EIC STEP Scale Up

Introduction

The European Commission adopted the 2025 work programme of the European Innovation Council. It opens funding opportunities worth over €1.4 billion for strategic technologies and scaling up companies. One of its novelties is the EIC STEP Scale-Up initiative. The total budget earmarked for the new EIC STEP (Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform) Scale Up in 2025 is €300 million.

The EIC STEP Scale Up aims to support promising companies driving innovation in critical areas/high-risk innovations and help them secure larger equity funding, that cannot be fully financed by other investors, for further scaling.

Key Eligibility Aspects

The EIC STEP Scale Up programme is managed by the EIC Fund. The EIC Fund operates as a co-investor, rather than the sole investor, in collaboration with other private or public investors to support Europe's most promising deep tech companies. The companies selected under the EIC STEP Scale Up call can receive from EIC STEP/EIC Fund investments ranging from EUR 10 to EUR 30 million. This investment can significantly accelerate the development and market launch of your technology, product, or service. With this funding, you'll gain the power to disrupt established markets and forge new ones across Europe, potentially achieving significant global impact. Crucially, this investment is designed to catalyse major funding rounds, e.g. in the range of EUR 50 to 150million, and at least 3-5 times the EIC investment.

With a total funding of €300 million for 2025, the programme focuses on the following innovation areas:

Digital and Deep-tech Technologies: 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.
Biotechnologies: Includes critical medicines, DNA/RNA, proteins, cell engineering, gene vectors, bioinformatics, and nano-biotechnology.

Eligible entities are as follows:

A single company classified as a SME or small mid-cap (up to 499 employees) established within a Member State or an Associated Country.
An investor may submit a proposal on behalf of an eligible SME or small mid-cap 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.

This initiative is aimed at companies that are raising significant funding rounds therefore the applicants must demonstrate an initial market interest so that the EIC investment can act as a catalyst for larger funding rounds.

As a result, applicants must present a pre-commitment for an equity investment which meets the following criteria:

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

Application Process

The programme operates on a rolling submission basis, allowing applicants to submit throughout the year. The evaluations will be organised in regular intervals depending on the number of applications, with at least one per quarter or on a more frequent basis in urgent cases.

The proposal will consist of:

A business plan (maximum 50 pages)
Pitch deck (maximum 15 pages)
A pre-commitment from a qualified investor
An ownership control declaration

If successful, applicants will be invited to an EIC Jury Interview. The six EIC Jury members will provide the applicants with three outcomes:

GO and Sovereignty (STEP) Seal: your proposal meets evaluation criteria. The EIC Fund will then complete due diligence and negotiations. The sovereignty seal provides applicants access to Business Accelerator services.
NO GO and Sovereignty (STEP) Seal: Your proposal meets all of the evaluation criteria but is not recommended
due to the lack of budget availability. The sovereignty seal provides applicants access to Business Accelerator services.
NO GO: Your proposal does not meet all the evaluation criteria required for funding.

Key target sectors/ technologies of STEP

1. Digital Technologies

Advanced semiconductor technologies
Artificial intelligence technologies
Quantum technologies
Advanced connectivity, navigation, and digital technologies
Advanced sensing technologies
Robotics and autonomous systems
Deep tech innovations

2. Clean and Resource-Efficient Technologies (including net-zero technologies

Solar technologies
Onshore wind and offshore renewable technologies
Battery and energy storage technologies
Heat pumps and geothermal technologies
Hydrogen technologies
Sustainable biogas and biomethane technologies
Carbon capture and storage technologies
Electricity grid technologies
Nuclear fission technologies
Sustainable alternative fuel technologies
Hydropower technologies
Other renewable technologies
Energy system-related energy efficiency technologies
Renewable fuels of non-biological origin technologies
Biotech climate and energy solutions
Transformative industrial technologies for decarbonisation
CO2 transport and utilisation technologies
Wind and electric propulsion technologies
Other nuclear technologies
Advanced materials, manufacturing and recycling technologies
Technologies vital to sustainability such as water purification and desalination
Circular economy technologies

3. Biotechnologies

Medicinal products on the Union list of critical medicines and their components
DNA/RNA
Proteins and other molecules
Cell and tissue culture and engineering
Process biotechnology techniques
Gene and RNA vectors
Bioinformatics
Nanobiotechnology

EIC Board Statement on the CEE region

The EIC has a set new participation targets for widening countries.

The EIC Board has set an ambitious target: to bolster the participation of widening countries in EIC instruments to a commendable 15%, a marked rise from the existing figure of 8%. This move stems from a conviction that, beyond the borders of the traditional powerhouses, lies a reservoir of untapped potential brimming in the widening countries.

To read more on the EIC's statement on the CEE region: Click here

At Winnovart, it is part of our mission to bridge the gap between stakeholders of the grants-funding market space across Europe. We believe in the potential of grants to create ecosystems that drive innovation, and growth and reduce disparities between the regions of Europe. Our aim is to support innovative SMEs, private investors and funding agencies to become part of this ecosystem and make the most of it.

Our presence in Western, Eastern and Northern Europe enables us to create international business cases for our clients, in the context of attractive funding programmes as well as beyond it, by opening up international development opportunities.

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