EIC Pre-Accelerator call attracts heavy interest from widening countries

The first EIC Pre-Accelerator funding call registered a strong response from early stage deep-tech teams. The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency reported 1 056 submissions judged eligible so far from 30 eligible countries that are part of the Horizon Europe widening and associated country list and the EU Outermost Regions. The portal registered 1 083 proposals in total before eligibility checks. Applicants collectively asked for €479.4 million in support which works out to an average request of about €454 000 per proposal. The programme drew a gender mix of 74 percent men led and 26 percent women led companies.

What the figures mean in practice

There are two immediate readings of the participation statistics. First, the volume of applications shows clear demand for targeted pre‑acceleration support in countries that historically participate less in Horizon programmes. Second, the average requested amount being close to the scheme cap suggests applicants see the Pre‑Accelerator as a substantive funding step rather than a small top‑up. That concentration of requests near the maximum has implications for how many applicants can realistically be funded from any finite budget. The public announcement does not disclose the call budget so the selection rate cannot be calculated from these figures alone.

What the EIC Pre-Accelerator offers and where it fits in the EIC ecosystem

The Pre‑Accelerator is explicitly designed to prepare SMEs and start‑ups from widening countries for the next steps in scaling and finance. It aims to increase business, investor and technology readiness so that companies can better compete for EIC Accelerator grants and blended finance, draw private investors and access national or regional support such as Seal of Excellence funded schemes.

Gender balance and inclusion concerns

The 74 to 26 percent split between men and women led teams mirrors patterns seen across deep‑tech funding in Europe. The EIC has set goals and programmes to increase female entrepreneurship and participation in its portfolios. Still, the gap in applications underlines that targeted outreach and capacity building remain necessary to achieve more balanced representation among applicants from widening countries.

Timeline and next steps

EISMEA expects the evaluation of proposals to be finalised in February 2026. Results will be communicated to applicants in late February to early March 2026. After the evaluation, successful teams should move into the Pre‑Accelerator service package including coaching, and some will be guided to national or regional schemes through instruments such as the Seal of Excellence.

Interpretation and potential bottlenecks

High application numbers are not a guarantee of high quality proposals. Large volumes create practical challenges for fair and timely evaluation. They also strain support capacity such as the pool of qualified coaches and the network of national contact points and regional ecosystem actors who are expected to help convert promising applications into funded projects or investment ready companies. Applicants concentrated near the funding cap increases the pressure on available budget resources and on downstream investor match‑making.

Other practical issues include the likelihood of ineligible submissions after checks and the administrative overhead of managing Seal of Excellence referrals to multiple national or regional schemes. Finally, the gender imbalance points to the need for targeted measures to encourage women founders and ensure the Pre‑Accelerator does not reproduce existing participation gaps.

Policy implications and practical recommendations

The strong turnout is a positive signal that targeted instruments for widening countries meet real demand. At the same time policymakers and programme managers should plan for the operational consequences. That includes transparent communication about available budgets and expected success rates, investment in evaluator and coach capacity, follow‑up funding pathways at national and regional level, and active measures to reduce gender imbalances. Monitoring how many Seal of Excellence holders obtain alternative funding will be important to judge whether the Pre‑Accelerator properly unlocks follow‑on finance.

For applicants the immediate next step is to await the outcome of the evaluation in early 2026 and, where relevant, to be ready to engage with coaching and any national or regional support options that may follow. For observers the data point to persistent demand for early stage deep‑tech support outside core innovation hubs and to an urgent need to align EU level programmes with national and regional capacity to absorb and scale winners.