Financial support to startups Open Call

The EIT Urban Mobility Financial Support to Startups Open Call 2026 is designed to enhance innovation in urban mobility within Europe by providing financial support specifically for early-stage startups. Eligible applicants include startups in the pre-seed, seed, or Series A stages that demonstrate individual founder or executive team equity ownership of over 40%, a pre-money valuation below €50 million, and possession of a prototype, pilot, or Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Importantly, the startup must not be part of the EIT Urban Mobility equity portfolio and must be actively engaged in fundraising.

Funding will be provided in the form of equity investment, with a maximum support of up to €2.5 million per company. The initiative seeks to leverage private investment, allowing EIT Urban Mobility to participate in funding rounds without leading them, thereby aiming to strengthen the financial standing and growth potential of these startups. The opportunity is open to all legal entities established in EU Member States and third countries associated with Horizon Europe, with an emphasis on a wide geographical distribution without specific country restrictions.

The program targets various sectors within urban mobility, such as urban logistics, shared mobility, mobility data management, electrification, and health-mobility integration, while promoting equitable and inclusive innovation ecosystems. The call specifically fosters diverse teams and inclusive strategies in the projects it supports.

The application process is a rolling call with multiple cut-off dates scheduled for February 23, May 18, August 31, and November 16 in 2026, allowing startups flexibility to apply during various fundraising rounds throughout the year. The overall budget for this call amounts to €14 million, suggesting that approximately 5 to 6 companies could receive the maximum funding allocation.

The application process will generally involve at least two to three stages, including the submission of necessary materials, evaluation, due diligence, and potential negotiation of investment agreements. While exact success rates are not disclosed, similar EU funding initiatives typically show competitive success rates. Participants are required to secure private co-investment alongside EIT funding to enhance capitalization.

Overall, this call represents a strategic opportunity for early-stage startups in urban mobility, aiming to support their development, drive innovation, and contribute to a more sustainable urban environment across Europe.

The Financial support to startups Open Call is an initiative by EIT Urban Mobility designed to bolster Europe's innovation capacity and address critical urban mobility challenges. The call aims to support early-stage ventures, specifically pre-seed, seed, and Series A companies, to foster their growth and amplify the impact of EIT-funded research and innovation. It also encourages collaboration among industry, academia, cities, and startups. The initiative focuses on developing high-impact solutions that contribute to reducing congestion, lowering carbon emissions, improving safety and security, and enhancing accessibility in urban environments. It also aims to ensure de-risked, high-quality investment opportunities that align with the EIT Urban Mobility Financial Support thesis.

The opening date for the call was 23 December 2025. The deadline model is multiple cut-off, with the following deadline dates: 23 February 2026 at 17:00 (Brussels time) and 18 May 2026 at 17:00 (Brussels time). The call is currently open for submission. The total funding available is 14,000,000.00 €. The project acronym is EITUM-BP26-28. The full name of the EU funded project is EIT Urban Mobility Business Plan 2026-2028. The grant agreement number is 101269525. The topic is HORIZON-EIT-2025-KIC-IBA-UM - 2025-12-31T17:00:00.000Z.

In summary, this EIT Urban Mobility Open Call provides financial support to startups to address urban mobility challenges. It targets early-stage companies (pre-seed, seed, and Series A) with the goal of fostering innovation and collaboration to create solutions that reduce congestion, emissions, and improve safety and accessibility in cities. The call has a total budget of 14 million euros and multiple deadlines for submission. The initiative aims to create high-impact, de-risked investment opportunities in the urban mobility sector.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include startups, specifically pre-seed, seed, and Series A companies. The initiative also fosters collaboration across industry, academia, and cities, suggesting these entities may also be involved, although the primary target seems to be startups.

Funding Type: The funding type is grant, specifically cascade funding, as indicated by the term "GrantCascade funding". The call provides financial support to startups.

Consortium Requirement: While collaboration is encouraged across industry, academia, cities, and startups, the primary focus on supporting early-stage ventures suggests that single applicants (startups) are eligible. The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required, but the emphasis on supporting individual startups implies that it is not mandatory.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The call is designed to strengthen Europe’s capacity to innovate, suggesting that the geographic eligibility is primarily focused on EU or European entities. The mention of EIT Urban Mobility further reinforces this focus on Europe.

Target Sector: The target sector is urban mobility. The call aims to tackle pressing urban mobility challenges and supports the development of solutions that reduce congestion, lower carbon emissions, improve safety and security, and enhance accessibility.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on Europe.

Project Stage: The call targets early-stage ventures, specifically pre-seed, seed, and Series A companies. This indicates that the expected project stage ranges from idea to early commercialization.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is €14,000,000.00. The funding range for individual projects is not specified, but it will likely vary depending on the stage and needs of the startup.

Application Type: The application type is an open call. The text explicitly mentions "Open Call". The deadline model is multiple cut-off.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money through grants. The call provides "Financial support to startups".

Application Stages: The application process is not detailed in the provided text, so the number of stages is unknown.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

This EIT Urban Mobility open call aims to bolster innovation in Europe by providing financial support to early-stage startups (pre-seed, seed, and Series A) focused on addressing urban mobility challenges. With a total funding pool of €14,000,000, the initiative seeks to stimulate the growth of ventures that can develop high-impact solutions to reduce congestion, lower carbon emissions, improve safety and security, and enhance accessibility in urban environments. The call encourages collaboration between industry, academia, cities, and startups, but primarily targets individual startups seeking grant funding. The application process involves multiple cut-off dates, with deadlines on 23 February 2026 and 18 May 2026. The initiative aligns with the EIT Urban Mobility Financial Support thesis and aims to create de-risked, high-quality investment opportunities in the urban mobility sector. The call is part of the EIT Urban Mobility Business Plan 2026-2028 and falls under the HORIZON-EIT-2025-KIC-IBA-UM topic.