Innovation Programmes

Fast Track to the EIC Accelerator

Continue innovating and scale-up your SME

Co-funded by the European Union logo

The Fast Track to the EIC Accelerator is part of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs. The partnership is co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe.

The Fast Track to the EIC Accelerator is designed to help startups and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have completed, or are about to complete, a Eurostars-3-funded project to continue growing and developing. The scheme enables you to skip the first step (short proposal) and move directly to the second step (full proposal) of the EIC Accelerator.

EIC Accelerator

The EIC Accelerator supports startups, SMEs, and small mid-caps to scale up high impact innovations with the potential to create new markets or disrupt existing ones. The programme provides a unique combination of grant and investment funding, along with coaching, mentoring, and access to investors and corporates. Run by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), the programme focuses on deep tech innovation and patient capital. In 2025, 634 million euro has been allocated to the EIC Accelerator.

Eureka Network has partnered with EISMEA to create this Fast Track as part of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs.

How the Fast Track works

The Fast Track scheme allows startups, SMEs and small mid-caps that have completed a Eurostars project to skip the first step of the EIC Accelerator application.

Fast Track advantages

The Fast Track has several important advantages:

By skipping the first step of the EIC Accelerator application, you will compete against fewer companies.
Eureka’s expert evaluators will review your project and provide you with detailed feedback.
You can pitch your project to an expert panel, helping to prepare for the formal EIC Accelerator pitch.
You can receive a no-risk evaluation of your project idea.

Who can apply for the Fast Track

You must meet several criteria to be able to apply for the Fast Track:

Eligibility criteria

Your organisation must be a legal entity established in an EU Member State, Iceland, Israel, Norway, Switzerland, Türkiye, or the United Kingdom.
It must be a startup, SME, or a small mid-cap.
You must have successfully completed a Eurostars-3 project in the two years preceding the Fast Track submission deadline, or be in the final 6 months of your project.
You should have an innovative business concept because of your Eurostars-3 project.
You must own, or have the right to use, the intellectual property that your innovation is based on.
More information about the eligibility criteria for Fast Track is available in the resource library. This includes information about the definition of a Eurostars-3 project.

How to apply

Calls for projects in the Fast Track scheme are open several times a year. If a call is open, it will be listed below and on our open calls page. If no call is open, you can check back here later or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed.

Become a Eureka expert

We engage independent experts to evaluate applications submitted to Eureka network programmes (e.g. Eurostars, Innowwide, and the Fast Track to the EIC Accelerator scheme) and other national-level research and development programmes. If you are an expert and wish to join our growing community, register below. Your technical and market expertise is invaluable to the success of our innovative projects.

Find out more about becoming a Eureka expert