Is my business a good fit for EIC Accelerator?

If you are thinking about applying for the EIC Accelerator, it is important to know early on if your business is a good match. Too often, founders spend months on an application only to find out they were not eligible or competitive. You can save time by checking four key areas: your innovation, your stage of development, your market ambition, and your team’s capacity.

This article walks through each of these so you can decide whether EIC Accelerator deserves a place in your funding strategy.

Criterion 1  |  Type of innovation

EIC Accelerator is for companies working on game-changing innovations, not small upgrades. The program looks for technologies that could create new markets or transform existing ones, and that clearly stand out from current solutions. This is what people mean by “deep-tech” or “breakthrough” innovation, like new algorithms, advanced materials, next-generation energy systems, or disruptive MedTech platforms.

Small changes, like adding a feature to software, making a minor tweak to a manufacturing process, or launching a typical digital service in a busy market, are not likely to be competitive. These can be good business ideas, but they do not count as ‘breakthrough’ for the EIC.

A quick way to check: if your innovation disappeared tomorrow, would the market notice, or would customers easily switch to something else? If the answer is that the impact would be small, your project may be better suited to national programmes or private funding.

Criterion 2  |  Stage and technology readiness

EIC Accelerator does not fund early research or basic concepts. For the 2026 programme, innovations must have reached Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 at the time of application. This means your technology must be validated in a relevant environment; you need more than just lab data—you require evidence of a functional prototype or a pilot system that works in real-world-like conditions.

Note: The only exception to this is the specific “Fusion Power Plants” Challenge, which allows projects to start at TRL 4.

The type of evidence you need depends on your sector. It could be a prototype tested with pilot customers, simulations that reflect real-world conditions, or demonstrations that show your technology works. Early signs of commercial interest, like letters of intent, paid pilots, or first customers, also help. If your project is only an academic paper, a concept with no real testing, or still faces major research risks, you may need to look at earlier-stage grants or innovation projects before applying to the EIC Accelerator.

Criterion 3  |  Market and scale ambition

EIC evaluators look at both the quality of your technology and its potential to grow in large markets. They want to see evidence that your innovation can make a real impact in EU or global markets, not just in a small local area. You need a business model that can scale, a large target market, and a plan to win market share.

To check if you’re a good fit, ask yourself these questions.

 ✔   Is your target market large enough that winning even a modest share creates a substantial business?

 ✔   Are there clear customer segments and use cases, with early demand signals you can point to?

 ✔   What regulatory barriers will you face, and how will you navigate them?

 ✔   How intense is competition, and what is your sustainable differentiation?

If your project relies on a single contract, is limited to a small area, or uses a business model that cannot grow beyond custom projects, the EIC Accelerator may not be the right choice.

Criterion 4  |  Team and capacity

The EIC Accelerator considers both your project and your team’s ability to deliver. Successful applicants usually have a strong technical team, with founders or senior staff who understand the science and engineering, and commercial leaders who can drive market entry and growth. Evaluators want to see clear roles, complementary skills, and evidence that you can fill any gaps, for example by hiring or partnering.

You also need enough people to handle the application, speak to investors if equity is involved, and later manage a multi-year funded project with planning, reporting, and risk management. If your leadership team is already busy with daily operations, it can be difficult to deliver a strong proposal and project. Many companies bring in outside help, such as specialist advisors, to structure the project, write documents, and prepare for evaluations, while keeping control of key decisions. What matters is that, when you apply, you can show a credible, motivated team ready to deliver an ambitious plan.

Quick yes/no checklist and next steps

Use the questions below as a quick way to check your fit. Answer each one with a clear yes or no:

• Is your core innovation genuinely novel and hard to replicate, rather than a minor upgrade?
• Do you have at least a working proof‑of‑concept or prototype, with data from lab tests, pilots or real‑world environments?
• Can you point to a large, growing EU or global market where your solution solves a critical problem?
• Do you have early signs of market interest – pilots, letters of intent, partners or first customers?
• Does your business model allow you to scale beyond bespoke projects or single contracts?
• Do you have a team that combines deep technical expertise with commercial leadership, and the capacity to manage a complex project?
• Are you prepared to invest time and resources in a competitive, multi‑stage application process and subsequent reporting?

☑  If you can answer ‘yes’ to most of these questions, the EIC Accelerator is likely worth considering as part of your funding plan.

✕  If you answered ‘no’ to several, focus on building evidence and experience through smaller pilots, national programmes like Innovate UK, or early commercial wins. You can return to the EIC when your project is stronger.

Either way, spending an hour on this checklist now will save you much more time later and help you pick the funding route that fits your business best.

We can help

At ABGi, we help companies decide if the EIC Accelerator is a good fit, develop strong proposals, and prepare for the whole process, including interviews and post-award support. This gives your application the best chance of success.

If you want personalised advice on finding funding at any stage of your innovation journey, contact the ABGI Team. We are happy to talk about your goals and explain how we can help.