European UnionPrivate Business
EIC STEP Scale Up
EIC STEP Scale Up
Funding Amount
€10.0M - €30.0M
Deadline
16/12/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Private Business
Trusted by
What is the EIC STEP Scale Up Call?
Grant Description
The EIC STEP Scale Up call provides equity-only investments to fill the funding gap for scaling up high-risk innovations in critical technology areas across Europe. It seeks to accelerate development and market launch of groundbreaking solutions, foster economic growth and job creation, maintain value and intellectual property within the Union, and strengthen European strategic autonomy and value chains.
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
- Mobilise a total indicative budget of €300 million in 2025, rising to €900 million (2025–2027); any unused 2025 budget may be reallocated to the EIC Accelerator Open call
• Bridge the scale-up funding gap for high-risk, deep-tech, clean-tech and biotech innovations that cannot be fully financed by other investors
• Provide tailored equity investments of €10–30 million per company to accelerate technology development, market launch, and commercial scale-up
• Catalyse follow-on funding rounds of at least €50–150 million (3–5× the EIC investment)
• Ensure retention of IP and economic value in the EU/Associated Countries, supporting job creation and economic growth
• Strengthen EU strategic autonomy by reducing dependencies in critical technology areas and safeguarding critical value chains
• Enhance project impact through Business Acceleration Services, fostering investor contacts, market access and strategic partnerships
• Award Sovereignty (STEP) Seals to successful applicants, granting privileged access to additional EU programmes and external investment opportunities
• Promote complementarity with InvestEU financial instruments (e.g., Venture Debt) and other STEP-related support measures (Chips Act, quantum and semiconductor initiatives)
• Bridge the scale-up funding gap for high-risk, deep-tech, clean-tech and biotech innovations that cannot be fully financed by other investors
• Provide tailored equity investments of €10–30 million per company to accelerate technology development, market launch, and commercial scale-up
• Catalyse follow-on funding rounds of at least €50–150 million (3–5× the EIC investment)
• Ensure retention of IP and economic value in the EU/Associated Countries, supporting job creation and economic growth
• Strengthen EU strategic autonomy by reducing dependencies in critical technology areas and safeguarding critical value chains
• Enhance project impact through Business Acceleration Services, fostering investor contacts, market access and strategic partnerships
• Award Sovereignty (STEP) Seals to successful applicants, granting privileged access to additional EU programmes and external investment opportunities
• Promote complementarity with InvestEU financial instruments (e.g., Venture Debt) and other STEP-related support measures (Chips Act, quantum and semiconductor initiatives)
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
- Technology scope (per STEP Regulation & Guidance Note):
• Digital & deep tech: advanced semiconductors, AI, quantum, advanced connectivity/navigation/digital, sensing, robotics/autonomous systems, other deep-tech innovations
• Clean & resource-efficient/net-zero: solar, wind (onshore/offshore), battery/energy storage, heat pumps/geothermal, hydrogen, biogas/methane, CCUS, smart grids, nuclear fission/advanced nuclear, alternative fuels, hydropower, energy efficiency, renewable fuels of non-biological origin, biotech climate/energy solutions, industrial decarbonisation, CO₂ transport/utilisation, electric propulsion, advanced materials/manufacturing/recycling, water purification/desalination, circular economy
• Biotechnologies: medicinal products (critical medicines list), DNA/RNA vectors, proteins, cell/tissue engineering, process biotech, bioinformatics, nanobiotech
• Criticality criteria: must introduce an innovative, cutting-edge element with significant economic potential and/or reduce/prevent strategic dependencies of the Union
• Applicant eligibility:
• Single SME or small mid-cap (≤499 employees) established in an EU Member State or Associated Country (holding company may be used but must also be established in EU/Assoc)
• Or a qualified investor submitting on behalf of an eligible company (with prior agreement); investment agreement signed with the company
• Pre-commitment requirement: equity pre-commitment from a qualified investor representing ≥20% of the total target funding round
• Demonstrated initial market interest: evidence that EIC investment will act as a catalyst for a larger round
• Demonstrated financial and operational capacity, and compliance with exclusion criteria (Annex 2 of EIC Work Programme 2025)
• Admissibility: comply with proposal page limits and layout (Part B of the Application Form)
• Eligible countries: EU Member States and Associated Countries (Annex 2B)
• Digital & deep tech: advanced semiconductors, AI, quantum, advanced connectivity/navigation/digital, sensing, robotics/autonomous systems, other deep-tech innovations
• Clean & resource-efficient/net-zero: solar, wind (onshore/offshore), battery/energy storage, heat pumps/geothermal, hydrogen, biogas/methane, CCUS, smart grids, nuclear fission/advanced nuclear, alternative fuels, hydropower, energy efficiency, renewable fuels of non-biological origin, biotech climate/energy solutions, industrial decarbonisation, CO₂ transport/utilisation, electric propulsion, advanced materials/manufacturing/recycling, water purification/desalination, circular economy
• Biotechnologies: medicinal products (critical medicines list), DNA/RNA vectors, proteins, cell/tissue engineering, process biotech, bioinformatics, nanobiotech
• Criticality criteria: must introduce an innovative, cutting-edge element with significant economic potential and/or reduce/prevent strategic dependencies of the Union
• Applicant eligibility:
• Single SME or small mid-cap (≤499 employees) established in an EU Member State or Associated Country (holding company may be used but must also be established in EU/Assoc)
• Or a qualified investor submitting on behalf of an eligible company (with prior agreement); investment agreement signed with the company
• Pre-commitment requirement: equity pre-commitment from a qualified investor representing ≥20% of the total target funding round
• Demonstrated initial market interest: evidence that EIC investment will act as a catalyst for a larger round
• Demonstrated financial and operational capacity, and compliance with exclusion criteria (Annex 2 of EIC Work Programme 2025)
• Admissibility: comply with proposal page limits and layout (Part B of the Application Form)
• Eligible countries: EU Member States and Associated Countries (Annex 2B)
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
- Recipients must not be directly or indirectly controlled by non-associated third-country entities (Art. 136 Financial Regulation)
• Specific safeguard measures may be introduced in individual investment agreements to protect EU strategic interests (Economic Security provisions)
• As a STEP Seal beneficiary, may be required to provide additional documentation for an Ownership and Control Assessment
• Investment terms (valuation, governance, exit rights) will be individually negotiated under the EIC Fund Investment Guidelines
• No grant component: only equity investments
• Companies must keep IP and most of their value within the EU/Associated Countries
• Proposals must adhere to the admissibility, eligibility, evaluation and award conditions set out in the EIC Work Programme 2025 (Sections V, Annex 2 and related guidance)
• Specific safeguard measures may be introduced in individual investment agreements to protect EU strategic interests (Economic Security provisions)
• As a STEP Seal beneficiary, may be required to provide additional documentation for an Ownership and Control Assessment
• Investment terms (valuation, governance, exit rights) will be individually negotiated under the EIC Fund Investment Guidelines
• No grant component: only equity investments
• Companies must keep IP and most of their value within the EU/Associated Countries
• Proposals must adhere to the admissibility, eligibility, evaluation and award conditions set out in the EIC Work Programme 2025 (Sections V, Annex 2 and related guidance)
Important dates
Open from: 26/11/2024
Deadline:16/12/2025
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