How the EIC Service Catalogue Uses Acceleration, Incubation and Venture Building to Push EIC Innovations Forward
- ›The European Innovation Council (EIC) highlights a selection of Acceleration, Incubation and Venture Building services available to EIC beneficiaries via the searchable EIC Service Catalogue.
- ›Eight featured offers range from product design and AI strategy training to market entry programmes and sector specific accelerators, most open on a continuous basis and targeted at EIC Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator beneficiaries as well as Seal of Excellence holders.
- ›Many services are offered at negotiable or reduced rates and some accept equity, and co-funding of up to EUR 60,000 covering 50 percent of costs is possible under the EIC ACCESS+ scheme.
- ›The EIC Service Catalogue is part of the EIC Ecosystem Partnership Programme which aims to connect awardees with specialised sector focused partners and to promote co-investment and investor matchmaking.
EIC Service Catalogue Highlights: Acceleration, Incubation and Venture Building
The European Innovation Council has published a curated selection of Acceleration, Incubation and Venture Building services available through its Service Catalogue. These offers target early stage innovators who already benefit from EIC funding or who hold a Seal of Excellence. The services run from product design and technical due diligence to market entry and investor readiness programmes. Many are available on a continuous basis, some accept equity deals, and a subset can be co funded via the EIC ACCESS+ initiative.
Why this category matters
Acceleration, incubation and venture building programmes cover a wide range of needs that go beyond pure technology development. They combine mentoring, business modelling, go to market support, fundraising preparation, product development and pilot facilitation. For deep tech and research driven projects these services are often the bridge between laboratory proofs of concept and commercial traction. The EIC positions this category as one of the largest areas in the Service Catalogue because it maps to many commonly reported gaps in European innovation ecosystems, for example sector specific expertise, investor networks and infrastructure access.
Key concepts explained
The featured services in this edition
Below is a structured presentation of the eight services highlighted in the EIC Service Catalogue update. For each offer we list the provider, the core offer, the EIC funding instruments targeted, financial terms where indicated, and quick practical notes or caveats.
1. Product Design and Development by Supercharge LLC
Provider: Supercharge LLC, Netherlands. Focus: behavioural science driven UX and engineering aligned UI work. Services include user research, user experience design, development ready pixel perfect UI and manual and automated testing. Target beneficiaries: EIC Transition, EIC Accelerator awardees, and Seal of Excellence holders. TRL range: TRL 4 to TRL 9. Financial terms: MVP delivery budgets historically range from EUR 50,000 to EUR 200,000 and the project can be run remotely or with on site workshops. Practical note: for software and digital product work confirm IP ownership and delivery milestones up front, and align expectations on integration with your engineering stack.
2. Competition landscaping, analysis, benchmarking and strategy design by Sandwalk BioVentures S.L.
Provider: Sandwalk BioVentures, Spain. Focus: mapping competing technologies and market segments, benchmarking and identifying a unique value proposition. Target beneficiaries: EIC Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator and Seal of Excellence holders. TRL range: broad, TRL 1 to TRL 9. Financial terms: reduced package price of EUR 6,000. Practical note: competition landscaping is a high leverage but often undervalued deliverable. Validate the scope and the sources used for the analysis, because landscape quality depends heavily on the data and assumptions.
3. Deep Rising by Nordic Startup Ventures
Provider: Nordic Startup Ventures. Focus: six month hybrid accelerator for early stage deep tech startups and research to business projects. The programme is customised with weekly to monthly mentoring sessions and a dedicated lead mentor. Target beneficiaries: EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition, EIC Accelerator awardees and Seal of Excellence holders. TRL range: TRL 4 to TRL 9. Financial terms: average programme fee around EUR 50,000 for the six month package. For EIC beneficiaries the rate offered is EUR 35,000. Provider reserves the right to negotiate payment terms, accept part payment as convertible loan and to invest later only in companies it has worked with, but no investment promise is made. Practical note: the provider explicitly states that investment is not guaranteed. Treat accelerator participation primarily as capability building and market access, and keep fundraising expectations realistic.
4. Scale Programme by Aurelia Ventures
Provider: Aurelia Ventures. Focus: a programme designed for early stage founders to accelerate progression from proof of concept or stealth to Seed. The curriculum emphasises sales, validation and fundraising insights. Target beneficiaries: EIC Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator beneficiaries and Seal of Excellence holders. TRL range: generally TRL 4 and above. Financial terms: not specified in the summary, enquire directly. Practical note: founders should request tangible program milestones and investor introductions, and confirm whether any equity is requested for participation.
5. Start India Launch Base by Global Launch Base
Provider: Global Launch Base. Focus: market entry into India. The service includes need assessment, market research, expert interviews, a high level go to market plan, pilot opportunities and support setting up a business entity in India. Typical sectors referenced include agriculture, food and forestry. Target beneficiaries: EIC Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator beneficiaries and Seal of Excellence holders. TRL range: TRL 4 to TRL 9. Financial terms: flexible, often fee based between EUR 2,000 and EUR 10,000, or equity based acceleration with estimated equity between 2 percent and 5 percent. Practical note: market entry in India requires detailed local regulatory, IP and commercial due diligence. Clarify responsibilities for regulatory filings and pilot commercial terms before signing any agreement.
6. Rapid Access to the SpaceFounders Acceleration Programme by SpaceFounders
Provider: SpaceFounders. Focus: strengthen strategy to scale within the space industry and prepare space related ventures for growth. The programme runs both in person and virtually and covers business growth strategy and financing options with and without equity. Target beneficiaries: EIC Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator beneficiaries and Seal of Excellence holders. TRL range: typically TRL 6 and above for space hardware and systems. Financial terms: not disclosed in the summary. Practical note: space sector pilots and test flights often require specialized facilities and regulatory approvals, make sure the service includes access to these assets or a clear path to them.
7. AI Strategies for Startup Founders - Silicon Valley by Global Kinetics
Provider: Global Kinetics, trading as Silicon Valley in Your Pocket. Focus: an eight week programme that combines workshops, templates and tools to help founders create an AI first strategy, and a data monetisation playbook. Components include market research, marketing and investor materials built with generative AI prompts, and a five step playbook for AI strategy and data monetisation. Target beneficiaries: EIC Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator beneficiaries and Seal of Excellence holders. TRL range: TRL 6 to TRL 9 for AI system deployment. Financial terms: virtual programmes start at EUR 5,000 per company, hybrid in person programmes start at EUR 10,000 plus travel and housing costs. Practical note: founders should evaluate vendor claims about data monetisation and confirm the programme covers data governance, privacy compliance and long term data strategy as these are legal and operational areas often underestimated by teams chasing short term monetisation.
8. Startup Accelerator by ISE GROUP
Provider: ISE GROUP. Focus: Supernovas Investment Forums which curate female led startups and provide support to fine tune investor decks ahead of investor exposure. Target beneficiaries: EIC Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator beneficiaries and Seal of Excellence holders. TRL range: generally early commercial TRL levels. Financial terms: not specified in the summary. Practical note: these types of investor forums can be effective for visibility. Ask about investor profiles, follow up support and metrics on actual investor commitments following the forum.
Comparative summary of featured services
| Service | Provider | Target EIC beneficiaries | TRL range listed | Indicative cost or terms | Quick caveat or note |
| Product Design and Development | Supercharge LLC | EIC Transition, EIC Accelerator, Seal of Excellence | TRL 4 to TRL 9 | EUR 50,000 to EUR 200,000 for MVP | Confirm IP ownership and integration plan |
| Competition landscaping and strategy | Sandwalk BioVentures | Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator, Seal | TRL 1 to TRL 9 | EUR 6,000 reduced package | Quality depends on data sources and assumptions |
| Deep Rising accelerator | Nordic Startup Ventures | Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator, Seal | TRL 4 to TRL 9 | Approx EUR 50,000, EIC rate EUR 35,000 | Provider may invest only after working with company, no investment promise |
| Scale Programme | Aurelia Ventures | Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator, Seal | TRL 4+ | Not disclosed | Request milestones and investor introduction details |
| Start India Launch Base | Global Launch Base | Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator, Seal | TRL 4 to TRL 9 | EUR 2,000 to EUR 10,000 or equity 2 to 5 percent | Clarify responsibilities for regulatory filings and pilot commercial terms |
| Rapid Access to SpaceFounders | SpaceFounders | Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator, Seal | TRL 6 to TRL 9 | Not disclosed | Verify access to testbeds and regulatory support |
| AI Strategies for Founders | Global Kinetics / Silicon Valley in Your Pocket | Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator, Seal | TRL 6 to TRL 9 for deployed AI systems | Virtual EUR 5,000, hybrid from EUR 10,000 | Confirm data governance, privacy and legal coverage |
| Startup Accelerator - Supernovas | ISE GROUP | Pathfinder, Transition, Accelerator, Seal | Early commercial TRLs | Not disclosed | Ask about investor profiles and conversion metrics |
How to use the EIC Service Catalogue and practical steps
The EIC Service Catalogue is a searchable, filterable database available on the EIC Community Platform to registered users. It lists services offered by EIC Partners, including accelerators, incubators, technology parks, research and training organisations and other specialised providers. EIC beneficiaries should log in with EU Login credentials, filter offers by funding instrument, TRL or category, and then follow the provider application instructions. Many providers run open calls at different cadences, but several offers are on demand and continuously open.
Where funding and co funding fits in
Rates for services in the Catalogue vary from free to full price, with many negotiated or reduced offers and some equity arrangements. EIC beneficiaries may apply for partial co funding via EIC ACCESS+ which can cover 50 percent of the service cost up to a EUR 60,000 maximum. ACCESS+ has its own application and selection process. The EIC Business Acceleration Services also provide other routes to support including investor outreach, procurement projects and market expansion help.
| Programme or metric | Figure from EIC BAS and notes |
| One on one meetings facilitated since 2021 | +20,000 meetings |
| Deals reported | 595 deals |
| Capital raised through investor outreach | EUR 350 million |
| Capital raised by EIC Scaling Club members since joining | EUR 1.2 billion |
| Turnover from trade fairs since 2024 | EUR 42 million |
| Innovation procurement results since March 2024 | EUR 7.7 million raised from EUR 28.4 million in tenders submitted |
| Pilots supported | 22 ongoing and 16 completed pilots supported with EUR 1.93 million |
| Skills and coaching impact | +2,400 coached, +90 percent Women Leadership alumnae reporting increased skills, 98 percent increase in procurement offer capability, 21 startups created through venture building, 16 CEOs onboarded after entrepreneurship training |
Context and a critical note
The EIC Service Catalogue is useful because it aggregates offers from ecosystem players and makes them visible to EIC awardees. It also attempts to tackle two recurring failures in innovation systems, namely limited access to highly specialised sector resources and a weak connection to private investors. That said, service catalogues and accelerator lists are not a substitute for careful vetting. Providers will vary in capability and track record, and claims about investor introductions or outcomes should be checked against demonstrable metrics. Where an offer mentions equity or investment, read the small print carefully, because some organisations reserve investment for a later stage only in companies they helped to build, while others do not promise any investment at all.
For EIC beneficiaries the recommended approach is pragmatic. Start by identifying the single most pressing gap in your team or go to market plan, pick a focused service that addresses that gap, and require clear deliverables and timelines in the service agreement. Use the EIC ACCESS+ co funding only after confirming eligibility and acceptance conditions, and always document IP, data, and financial conditions before work begins.
How to stay informed and get help
The EIC distributes the Service Catalogue Highlights in the EIC BAS Newsletter on a bi monthly cadence. The next edition referenced in the update will appear in September. EIC beneficiaries and Seal of Excellence holders can also subscribe to the EIC BAS newsletter and log in to the EIC Community Platform to search the catalogue. For questions about the EIC Ecosystem Partnership Programme or the Service Catalogue contact the helpdesk at eicpartnerships-helpdesk@eic-bas.eu.
Final practical tips
1. Match TRL and BRL first. Pick a service that explicitly supports your technical and business readiness stage. 2. Demand clear deliverables and KPIs. Avoid vague promises about 'opening doors' without measurable follow up. 3. Validate costs and co funding. If you plan to use EIC ACCESS+ request eligibility confirmation before committing. 4. Protect IP and data. Confirm ownership, confidentiality and data governance protocols in writing. 5. Track outcomes. If you engage a service ask for references or case studies and set short term check points.
The EIC Service Catalogue is a pragmatic tool if used critically and selectively. It lowers search costs and centralises offers but it does not replace due diligence and careful contracting. The ecosystem partnerships behind the catalogue are a welcome attempt to plug gaps in sector specific support and investor access for European deep tech innovators. Prospective beneficiaries should balance the opportunity to access tailored services with the normal cautions that apply when entering commercial or equity agreements with external providers.