Financial Support to Startups and Scaleups (Shape Acceleration and Scale Post-Acceleration)

The call is open to for-profit legal entities established in EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries that develop tech-enabled, market-driven and IP-leveraged solutions. It has two programmes. Shape Acceleration is for startups that have validated a market need through early traction, with up to EUR 100,000, plus up to another EUR 100,000 for top-ranked ventures after the Demo Day. Scale Post-Acceleration is for startups and scaleups with product-market fit, recurring revenues and international scaling potential, with up to EUR 200,000, or up to EUR 500,000 when headquartered in an EIT Regional Innovation Scheme country. The 2027 cohort, starting in January 2027, covers fashion, architecture and audiovisual media. The total estimated funding for the call is EUR 8,600,000, for 50 ventures. The call opened on 10 August 2026 and applications close on 12 October 2026 at 17:00 CEST. Proposals are evaluated from October to December 2026, results are communicated in mid-December 2026 and published in mid-January 2027. Source: EIT Culture & Creativity