New €1.4 Billion Boost for Europe’s Deep-Tech Scale-Ups: Commission Adopts 2026 European Innovation Council Work Programme

Last week, the European Commission adopted the 2026 work programme of the European Innovation Council (EIC), earmarking €1.4 billion to support Europe’s most promising deep-tech entrepreneurs and researchers.

The new programme zeroes in on what European innovators say they need most: simplified access to substantial funding, stronger investment channels, and easier access to customers and partners across Europe and beyond.

To build on this support, the Commission is also preparing the launch of the Scaleup Europe Fund a market-based, privately managed, co-financed initiative under the EIC Fund. Created in partnership with private investors, the Fund is designed to bridge the late-stage investment gap faced by Europe’s deep-tech scale-ups, helping them to expand internationally while remaining rooted in Europe. 

Together, the 2026 EIC work programme and the forthcoming Scaleup Europe Fund form a stronger European framework for turning world-class research into globally competitive companies. New key features include a simpler, faster application process for the EIC Accelerator, reducing full proposals from 50 pages to 20, and the introduction of pilot Advanced Innovation Challenges, inspired by the U.S. ARPA model for high-risk, high-reward research.