EIC Pre-Accelerator Call (WIDERA)

The pilot EIC Pre-Accelerator call is a joint initiative of the European Innovation Council (EIC) and the WIDERA programme (Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area). Its aim is to boost the innovation potential of early-stage deep-tech startups in widening countries. Learn more about the pilot EIC Pre-Accelerator Call, its application process and requirements, and download our EIC Pre-Accelerator guide for detailed insights. Please note, there is no Pre-Accelerator in 2026, but it is expected to return in 2027.

What is the EIC Pre-Accelerator call?

Part of Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area (WIDERA), the EIC Pre-Accelerator call is introduced to support early-stage deep tech startups in widening countries to develop the technology, business and investment readiness to levels that would enable them to successfully apply and attract funding from EIC Accelerator or other sources.

Who can apply to the EIC Pre-Accelerator call?

This funding is open to single SMEs established in Horizon Europe Widening countries developing deep-tech innovations. These startups need to:

• offer breakthrough innovations with the potential to create entirely new markets or transform existing ones (at least Technology Readiness Level (TLR) 4 to (TLR) 6).
• hold the necessary Intellectual Property Rights to ensure freedom to operate and protect the innovation effectively.
• have a clear vision on the intended pathway to market readiness.
• have the ambition and commitments to scale up.

EIC Pre-Accelerator call funding

The grant consists of €500,000 to €1,000,000 to support early stage development. This is a one-time payment (lump sum). Funding covers 70% of total project costs, the remaining 30% should be covered by the startup through own resources.

The total budget of the EIC Pre-Accelerator is €40 million. The grant has a maximum duration of two years.

EIC Pre-Accelerator expectations for deep-tech startups

The Pre-Accelerator sets milestones for participating deep-tech companies to ensure tangible progress, including:

• Technology Validation: Prove the feasibility of the technology in a relevant setting, reaching TRL 5 or higher.
• Investor and Market Readiness: Analyze the market, sharpen the value proposition, and shape a scalable, investment-ready business model.
• Regulatory and Intellectual Property: Secure intellectual property rights, define competitive advantages, and ensure compliance with relevant industry regulations.
• Real-World Validation: Advance the technology from TRL 4 to TRL 6 to boost its appeal for other investors and support future commercialization.

Successful projects will be well-positioned for the EIC Accelerator or other private and public investment opportunities, potentially leading to licensing agreements, partnerships, and market expansion.

EIC Pre-Accelerator application process and deadlines

Applications are submitted through the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal in a single phase and reviewed by independent experts based on EIC Transition criteria. The call opens on May 5th, 2027. The final deadline for submitting a proposal is November 18th, 2027.

Download our EIC Pre-Accelerator guide

Our EIC Pre-Accelerator Guide shares insights on how to write an appealing proposal, gives all the success criteria and detailed insight into the full application and evaluation process.

Catalyze is an official partner of the EIC

Catalyze is proud to be an official EIC Partner and member of the EIC Ecosystem Partnership and Co-investment Support programme. All EIC supported projects and companies get access to coaching, mentoring, partnering and other EIC Business Acceleration Services from partners as part of the programme.

Learn more about EIC Ecosystem Partnership and Co-investment Support programme

EIC Award Winning Success Stories

Catalyze has supported many successful applicants to all EIC programmes.

EIC Transition

In the sole 2024 EIC Transition Round, six out of six of our clients who received an invitation to the final interview round were successful! This is a testament to both the brilliant breakthrough innovations of our clients, and our teams dedication to going the extra mile to make their projects successful.

EIC Accelerator

In the October 2024 funding round, >10% of all winners Europe-wide were supported by Catalyze—8 of the 71 awarded projects. This round was the most competitive EIC Accelerator funding round yet, with 1211 applicants, and 431 invited to jury interviews.

Read what our EIC awardees have to say 

About the European Innovation Council (EIC) Programme

The European Innovation Council (EIC), launched under the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, has a budget of €10.1 billion to support breakthrough innovations, covering the full journey from early research and proof of concept to technology transfer, funding, and scaling up start-ups and SMEs. Previously, the EIC pilot was tested and evaluated under Horizon 2020.

The EIC aims at identifying and supporting breakthrough technologies and game-changing innovations with the potential to scale up internationally and become market leaders. 70% of the entire budget is ear-marked for SMEs, which shows the focus of EIC on supporting SMEs. There are 3 sub-programmes that form the basis of the EIC programme: EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition and EIC Accelerator.

Learn more about the European Innovation Council

European Innovation Council Sub-programmes

• Learn more about EIC Pathfinder
• Learn more about EIC Transition
• Learn more about EIC Accelerator
• Official document: European Commission EIC Work Programme 2025