EIC STEP Scale Up

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  • EU Open Calls
EIC STEP Scale Up Projects funded
  • Coordinators: Horizon Europe
  • Opening of application: 26 November 2024
  • Allocated budget: equity only, EUR 10 - 30 million
  • End of applications: 16 December 2025
  • Project duration: 24 months (on average)

Objective

Fill the funding gap for companies to invest in the scale up of high-risk and disruptive innovations and where the amount needed for the scale up cannot be fully financed by other investors.

Priorities

  • Supporting the development or manufacturing of critical technologies throughout the Union or safeguarding and strengthening their respective value chains;  
  • Addressing shortages of labour and skills critical to all kinds of quality jobs in support of the first objective. 

Eligibility

Eligible activities

Focused areas :

  • Digital and Deep Tech: Includes semiconductor, AI, quantum, advanced connectivity, sensing, robotics, and autonomous systems. 
  • Clean Technologies: Focus on net-zero solutions like solar, wind, battery storage, geothermal, hydrogen, biogas, carbon capture, nuclear, and circular economy. 

Activities :

  • Scaling Production and Operations: Expanding manufacturing capabilities and operational capacities to meet increasing demand and facilitate market growth. 
  • Market Expansion: Entering new geographical markets and broadening market reach to enhance competitiveness and reduce strategic dependencies. 
  • Technological Advancements: Completing critical technological developments, including finalising product development and enhancing technological readiness levels (3 to 5) 
  • Commercialisation Strategies: Developing and implementing strategies for market entry, including marketing plans, sales strategies, and customer engagement approaches. 
  • Intellectual Property Management: Securing and managing intellectual property rights to protect innovations and support competitive advantage. 

Eligible entities

This programme is mono-beneficiary 

A single company classified as a SME or small mid-cap (up to 499 employees) established within a Member State or an Associated Country. The company may have a holding entity for the purposes of the investment, and this holding company must also be established in a Member State or an Associated Country

An investor may submit a proposal on behalf of an eligible SME or small midcap as defined above, provided that a prior agreement exists with the company. The investment agreement will be signed with the selected SME or small mid-cap.  

Demonstrate that the company already has a precommitment for an equity investment which meets the following elements:  

  • The pre-commitment is from a sole qualified investor
  • The pre-commitment represents at least 20% of the total target funding round you are aiming to raise.

All TRL are accepted but laureate projects revolve around 5-9, similarly to EIC Accelerator  

Application process

1. Submit your proposal

  • a full business plan, including information on the company’s ownership and financial structure, STEP related objectives (maximum 50 pages) 
  • a pitch-deck in PDF (15 pages maximum) 
  • a pre-commitment from a qualified investor  
  • an ownership control declaration. 

If your application meets the eligibility requirements, you will be invited to attend a jury interview. 

You will be informed about the interview in 4-6 weeks from the start of the evaluation process.

2. Interview

At the interview, you will be assessed by a Jury of maximum six members. 

You will be informed about the result of the interview in 2 weeks from the date of the interview.

Would you like to apply ?

Please follow the link below.

Here
for more information, please contact our europe team

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