The Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) is a European Union initiative aimed at advancing critical technologies within Europe to reduce strategic dependencies and bolster long-term competitiveness. Launched in 2024, STEP targets key sectors, including digital and deep tech innovations, clean and resource-efficient technologies, and biotechnologies. By channeling investments through existing EU programs like Horizon Europe and InvestEU, STEP provides both funding and strategic support to help scale groundbreaking innovations. Now, STEP has partnered with the European Innovation Council (EIC) to launch the EIC STEP Scale-Up Call, furthering support for high-impact companies ready for large-scale commercialization in these critical sectors.
This initiative is a pilot action introduced following the STEP regulation to address a crucial market gap in financing deep-tech scale-up companies. It seeks to support companies that:
If your company meets these conditions, the EIC STEP Scale-Up Call could be your gateway to success. This platform is designed to fuel Europe’s industrial, technological, and economic competitiveness by supporting the development and commercialisation of critical technologies.
The EIC STEP Scale-Up Call provides equity investments ranging from €10 to €30 million, intended to accelerate the development and market launch of innovative technologies. The goal is to catalyse funding rounds in the range of €50 to €150 million, leveraging co-investments to achieve at least 3-5 times the EIC investment. This funding mechanism provides the financial muscle to disrupt existing markets or create new ones, with a potential for significant global impact.
The call focuses on priority areas defined in the STEP regulation, which include:
Beyond significant financial support, companies benefit from EIC Business Acceleration Services and the prestigious Sovereignty (STEP) Seal, which facilitates access to other EU funding programs and potential investors. This comprehensive support ecosystem ensures that selected companies can scale rapidly while staying competitive within the European market.
The STEP Scale-Up Call opens on November 26th, 2024, with proposals evaluated in batches every three months. The first batch of proposals will be reviewed starting February 25th, 2025.
To be eligible, your company must be an SME or small mid-cap with up to 499 employees, based in an EU Member State or an Associated Country. Your application must demonstrate:
Once submitted, proposals are assessed based on key criteria: technological excellence, market impact, and scale-up potential. Successful candidates will be invited to an EIC Jury interview, where their innovation will be evaluated by a panel of leading experts. The evaluation process takes approximately two months, with the first successful proposals receiving notifications by the end of April 2025.
With a total budget of €300 million for 2025, expected to rise to €900 million by 2027, the EIC STEP Scale Up Call aims to create a sustainable impact on Europe’s strategic technology landscape. If you’re ready to scale your groundbreaking innovation, the STEP Call is the opportunity you have been waiting for.
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