HORIZON-EIC-2026-BAS-02-SCLATEUP

EIC Scaling Club 2.0 HORIZON-EIC is a Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action funding a consortium to deliver a pan-European scaling programme for at least 70 high-potential deep tech companies (minimum 35 from the EIC portfolio) ready for Series B+. Indicative budget is €4,000,000, funding up to 100% of eligible costs under the HORIZON-AG model, single-stage call opening 3 March 2026 with deadline 3 June 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Activities must include tailored investment readiness, operational excellence, market and investor outreach, late-stage financing facilitation, talent support, alumni engagement, EIC-aligned branding and biannual impact reporting with GDPR-compliant data collection. Eligible applicants are consortia from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries and proposals will be evaluated on Excellence, Impact and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation following standard HE CSA thresholds.

EIC Scaling Club 2.0 (HORIZON-EIC-2026-BAS-02-SCALEUP)

What it funds

Purpose

A Coordination and Support Action to run the EIC Scaling Club 2.0: a growth programme that will select and deliver bespoke scaling support to a minimum of 70 deep-tech scaleups (including at least 35 from the EIC portfolio) to increase investment and commercial deals, talent attraction, international expansion and visibility of Europe’s top deep tech companies.

Budget and grants:Indicative total contribution around €4,000,000 for this call; expected to fund one or a small number of consortia to deliver the programme.

1. 1Type of action: HORIZON-CSA (Horizon Coordination and Support Action)
2. 2Deadline: 3 June 2026, 17:00 Brussels time
3. 3Target: support minimum 70 deep tech companies ready for series B+ rounds across priority technologies (AI, quantum, biotech, advanced materials, robotics, space, energy/decabonisation, etc.)

Applicants must demonstrate experience scaling deep-tech companies, propose a clear methodology for selection and bespoke support, set measurable KPIs and establish data collection, steering arrangements and coordinated EIC branding and communications. Proposals will be evaluated under standard HE CSA criteria (Excellence, Impact, Implementation).

Full topic details, conditions and submission are on the Funding & Tenders Portal Call page. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1See the official topic page for eligibility rules, templates and Work Programme annexes referenced in the call: HORIZON-EIC on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

HORIZON-EIC-2026-BAS-02-SCALEUP — EIC Scaling Club 2.0 (Coordination and Support Action)

This is a forthcoming Horizon Europe call for proposals to implement the EIC Scaling Club 2.0 as a Coordination and Support Action (CSA). It will select an implementing consortium to run a pan-European, growth-focused platform that supports at least 70 top deep tech companies at Series B+ stage, with strong emphasis on investment readiness, operational excellence, customer and partner outreach, access to late-stage finance, talent attraction, visibility, alumni engagement, and ecosystem synergies. The action is tightly linked to EIC Business Acceleration Services and should leverage, extend, and brand itself under the EIC umbrella.

Topic Focus, Objectives and Expected Impact

Objective: Increase the success and accelerate the growth of the top European deep tech companies by strengthening the skills, knowledge, networks and visibility they need to scale. The CSA must identify, select and support a minimum of 70 deep tech scale-ups (at least 35 from the EIC portfolio, primarily the EIC Fund) and the remainder from comparable national or associated-country programmes. Target companies should be ready for Series B+ fundraising, display credible high-growth potential, and deliver cutting-edge solutions that contribute to European technological autonomy and EU strategic priorities (for example AI, advanced materials, quantum, biotech, robotics, space, energy and decarbonisation, in line with the EU Competitiveness Compass).

• Core activities required: tailored capability building, curated peer learning and mentoring, investor/customer/partner outreach (EU and international), late-stage financing access, talent access, and enhanced visibility of selected companies and the broader European scale-up scene.
• Implementation requirements: close conjunction with EIC Business Acceleration Services and EIC ecosystem partners; synergies with EU schemes such as EIC STEP Scale Up, InvestEU, EU Innovation Fund, and national soft-landing programmes; proactive learning role to inform EIC on scale-up challenges and effective interventions; continuous alumni engagement as mentors/peer advisors; EIC-aligned branding and coordinated communications.
• Diversity and inclusion: ensure geographic diversity across EU and Horizon Europe Associated Countries and a balanced portfolio of women-led companies.
• Governance and monitoring: establish a steering group in collaboration with the European Commission; propose suitable KPIs; report results biannually; implement systematic data collection in full compliance with data protection regulations.

Categorisation and Structured Information

Eligible Applicant Types:Any legal entities eligible under Horizon Europe may apply, forming an implementing consortium with proven capacity to deliver pan-European scale-up support. Typical eligible applicants include: universities and research institutes; nonprofits and NGOs; SME and large enterprise accelerators/incubators; clusters and industry associations; business support organisations; innovation agencies; venture builders; consultancies with growth/internationalisation expertise; public bodies and government agencies; public-private partnerships; and other ecosystem actors able to deliver the specified services. While the target beneficiaries of the services are deep tech companies, those companies are not the applicants to this CSA; the applicants are the organisations that will design and run the Scaling Club 2.0.

Funding Type:Grant under Horizon Europe (HORIZON-CSA, Coordination and Support Action).

Consortium Requirement:Consortium. The call repeatedly refers to an implementing consortium with the expertise, experience and means to foster substantial growth of European deep tech scale-ups, to set KPIs, to run data collection and monitoring, to ensure synergies, and to establish a steering group. Although CSAs may sometimes allow mono-beneficiary projects, this topic’s scope and wording clearly expect a multi-partner consortium covering the full range of growth services, investor and corporate networks, internationalisation, communications, and data/evaluation capabilities.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Applicants: entities from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries as defined in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Certain non-associated third-country participants may join without EU funding or, where explicitly foreseen and essential, seek exceptional funding according to Horizon Europe rules. Target companies served by the action must be drawn from across the EU and Horizon Europe Associated Countries to ensure wide geographic coverage and diversity.

Target Sector:Deep tech across multiple verticals aligned with EU strategic priorities and technological autonomy, including artificial intelligence, advanced materials, quantum technologies, biotechnology, robotics, space technologies, energy technologies and decarbonisation. The selected cohort will span diverse sectors but must fit the deep tech and scale-up profile.

Mentioned Countries:No individual countries are explicitly named in the topic text. The geographic framing refers to the EU and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Project Stage:For the CSA project: implementation of a pan-European support programme, including design, delivery, monitoring, communications, and ecosystem coordination. For the companies to be supported by the CSA: scale-up stage (Series B+ readiness), commercialization and international expansion, with a focus on investment readiness and market growth.

Funding Amount:Indicative total EU contribution around €4,000,000 for this topic, with an indicative number of grants of 1. The awarded grant will fund the implementing consortium to deliver the Scaling Club 2.0 activities.

Application Type:Open call via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, single-stage submission through the electronic Submission System for this topic.

Nature of Support:Money for the implementing consortium via a Horizon Europe CSA grant. The supported deep tech companies will receive non-monetary services including mentoring, curated peer learning, investor and corporate matchmaking, market access facilitation, talent pipelines, visibility, and alumni networking.

Application Stages:1 stage. Single-stage submission and evaluation, as indicated in the call.

Success Rates:Not specified in the topic text or budget overview. CSAs with a single indicative grant are typically highly competitive, but no official success rate is provided.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding required for eligible costs. Horizon Europe CSAs are funded at 100% of eligible direct costs plus 25% indirect costs (flat rate) under the HORIZON-AG Model Grant Agreement, unless otherwise specified. The topic does not indicate any deviation from the standard CSA funding rate.

Scope, Activities and Implementation Details

• Scale-up support package: investment readiness programmes; operational excellence support; outreach to new customers, corporates, buyers, infrastructure and service providers; facilitation of late-stage financing; facilitation of talent access.
• Cohort composition: at least 70 deep tech companies; minimum of 35 from the EIC portfolio (primarily EIC Fund portfolio); remaining companies from comparable Member State/Associated Country programmes; ensure geographic and gender diversity, with a balanced share of women-led companies.
• Ecosystem integration: implement in close conjunction with EIC Business Acceleration Services and EIC ecosystem partners; exploit synergies and cross-promote relevant actions such as international trade fairs, corporate matchmaking, innovation procurement, investor outreach; support links to EIC STEP Scale Up, InvestEU, EU Innovation Fund and national soft-landing schemes.
• Learning and feedback loop: contribute to EIC knowledge on deep tech scale-up challenges and effective interventions; propose KPIs; conduct systematic data gathering in compliance with data protection; report results every six months to the Commission and the Agency.
• Alumni engagement: involve EIC Scaling Club alumni as mentors or peer advisors; maintain ongoing engagement to reinforce community ties and open new opportunities.
• Branding and communications: ensure the action’s branding and visual identity are aligned with EIC; coordinate communications with EIC teams; effectively promote participating companies as European tech champions and global leaders.
• Governance: establish a steering group in collaboration with the Commission, including representatives from all parts of the ecosystem and the Commission itself.

Eligibility, Evaluation and Grant Set-up

General and specific conditions for this topic follow the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (Annexes A–G) and the EIC Work Programme 2026. Admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, award criteria, and legal/financial set-up are as described in the general annexes, unless otherwise specified in the topic. Proposal layout requirements are defined in the Application Form (Part B) available in the Submission System. Eligible countries are listed in Annex B; some non-associated countries may make their own funding available for participation. The call uses the standard single-stage submission and evaluation process.

Evaluation Criteria and Scoring (HE CSA):Proposals are evaluated on three criteria: Excellence; Impact; Quality and efficiency of the implementation. Scoring is 0–5 per criterion (half-marks allowed). Individual thresholds: 3/5 per criterion. Overall threshold: 10/15. Detailed evaluator guidance and the standard HE CSA evaluation form are provided in the official template EU Grants Evaluation form (HE CSA) V5.0. Specific calls or topics may adjust thresholds and weighting; this topic follows the general CSA approach as described. ¹

• Excellence: clarity and pertinence of objectives; quality and soundness of the coordination/support methodology.
• Impact: credibility of pathways to expected outcomes and impacts; quality of measures to maximise impact including dissemination, exploitation, and communication.
• Implementation: quality and effectiveness of work plan, risk assessment, allocation of effort and resources; capacity and roles of participants; complementarity and overall consortium expertise.

Legal and Financial Set-up:HORIZON-AG Model Grant Agreement applies. For CSAs, funding rate is typically 100% of eligible direct costs plus 25% indirect costs. Standard HE provisions on cost eligibility, reporting, amendments, IP, ethics, and data protection apply, as detailed in the Model Grant Agreement and the Annotated Model Grant Agreement referenced on the portal.

Templates, Forms and Guidance

• Application Form: Use the official Part A (online forms) and Part B (template downloadable from the Submission System) for HORIZON-CSA. Page limits and layout are defined in Part B guidance.
• Evaluation Form Templates: Standard evaluation form for HE CSA, to be used with necessary adaptations for this topic. See the official template linked above.
• Reference Documents and Guides: Horizon Europe Programme Guide; Horizon Europe Main Work Programme 2026–2027 General Annexes; EIC Work Programme 2026; HORIZON Model Grant Agreement and Annotated Model Grant Agreement; Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual; Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment; EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509.

Indicative Application Structure (Part B for CSA, typical outline):1. Excellence: Objectives; relation to the work programme; soundness and credibility of the approach and methodology; quality of coordination and support measures; stakeholder and beneficiary engagement strategy; alignment with EIC BAS and ecosystem synergies. 2. Impact: Expected outcomes and impacts vs. topic requirements; credible pathways to impact; KPIs and monitoring plan; dissemination, exploitation and communication plan; visibility and branding plan aligned with EIC; measures to ensure geographic and gender diversity and inclusion; alumni engagement methodology. 3. Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation: Work plan, work packages, deliverables and milestones; management structure, steering group, decision-making; risk assessment and mitigation; resources and budget justification; roles and complementarity of partners; data collection and protection compliance; reporting twice per year; quality assurance. 4. Ethics and Security (if applicable): Data protection, ethics self-assessment; civil applications focus.

Who and What the CSA Must Deliver

• Select and support at least 70 deep tech companies, with at least 35 from the EIC portfolio.
• Focus on Series B+ readiness: investor pipelines, syndication, and co-investment (including public and private investors, National Promotional Banks and Institutions, Regional Banks), IPO pathways, and M&A preparedness.
• Accelerate commercial traction: corporate partnerships, procurement and innovation procurement pathways, access to infrastructure and service providers, and international market expansion.
• Talent and organisation: strengthen inclusive culture, organisational scaling, leadership, and attraction of highly skilled talent.
• Peer learning and mentoring: curated peer-to-peer formats and top-tier mentor network, including alumni as mentors/peer advisors.
• Visibility and promotion: position supported companies as European tech champions; coordinate communications with EIC and ensure EIC branding compliance.
• Monitoring and evidence: biannual impact reporting to the Commission and Agency; systematic data gathering for continuous improvement; propose and track meaningful KPIs.
• Governance and ecosystem: form a steering group with ecosystem and Commission representatives; ensure synergies with EIC Innovation Procurement, EIC ecosystem partnerships, Corporate Partnership Programme 4.0, Co-investment Support, and relevant EU industry alliances and missions.

Timeline and Budget Snapshot

Key External Resources

• Topic page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: HORIZON-EIC-2026-BAS-02-SCALEUP
• Call family overview: HORIZON-EIC-2026-BAS-02
• Evaluation form (HE CSA), V5.0 (12.11.2025): EU Grants Evaluation form (HE CSA)
• EIC Work Programme 2026 overview: EIC 2026 work programme
• Background on the predecessor action (EIC Scaling Club): EIC Scaling Club website

Comprehensive Summary

HORIZON-EIC funds a single, pan-European Coordination and Support Action to implement the EIC Scaling Club 2.0. The selected consortium will design and deliver a comprehensive growth platform for at least 70 top European deep tech companies at Series B+ stage, with at least 35 drawn from the EIC portfolio. The action must provide targeted capability-building (investment readiness and operational excellence), open doors to customers and strategic partners in the EU and internationally, facilitate access to late-stage finance and talent, and lift the public profile of participating companies and Europe’s deep tech scale-up scene. The action is expected to create tangible increases in investment rounds, commercial deals, and talent attraction, while building a strong, diverse peer network of founders and mentors. It must engage alumni as mentors and peer advisors, and coordinate closely with EIC Business Acceleration Services, other EIC initiatives (e.g., Corporate Partnership Programme 4.0, Co-investment Support, Innovation Procurement), and EU industrial alliances and missions. Governance will include a steering group formed with the Commission; results must be reported twice yearly, supported by systematic data collection under full data protection compliance. Proposals will be evaluated in a single stage using standard Horizon Europe CSA criteria and thresholds. The grant is expected to cover 100% of eligible direct costs plus 25% indirects under the HORIZON Model Grant Agreement. In short, this opportunity selects a highly capable consortium to run Europe’s flagship deep tech scaling community, amplifying deal-making, market expansion, talent pipelines, and visibility for potential global leaders in AI, advanced materials, quantum, biotech, robotics, space, energy and decarbonisation across the EU and Associated Countries.

Footnotes

1. 1See Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes (Annexes A–G) and the HE CSA evaluation form for formal criteria, thresholds and procedures. The standard CSA scoring is 0–5 per criterion, with thresholds of 3/5 per criterion and 10/15 overall. Evaluation form template: ec.europa.eu

EIC Scaling Club 2.0 (HORIZON-EIC-2026-BAS-02-SCALEUP)

This Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) funds consortia to implement EIC Scaling Club 2.0, supporting at least 70 high-potential European deep tech companies ready for Series B+ funding to scale as global leaders. The initiative builds on the predecessor EIC Scaling Club, focusing on growth skills, networks, investment readiness, and visibility for companies in strategic technologies like AI, quantum, biotech, and energy.

Objective and Expected Impacts

The primary objective is to enhance the success and growth of top European deep tech companies by strengthening skills, peer networks, investor access, and customer outreach. Expected impacts include improved growth skills via mentoring on barriers like talent attraction and international expansion; increased investment deals (including IPOs and acquisitions); more commercial deals with EU and foreign partners; enhanced talent attraction; strong peer networks of founders and mentors; and boosted visibility of companies and the European deep tech scene.

Scope and Target Companies

The action must support a minimum of 70 deep tech companies with unicorn potential, active in diverse sectors aligned with EU priorities (e.g., AI, advanced materials, quantum, biotech, robotics, space, energy, decarbonisation). At least 35 must come from the EIC portfolio (primarily EIC Fund), with others from Member State or Associated Country programmes. Companies should be geographically and gender diverse, from EU and Horizon Europe Associated Countries, including a balanced share of women-led firms.

Key Activities

• Strengthening investment readiness
• Enhancing operational excellence
• Facilitating outreach to customers, business partners, and markets (EU and international)
• Access to late-stage financing
• Talent acquisition support

Implementation must be agile, tailored to sector needs, and integrated with EIC Business Acceleration Services, ecosystem partners, and schemes like EIC Step Scale Up, InvestEU, and national soft-landing programmes. Engage EIC Scaling Club alumni as mentors, ensure EIC-branded communications, and promote companies as European tech champions.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Open to consortia from eligible countries as per Horizon Europe Annex B (EU Member States, Associated Countries; some non-EU with provisions). Implementing consortia must demonstrate expertise in fostering deep tech scale-up growth. Proposals must detail methodologies for company selection, support actions, alumni engagement, visibility enhancement, KPIs, data gathering (GDPR-compliant), steering group (with Commission collaboration), and synergies with EIC activities and EU alliances.

Funding Details

Total Budget:€4,000,000 for 2026 (indicative, single-stage call).

Type of Action:HORIZON-CSA Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based, HORIZON-AG Model Grant Agreement).

Funding Rate:Up to 100% of eligible costs, as per Horizon Europe rules (specifics in General Annexes).

Timeline

Evaluation Criteria

Single-stage evaluation based on Excellence (clarity of objectives, quality of measures/methodology), Impact (pathways to outcomes, dissemination/exploitation), and Quality/Efficiency of Implementation (work plan, risks, consortium capacity). Threshold: 3/5 per criterion, overall 10/15. Details in Annex D and standard HE CSA evaluation form.

Application Requirements

1. 1Proposals via Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System (page limits/layout in Annex A/E).
2. 2Describe company identification and scale-up methodologies, support actions with rationale, KPIs, steering group, data processes.
3. 3Admissibility: Proposal page limits and layout per Annexes.
4. 4Financial/operational capacity per Annex C; exclusion criteria apply.

General conditions (admissibility, eligible countries, etc.) in Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions in EIC Work Programme 2026. Application forms in Submission System.

Implementation Obligations

• Bi-annual impact reporting to EU Commission and Agency.
• Steering group with ecosystem representatives and Commission.
• EIC-branded communications, approved by EIC teams.
• Synergies with EIC activities (e.g., Innovation Procurement, Corporate Partnership 4.0), EU alliances, missions.

Predecessor Insights

The original EIC Scaling Club supported 120 deep tech scale-ups, achieving 67% average funding growth (vs. 26% control group), over €10 billion combined valuation, and significant deals (e.g., Axelera AI: €211M; PLD Space: €180M). Focus on networking, investor/corporate matchmaking, and visibility via events like Growth Forum.

Full details and submission via official portal: EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Reference EIC Work Programme 2026, General Annexes, and Programme Guide. Contact National Contact Points (NCPs) or Enterprise Europe Network for support.

Footnotes

1. 1All data from official EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page and related documents. Predecessor impacts from eicscalingclub.eu.