EIC Pre-Accelerator

What is the EIC Pre-Accelerator?

The pilot EIC Pre-Accelerator call is a joint scheme between the European Innovation Council and the Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area (WIDERA) programme. It is funded under the WIDERA Work Programme 2025.

The aim of the call is to boost the innovation potential of early-stage deep-tech startups in widening countries by enhancing their business, investor, and technology readiness to secure funding from different sources. 

The objective is to raise the readiness of high potential deep-tech startups in widening countries to a level where they will: 

• be successful in applying and attracting  the EIC Accelerator funding and/or
• manage to secure other private investment and/or
• attract successfully national and  regional funding (e.g. through national Seal of Excellence programmes). 

Who can apply?

Mono-beneficiary (SME or small mid-cap) from Horizon Europe widening countries (full list below) which;

• have high-impact innovation that could create new markets or disrupt existing ones (technology validated in the lab – at least TRL 4);
• possess the necessary Intellectual Property Rights to ensure freedom to operate and adequate protection of the idea;
• have a clear vision on the intended pathway to market (milestones together with concrete and verifiable KPIs to assess progress towards the market);
• have the ambition and commitments to scale up.

Companies from which countries can participate in the EIC Pre-Accelerator call?

Only companies registered in countries belonging to the Horizon Europe widening group are eligible – as described in the Widening Participation and strengthening the European Research Area Work Programme 2025 (page 5): Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Associated Countries: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and once associated Morocco), as well as the Outermost Regions (defined in Art. 349 TFEU). Egypt is also eligible under the transitional measures introduced by the Horizon Europe Association Agreement signed on 23 October 2025.

Applications from companies established in other countries will be treated as ineligible.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.