There are four routes to EU grant money for a startup: the EIC Accelerator if you are a single deep tech company scaling up, Horizon Europe if you will work in a team of partners from several countries, Eurostars if you lead an international R&D project as an SME, and national schemes run by your own country. Which one fits depends first on whether you apply alone or with partners.
The four routes
- EIC Accelerator
- One company, deep tech, technology already validated in a lab or relevant environment. A grant, an equity investment, or both.
- Horizon Europe
- Collaborative research and innovation. Most calls need at least three partner organisations from different countries. 377 calls are open.
- Eurostars
- International R&D led by an innovative SME, with at least one partner from another Eurostars country. Funded by each partner's national funding body.
- National schemes
- Run by your country's agencies. 660 of the 909 open national schemes we hold accept a single company.
Start with three questions
- Alone or with partners? This rules out more calls than anything else. See Do I need a consortium?
- How ready is the technology? The EIC Accelerator expects Technology Readiness Level 5 completed. Horizon Europe calls also fund earlier research.
- Where is the company registered? EU calls are generally open to companies in the Member States and associated countries, and each call lists its eligible countries; national schemes are open only in their own country.
What the odds are
Across closed Horizon Europe calls in the same topic areas as today's open calls, 12,750 of 82,794 submitted proposals were funded: 15%. Being eligible is the first step, not the hard one.
Questions
Are EU grants only for research organisations?
No. Companies can apply to Horizon Europe calls and to the EIC Accelerator, and Eurostars must be led by an SME. A Horizon Europe consortium can combine companies, universities and research organisations.
Do I have to repay an EU grant?
A grant is not repaid, as long as you meet its conditions. The EIC Accelerator can also offer an equity investment, which is an investment in your company rather than a grant, and some national schemes are loans. Each call page states which form the money takes.
Sources, checked 23 Sep 2026
- EIC Accelerator, European Innovation Council
- Horizon Europe: how to apply, European Research Executive Agency
- Eurostars, Eureka network
- Proposals submitted: the European Commission's call notices on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; projects funded: CORDIS