The EIC STEP Scale Up is part of the Plataforma de Tecnologías Estratégicas para Europa (STEP) and offers financial support as investments to emerging companies, SMEs and small companies with medium capital, between 10 and 30 million of euros. EIC Step Up will catalyse bigger rounds of funding amplifying the impact of the initial investment.
STEP is a European Union initiative with the aim to boost critical technologies within Europe with the objective to decrease dependence on strategic sectors and strengthen the competitiveness long term. Launched in 2024, it is focused on key sectors, including digital innovation and deep tech, clean energy and resource efficient, and biotechnology. Channelling the investments trough already stablished programmes such as Horizon Europe and InvestEU, STEP offers funding as strategic support to escalate revolutionary innovations. Now STEP has partnered up with the European Innovation Council (EIC) to launch the EIC STEP Scale Up Call, amplifying the support to companies of high impact that are ready to commercialize on these strategic sectors.
This initiative is a pilot action and it’s oriented to cover a huge lack of funding on Deep tech companies on the escalate phase. The call it is intended for companies that fulfil the following criteria:
The application will be done through the platform Funding and Tenders of the European Commission. Funding can be requested by SMEs or small mid-caps with a maximum of 499 employees that have headquarters on a Member State of the European Union or an Associated Country. Moreover, the application needs to prove:
The STEP Scale Up Call from the EIC provides capital investment between 10 and 30 million euros, intended to accelerate the development and market launch of innovative technologies. The objective is to catalyze funding rounds on 50 to 150 million euros range, making use of co-investments to multiply by 3 or 5 times the existing investment from the EIC. This finance mechanism offers the needed support to revolutionalise the existing markets or creating new ones, with a significant potential of a global impact.
Besides the significant funding support, the chosen companies will also benefit from the Business Acceleration Services from the EIC and the prestigious STEP Stamp. This integral support ecosystem guarantees that companies can escalate faster while they maintain competitive within the European market.
The call is focused on priority areas defined by the STEP regulation, that include:
Name | Opening date | Next deadline | Deadline model | Link |
EIC STEP SCALE UP 2025 | 26/11/2024 | 25/02/2025 | Double-stage |
Scope: Europe
Budget: Minimum investment of 10 million of euros and maximum of 30 million of euros.
Organism: European Commission.
Project area: Business development – R+D+i
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Financiación de hasta 17 millones de euros:
Todos los gastos directamente relacionados con actividades tales como ensayos, prototipado, validación, demostración y testeo en condiciones reales (TRL6 a TRL8).
Las categorías presupuestarias incluyen además de gastos gastos de personal, viajes, consumibles, amortización de equipamiento, contratación de servicios, se incluyen costes indirectos (calculado como un 25% del resto de costes, excepto subcontrataciones). La intensidad de ayuda no reembolsable será del 70% sobre el presupuesto aprobado y justificado.
Los costes derivados de las actividades de acceso a mercado (TRL9) serán cubiertos a través la Inversión Privada.
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