Top 15 Grants for Early-Stage Startups in Europe in 2025
2025 is shaping up to be a remarkable year for early-stage startups in Europe, especially with an influx of funding opportunities designed to fuel innovation and growth. This article outlines the Top 15 Grants for Early-Stage Startups in Europe, providing insights into eligibility criteria, funding amounts, application deadlines, and other pertinent information.
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1. EIC Accelerator
Description: Supports startups and SMEs with innovative products, services, or business models that can create new markets or disrupt existing ones.
Funding:
- Grants up to €2.5 million.
- Equity investments ranging from €0.5 to €10 million.
- Eligibility: Open to startups and SMEs from EU Member States or associated countries.
- Deadlines: Continuous short applications; full application deadlines are on March 12, 2025, and October 1, 2025.
- Focus: Innovation activities with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6-8, with ambition to scale up.
- Learn more about EIC Accelerator
2. EIC STEP Scale-Up
Description: Provides equity investments to SMEs and small mid-caps in strategic technology sectors.
Funding: Investments range from €10 to €30 million.
Eligibility: SMEs and small mid-caps (up to 499 employees) in EU Member States or associated countries.
Deadline: Applications are accepted anytime via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Focus: Companies driving innovation in critical areas, leveraging private co-investment.
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3. EIC Pathfinder
Description: Funds visionary, multi-disciplinary research projects with breakthrough potential.
Funding: Grants up to €4 million.
Eligibility: Research teams from EU Member States or associated countries.
Deadline: Check the EIC Pathfinder page for specific deadlines.
Focus: Multi-disciplinary research teams with the potential to lead to technology breakthroughs.
4. EIC Transition
Description: Supports turning research results into market-ready innovations.
Funding: Grants up to €2.5 million.
Eligibility: Projects following up on EIC Pathfinder, European Research Council Proof of Concept projects, or Horizon Europe results.
Deadline: Check the EIC Transition page for specific deadlines.
Focus: Maturing technologies and developing business cases for commercialization.
5. EIT Urban Mobility Financial Support for Startups
Description: Offers funding for innovative urban mobility solutions.
Funding: Up to €2 million per company.
Eligibility: Startups from RIS (Regional Innovation Scheme) countries and others.
Deadline: Check the EIT Urban Mobility website for deadlines (Call closed January 10, 2025, but may have future opportunities).
Focus: Startups contributing to sustainable urban mobility models.
6. EIT Manufacturing Venture Building Programme 2025
Description: A business development program for high-growth industrial startups with innovative solutions in the manufacturing sector.
Funding: Not specified directly, but the program includes business support and likely access to funding opportunities.
Eligibility: High-growth industrial startups with innovative solutions addressing pressing challenges in the manufacturing sector.
Deadline: Check the EIT Manufacturing website for application deadlines.
Focus: Industrial startups addressing manufacturing sector challenges.
7. Catalyse NEB 2025 – New European Bauhaus Start-up Accelerator Programme
Description: A call for startups addressing challenges in fields such as climate, food, manufacturing, and urban mobility.
Funding: EUR 20,000 in cash, plus business and entrepreneurship support.
Eligibility: Startups addressing specific challenges in climate, food, manufacturing, and urban mobility.
Deadline: Check the program website for application deadlines.
Focus: Startups that align with the New European Bauhaus initiative.
Find more about Catalyse NEB (search for Catalyse NEB)
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8. The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge 2025
Description: A business development challenge for young entrepreneurs.
Funding: £10,000 (approximately €11,750) grant for the overall winner.
Eligibility: Young entrepreneurs between the ages of 16 and 25.
Deadline: Check the program website for application deadlines.
Focus: Business development and supporting young entrepreneurs.
Learn about The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge (search for The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge)
9. Eurostars
Description: Funding for international collaborative R&D and innovation projects.
Funding: Public funding for international R&D projects, amounts vary by project and country.
Eligibility: Innovative SMEs in the leading role with other project partners.
Deadline: Application period between January 10, 2025, and March 13, 2025.
Focus: Collaborative R&D projects aimed at commercialization.
10. Startup Enhance (Malta)
Description: Supports startups through non-repayable grants for investments in tangible and intangible assets.
Funding: Up to €400,000, part-financing 50% of eligible costs, with an additional 10% aid intensity for investments in Gozo.
Eligibility: Micro and small enterprises.
Deadline: Cut-off dates are set on: January 31, 2025, February 28, 2025.
Focus: Improving productivity of the enterprise.
11. Cohesion Fund for Social Innovation
Description: Finances initiatives that directly enhance social innovation in underserved communities.
Funding: Up to €1 million per project.
Eligibility: Startups or consortia focusing on social change in EU Member States.
Deadline: Ongoing submissions; specific deadlines vary.
Focus: Projects aiming to improve social inclusion and quality of life.
12. Horizon Europe - Innovation Actions
Description: Funds innovative projects that tackle societal challenges.
Funding: Varies by project scope, generally several million euros available.
Eligibility: Startups and research organizations in partnership required.
Deadline: Numerous calls throughout the year.
Focus: Projects addressing societal challenges in line with EU policies.
13. Creative Europe Programme
Description: Offers support for projects in the cultural and creative sectors, aiming to foster innovation.
Funding: Between €200,000 and €2 million depending on project scope.
Eligibility: Creative enterprises and organizations established in an EU country.
Deadline: Various deadlines throughout the year.
Focus: Projects that enhance cultural diversity and creativity in the EU.
14. European Research Council Grants
Description: Provides grants for high-risk and high-reward research projects across various disciplines.
Funding: Up to €10 million depending on project nature.
Eligibility: Individual researchers from EU Member States or associated countries.
Deadline: Annual calls, specific deadlines vary.
Focus: Innovative research leading to significant breakthroughs.
15. Digital Europe Programme
Description: Supports the digital transformation of European society and economy.
Funding: Varies per project, generally several million euros per call.
Eligibility: Any organization looking to implement digital technologies in the EU.
Deadline: Multiple calls throughout the year.
Focus: Projects that enhance digital skills, infrastructure, and technologies.
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FAQ
Q: What types of startups can apply for the EIC Accelerator grant?
A: The EIC Accelerator is open to startups and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) from EU Member States or associated countries with innovative products or business models. Learn more about EIC Accelerator.
Q: How much funding can startups receive through the EIC Pathfinder?
A: The EIC Pathfinder offers grants of up to €4 million for visionary, multi-disciplinary research projects. Discover EIC Pathfinder details.
Q: Who is eligible to apply for the EIT Urban Mobility Financial Support for Startups?
A: Startups contributing to sustainable urban mobility models from Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) countries and others are eligible for this funding of up to €2 million. Check EIT Urban Mobility.
Q: What is the focus of the EIC Transition program?
A: The EIC Transition program supports projects aimed at turning research results into market-ready innovations and offers grants up to €2.5 million. Find out more about EIC Transition.
Q: When can applications be submitted for the Eurostars program?
A: The Eurostars program accepts applications from January 10, 2025, to March 13, 2025, for international collaborative R&D and innovation projects. Learn more about Eurostars.
Q: What support does the Catalyse NEB 2025 program provide?
A: Catalyse NEB 2025 offers start-ups addressing climate, food, manufacturing, and urban mobility challenges €20,000 in cash, along with business and entrepreneurship support. Explore more on EU Funding Portal (search for Catalyse NEB).
Q: How much is the grant for the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge 2025?
A: The overall winner of the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge 2025 receives a grant of £10,000 (approximately €11,750). Visit the EU Funding Portal for more details (search for The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge).
Q: What does EIT Manufacturing's venture building program focus on?
A: The EIT Manufacturing Venture Building Programme focuses on high-growth industrial startups with innovative solutions to pressing challenges in the manufacturing sector. Check EIT Manufacturing for program details.
Q: What is the maximum funding available for startups through the Startup Enhance program in Malta?
A: The Startup Enhance program can provide non-repayable grants of up to €400,000, covering part-financing for eligible costs. Learn more on FONDI.eu.
Q: What is the focus area for the EIC STEP Scale-Up program?
A: The EIC STEP Scale-Up program focuses on providing equity investments to SMEs in strategic technology sectors, with investments ranging from €10 to €30 million. Discover more about EIC STEP Scale-Up.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.
