EIC STEP Scale Up provides an equity investment route for eligible companies developing strategic technologies and seeking substantial financing rounds. The published scheme combines EIC investment with evidence of private investor interest. It is intended for a different financing stage from an early research grant. A company should examine its ownership structure, intended use of capital and investor commitments before treating programme eligibility as a credible financing plan.
Status at the source-review date
Programme reference; general STEP and defence-specific calls have distinct conditions.
The general STEP calendar lists 25 November 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. The fourth batch depends on remaining budget and may be cancelled if the annual budget is exhausted. The defence-specific route has a different timetable; check the selected call.
- Support type
- Equity investment
- Published EIC investment range
- €10 million–€30 million
- Applicant focus
- Eligible SMEs and small mid-caps seeking major funding rounds
- Investor evidence
- Qualified investor pre-commitment under the applicable rules
Understand the scale of the financing decision
The official STEP description targets digital and deep technologies, clean technologies and biotechnology. It specifies an EIC investment range of €10 million to €30 million and a qualified investor pre-commitment covering at least 20% of the target round. The current application documents determine how that requirement is evidenced.
This structure requires a company to explain an investment plan at the level of the whole financing round. A useful plan connects capital to specific capacity, product or market milestones and describes the consequences if the round is smaller or closes later than expected.
Prepare the company and investor evidence
The programme asks for a business plan, financial information and a description of ownership alongside the investor material. These are related questions. The proposed capital structure must support the operating plan, and management needs to understand what rights and commitments accompany the funds.
For an industrial business, a funding round can finance facilities, qualification, inventory or international commercial expansion. Those uses have different lead times and cash profiles. A credible capital plan separates them and explains the evidence supporting each proposed commitment.
Distinguish programme selection from completed finance
A public investment process and a private fundraising process can interact without becoming identical. An application, a positive evaluation, investment due diligence and a completed transaction are separate stages. They should remain separate in internal forecasts and external statements.
The broader business-model question is what the capital enables the company to deliver repeatedly. A larger balance sheet does not by itself establish demand or an attractive delivery cost. The decision should connect ownership, financing terms and operating capacity with the customers and revenues expected to support the expanded business.
Sources
European Innovation Council — STEP Scale Up
European Innovation Council — funding opportunities and calendar
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