors and public funders, a clear plan reduces information asymmetry. For founders, a disciplined plan forces explicit assumptions that can be tested and revised.
Five sector-agnostic services highlighted by the EIC
| Provider | Target EIC beneficiaries | Core deliverables | Estimated budget / co-funding notes |
| Go Bridge The Gap | EIC Accelerator, EIC Transition | Market validation report, investor-ready Business Plan, Pitch Deck, Commercialisation Roadmap | Estimated budget EUR 6 000 - EUR 16 000. Eligible for EIC ACCESS+ co-funding at 50% where applicable |
| TOM SPIKE GmbH | EIC Accelerator, EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition | Workshops, validated financial model, unit economics, funding needs overview | No catalogue price listed. Co-funding possible under EIC ACCESS+ rules where applicable |
| The Way S.R.L. Società Benefit | EIC Accelerator, EIC Transition | Incubation/acceleration, business modelling, investor readiness and network access | No catalogue price listed. Co-funding possible where applicable |
| In Extenso Innovation & Croissance | EIC Accelerator, EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition | Market study, go-to-market roadmap, segment prioritisation and pricing | No catalogue price listed. Co-funding possible where applicable |
| INOVA+ INNOVATION SERVICES S.A | EIC Accelerator, EIC Transition | Discovery Sprint, Blueprint Design, investor-ready Business Plan | No catalogue price listed. Co-funding possible where applicable |
The EIC Service Catalogue and the EIC Business Acceleration Services
The EIC Service Catalogue is a searchable database of services offered by organisations known as EIC Partners. Services are divisible by categories such as Business Planning, Matchmaking, Access to Infrastructure and others. The catalogue allows filtering by sector and Technology Readiness Level to match service providers to a company’s stage and needs. The Service Catalogue is one element of the EIC Business Acceleration Services or BAS, which bundles non-financial support to complement EIC funding.
EIC ACCESS+ co-funding: what it has offered and current status
EIC ACCESS+ has been the principal route to co-finance services from the catalogue. The core offer was grants up to EUR 60 000 per beneficiary, reimbursing up to 50% of the cost of eligible services. Public messaging on timing has shifted during 2026. Some documents referenced a continuing open call until May 2026 and anticipated follow-up opportunities in late 2026. Subsequent communications summarised results from the closed ACCESS+ open call and indicated a new initiative to be launched in early 2027. Prospective users should rely on the EIC ACCESS+ website for the latest official schedule.
| ACCESS+ metric | Published figure |
| Total open call budget | EUR 3.45 million |
| Approved beneficiaries | 233 |
| Women-founded organisations | 35% of supported organisations |
| Women-led organisations | 59% of supported organisations |
| Number of contracted EIC Ecosystem Partners | 90 |
| Average satisfaction score | 4.4 / 5 (among completed cases) |
| Most requested service categories | Fundraising, IP support, Internationalisation, Matchmaking, Business planning |
How to access services and co-funding
EIC awardees and Seal of Excellence holders can browse the EIC Service Catalogue via the EIC Community platform. Services are published with eligibility rules and application forms. Where ACCESS+ or similar co-funding schemes are open, applicants typically select a provider from the catalogue, join the relevant community hub or complete the ACCESS+ application, and await eligibility checks and grant allocation. The EIC BAS newsletter and open calls digest publishes monthly highlights and open calls and can help applicants track funding windows.
Context and caveats — a tempered view
The EIC Service Catalogue and ACCESS+ are useful instruments to bridge capability gaps but they are not a substitute for due diligence. Service quality varies between partners. Catalogue listings do not always publish standard prices or result guarantees. Co-funding reduces cash outlay but often requires administrative work, eligibility evidence and timebound delivery. Public communications emphasise impact metrics and satisfaction scores but independent audits and long-term follow-up are limited in public summaries. Founders should treat catalogue offers as inputs to decision-making rather than automatic levers of commercial success.
Implications and recommendations for founders
If you are an EIC awardee evaluating catalogue services, prioritise the outcomes you actually need: market evidence, unit economics, or a pitch-ready deck. Seek references from peers who used the same provider for comparable objectives. Insist on clear milestones and acceptance criteria. Where co-funding is available verify timelines and retention rules so service implementation is not jeopardised by administrative timing. Use the EIC BAS Key Account Manager and the EIC Community contacts to clarify eligibility and avoid wasting scarce internal time.
Where to get the latest, authoritative information
EIC Community platform and the EIC Service Catalogue pages host the official listings and application documents. For ACCESS+ status and calls consult the EIC ACCESS+ website. Because public announcements and timelines have shifted in 2026, always verify funding windows and eligibility details on the official pages. For technical or account issues use the EIC Community contact and helpdesk channels indicated on the platform.