Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Under the European Research Council (EIC) Work Programme 2026, the topic “HORIZON-EIC-2026-BAS-01-ECOSYSTEM” under the call “Financial support to access services from Ecosystem partners” – HORIZON-EIC-2026-BAS-01, has opened for the submission of proposals.
The EIC seeks partnerships with EIC Ecosystem Partners.
The goal is to provide all EIC Awardees and other eligible entities with access to existing or bespoke services from the best service providers around Europe for the incubation, acceleration, growth and scale up of innovative tech companies, such as for instance: pitching and networking events, matchmaking to customers and investors, specialised trainings (e.g. on intellectual property protection, technology due diligence etc.), innovation boot camps and summer schools, support to validate/accelerate a technology, mentorship, business coaching, co-investment opportunities, data mining or mapping services e.g. of tech infrastructures, piloting plants, testbeds etc.
Detailed Call Description
The EIC Awardees having access to this support are as defined in the Glossary and for the purposes of this action include also Awardees selected through calls under the H2020 EIC Pilot (2018-2020)194 and entities awarded a Seal of Excellence under the EIC Work Programmes and the EIC Pre-Accelerator call under WIDERA Work Programme under Horizon Europe.
This action covers the financial support in the form of lump sum grants to EIC Awardees aiming at co-funding access to services from Ecosystem Partners. It is complemented by a procurement of services (awarded under a different Work programme) to support the Agency with the selection and quality control of ecosystem partners and managing the catalogue of services.
This action should facilitate for EIC Awardees and other eligible entities to access the best competence, ecosystems and infrastructure in Europe for their specific need, and at the same time provide the conditions for ecosystems to build critical mass to provide highly specialised and excellent ecosystem services.
This action should:
- Increase access of EIC Awardees and other eligible entities to new partners and services with sector specific knowledge, expertise, equipment/R&I infrastructure, networks or markets;
- Enable faster transition of innovations from lab to market and scale up of EIC companies, increasing the chances for return on EIC investments;
- Create synergies and further spread excellence within the European Innovation Ecosystem;
- Allow EIC Ecosystem Partners access to a deal flow of top-level European innovators (i.e. EIC awardees).
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
The CSA Beneficiary will provide financial support to EIC Awardees in the form of lump sums, covering up to 70% of the cost of access to R&D infrastructure, prototyping and IP and legal support and up to 50% of the cost of all other types of services received from EIC Ecosystem Partners. A continuously open call will be implemented for the selection of EIC Awardees, ensuring timely and flexible access to support. Applications should propose a limited number of maximum lump sum amounts, corresponding to different categories of services, as defined in the EIC Service Catalogue
The maximum size of cumulative support allocated to a recipient (or third party) under this action is € 60 000.
The number of projects expected to be funded under this call is 1.
The funding rate of the CSA is 100% of the eligible costs.
At least 80% of the total budget to be funded by the EIC must be allocated to financial support to third parties (the EIC Awardees and other eligible entities).
An effective duration of around 2-3 years would enable the project to achieve the desired objectives.
Thematic Categories
- Economy-Finances
- Information Technology
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
Eligibility for Participation
- Businesses
- Large Enterprises
- Legal Entities
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Services Providers
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
Eligibility For Participation Notes
EIC Ecosystem Partners are high quality, topic, or sector specific services from service providers from all over Europe and internationally that are not only focusing on EIC beneficiaries, that have been selected to provide Business Acceleration Services or other support to EIC Awardees, Awardees of EIC Seals of Excellence, EIC Sovereignty (STEP) Sealsand EIC Pre-Accelerator Seals of Excellence and other eligible entities.
EIC Ecosystem Partners can include, for example, investors, business angels, mentors and coaches, innovation agencies, business associations, clusters, accelerators, incubators, technology transfer offices, venture builders, etc. They may also include the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) of the EIT, members of the Enterprise Europe Network and Startup Europe, and the European IP Helpdesk.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
The standard admissibility and eligibility conditions are detailed in Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2026.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
Address: 29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia, P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Person:
Dr. Leda Skoufari – Themistou
Scientific Officer Α’
Email: leda@research.org.cy