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Horizon Europe · European Union

European Startup and Scaleup Hubs pilot

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The EU's Horizon Europe programme expects to make 2 awards of €20 million each, from a total budget of €40 million. Applications close on 5 Jan 2027 (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time). Organisations in EU member states and Horizon Europe associated countries such as Türkiye can usually take part; the topic conditions control.

Expected outcome

Projects under this topic will contribute to the following outcomes:

• Accelerate market expansion for European deep tech startups across EU regions and beyond by fostering collaboration and mutual support among European deep tech startup ecosystem actors;

• Interconnect top-tier tech startup and scaleup hubs embedded in research, technology and higher education ecosystems;

• Enable cross-border access to infrastructures, facilities, corporates, investors and talents to deep tech startups and scaleups, including those funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC);

• Enable more European deep tech startups, including women-led startups and scaleups, to succeed scaling into globally competitive companies;

• Strengthen less-connected innovation hubs by integrating them into a Europe-wide collaborative network;

• Boost private and public investment in deep tech ventures established within the participating innovation hubs.

Scope

This action builds upon the EU’s strategic vision outlined in the EU Competitiveness Compass [1] , the EIC scaling strategy [2] , and the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy [3] . It aligns with the objectives of strengthening Europe’s deep tech capabilities, increasing regional innovation cohesion and supporting the growth of globally competitive companies.

The EU must act decisively to close the innovation gap with other world regions by enabling more commercial successes based on its scientific excellence. While Europe generates world-class research, European deep tech startups often struggle to scale into global champions. The European Startup & Scaleup Hubs (ESSH) pilot will address this structural weakness by creating strong networks of European leading and emerging startup ecosystems that bring together research and higher education institutions, research and technology organisations, corporates, entrepreneurs and investors, while also encouraging these innovation hubs to expand their activities.

Who can apply

Country restriction: participation is limited to a single hub in the given consortium.

Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.

Topics

Entrepreneurship Incubator companies Innovation support services Internationalisation - Market access Market-creating innovation New business opportunities Spin-off companies Start-up companies

Timing

Single-stage call. Next deadline 2027-01-05. The portal states the exact cut-off time (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).

How to apply

1. Read the full topic on the Funding & Tenders Portal: expected outcome, scope, type of action and the topic conditions, including any country restrictions.
2. Register each participating organisation in the Funding & Tenders Portal to get a PIC.
3. Check the topic conditions for the minimum number of partners.
4. Prepare Part A (administrative forms and budget, completed in the portal) and Part B (the technical description on the official template for this type of action).
5. Submit in the portal before the cut-off time on the deadline day. Late submissions are not accepted.

From the call text

Who can apply

Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Company stage

Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Single applicant or consortium

Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.

Where applicants must be based

Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.

Where to apply

Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.

Read the EU application guide

Where these facts come from

Official sources

Official call page

Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 14 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.

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