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EU grants for deeptech companies

Open-call snapshot checked 2026-04-18

Deeptech companies can access EU grant funding mainly through the EIC Accelerator (for single-company breakthrough innovation), Horizon Europe (for collaborative research and innovation), and Eurostars (for SME-led international R&D projects).

Best-fit programmes

These are the EU programmes most relevant to deeptech companies. Each guide explains eligibility, funding rates, and the calls open now.

EIC Accelerator The EIC Accelerator is the European Innovation Council's flagship scheme for single startups and small companies. Horizon Europe Horizon Europe is the European Union's main research and innovation funding programme for 2021-2027, with a budget of around €93.5 billion. Eurostars Eurostars is a funding programme for research-and-development-performing SMEs that lead international collaborative innovation projects.

Where deeptech funding sits

Deeptech — companies built on hard science and engineering, from quantum and photonics to advanced materials and robotics — is exactly what the European Innovation Council was designed for. The EIC Accelerator funds a single company with grant and optional equity through the high-risk phase from prototype to market.

For collaborative research, Horizon Europe's clusters and the EIC Pathfinder fund earlier-stage work. For lighter, SME-led international development projects, Eurostars is often the fastest route.

What evaluators look for

Deeptech proposals are strongest when they pair genuine technical novelty with evidence that the technology has left the lab — a working prototype, pilot data, or third-party validation — and a credible commercialisation plan.

Long development timelines and high capital intensity are accepted in deeptech; what reviewers need is a clear, de-risked path rather than an absence of risk.

Choosing the right route

A single company with a market-creating innovation and a working prototype points to the EIC Accelerator. Earlier, more exploratory work points to Horizon Europe or the EIC Pathfinder. A concrete development project with an international partner points to Eurostars. Sequencing these correctly is where specialist advice pays off.

Open calls relevant to deeptech companies

These open EU calls in the current index snapshot mention themes relevant to deeptech companies. Keyword filtering is a starting point, not an eligibility check — run a free match for a proper fit assessment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best EU grant for a deeptech startup?

For a single deeptech startup with a breakthrough innovation and a working prototype, the EIC Accelerator is usually the headline route, offering grant and optional equity. Earlier-stage or collaborative work fits Horizon Europe or the EIC Pathfinder instead.

Does the EU fund quantum, photonics, or advanced materials?

Yes. These deeptech fields are funded across Horizon Europe's clusters and the European Innovation Council, and some also appear in the Digital Europe Programme and the European Defence Fund where the technology is dual-use.

Can a deeptech company get non-dilutive funding?

Yes. The grant components of Horizon Europe, the EIC Accelerator, and Eurostars are non-dilutive. The EIC Accelerator additionally offers optional equity, which a company can decline if it wants grant-only support.

Grants for other sectors

EU grants for AI companies AI companies in Europe can access EU grant funding mainly through Horizon Europe (for research and innovation), the Digital Europe Programme (for AI deployment and testing facilities), and the EIC Accelerator (for breakthrough single-company innovation). EU grants for healthtech companies Healthtech and digital-health companies can access EU funding through Horizon Europe's health cluster (for research and innovation), the EIC Accelerator (for breakthrough products), and EU4Health (for health-system deployment and prevention). EU grants for climate & energy companies Climate and clean-energy companies can access EU funding through Horizon Europe (for research and innovation), the Innovation Fund (for first-of-a-kind clean-tech demonstration), and the LIFE Programme (for environment and climate-action projects). EU grants for medtech companies Medtech and medical-device companies can access EU funding mainly through Horizon Europe's health cluster (for clinical research and innovation) and the EIC Accelerator (for breakthrough single-company innovation with a route to market). EU grants for dual-use & defence companies Dual-use and defence-technology companies can access EU funding through the European Defence Fund (for collaborative defence research and capability development) and, for civil applications of the same technology, through Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme. EU grants for advanced manufacturing companies Advanced manufacturing companies can access EU funding through Horizon Europe (for industrial research and innovation), Eurostars (for SME-led international development projects), and the Innovation Fund (for clean, low-carbon industrial demonstration).