5 EIC Deadlines Before the End of 2026: Pathfinder, STEP, Accelerator and the €100k Women Innovators Prize
The European Innovation Council has five deadlines left in 2026, from research grants of up to €4 million to equity of up to €30 million and a €100,000 prize for women innovators. All close at 17:00 Brussels time. Here's each call, who it's for, and what to do now.
1. EIC Pathfinder Challenges: 28 October
📌 Call card: EIC Pathfinder Challenges 2026
Who can apply
A single entity (not a mid-cap or large company) or a consortium of two or more
Funding
€96M in total, split roughly equally across three challenges; up to €4M per project (more if justified), 100% funded
Deadline
28 October 2026, 17:00 Brussels time
Stage
Early-stage research towards breakthrough technologies
Apply via
EU Funding & Tenders Portal (call HORIZON-EIC-2026-PATHFINDERCHALLENGES-01)
The three 2026 challenges are advanced materials for miniaturised energy harvesting systems, biotechnology for healthy ageing, and "DeepRAP": deep reasoning, abstraction and planning for trustworthy cognitive AI. About eight projects are expected per challenge. See our EIC Pathfinder guide.
2. EIC STEP Scale Up Defence: 28 October
📌 Call card: EIC STEP Scale Up Defence
Who can apply
SMEs and small mid-caps in the EU, EEA countries associated to Horizon Europe, or Ukraine, working on defence or dual-use technology
Funding
Equity only, €10M–30M per company; €100M in total for about 10 investments
Deadline
28 October 2026, 17:00 Brussels time (single batch)
Stage
Scale-ups raising a round of €50–150M or more, at least 3–5 times the EIC amount, with at least 20% pre-committed by investors
Apply via
EU Funding & Tenders Portal (HORIZON-EIC-2026-DEFENCE-01)
Results are expected in early 2027. This is the EIC's first call dedicated to defence and dual-use scale-ups; dual-use proposals are also accepted in the regular STEP Scale Up call since September.
3. EIC Accelerator: 4 November
📌 Call card: EIC Accelerator, last 2026 cut-off
Who can apply
Startups and SMEs with an approved short proposal ("GO") under the 2025 or 2026 work programme
Funding
Grant of up to €2.5M (you co-fund 30% of the grant work), plus equity of €1M–10M
Deadline
Full proposals: 4 November 2026, 17:00 Brussels time
Stage
TRL 6–8: ready to scale
Apply via
EU Funding & Tenders Portal (HORIZON-EIC-2026-ACCELERATOR-01)
You can only submit a full proposal on 4 November if you already have a GO on a short proposal. Short proposals can be submitted any time and are batched on the first Tuesday of each month (6 October, 3 November and 1 December 2026), with results in about four to six weeks. A short proposal sent now is unlikely to get its GO in time for 4 November, so plan for the 2027 cut-offs instead. Read our EIC Accelerator guide and tips for the EIC Accelerator.
4. EIC STEP Scale Up: 25 November
📌 Call card: EIC STEP Scale Up
Who can apply
SMEs and small mid-caps in EU member states or Horizon Europe associated countries, in strategic technologies (dual-use accepted)
Funding
Equity only, €10M–30M per company; €300M budget for 2026
Deadline
25 November 2026, 17:00 Brussels time (last 2026 batch)
Stage
Scale-ups raising a large round with other investors
Apply via
EU Funding & Tenders Portal (HORIZON-EIC-2026-STEP)
Self-employment doesn't count: you must be a founder or co-founder of a company. The EIT Women Leadership category is for women with a direct link to the EIT Community. Awards are expected between April and June 2027, according to the EIC. For more funding for women founders, see EmpowerWomen and deep-tech grants. Prefer a grant to a prize? The Women TechEU call gives women-led deep-tech startups €75,000 each, with the next full-proposal deadline on 14 January 2027.
When is the last EIC Accelerator deadline in 2026?
4 November 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time, for full proposals. You need an approved short proposal first.
Can I still apply to the EIC Accelerator this year?
Only if you already have a GO on a short proposal. New short proposals are batched on 3 November and 1 December 2026 and take about four to six weeks to evaluate, so they're unlikely to make the 4 November cut-off.
When does EIC Pathfinder Challenges 2026 close?
28 October 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. The budget is €96 million, with up to €4 million per project.
What is EIC STEP Scale Up?
An EIC equity programme that invests €10–30 million in scale-ups in strategic technologies alongside other investors. The last 2026 batch closes on 25 November.
Who can apply for the European Prize for Women Innovators?
Women founders or co-founders of a company registered before 1 January 2025 in the EU or a Horizon Europe associated country. Rising Innovators must be born on or after 1 January 1991.