European Startup and Scaleup Hubs Pilot 2027: €40M Call Now Open

The European Startup and Scaleup Hubs (ESSH) pilot call is open. Published and opened on 6 October 2026, HORIZON-EIE-2027-02-CONNECT-01 has an available budget of €40 million and a single-stage deadline of 5 January 2027 at 17:00 CET.

What the call is designed to fund

The action responds to a structural European challenge: excellent research does not always translate into globally competitive deep-tech companies. The pilot will fund two cross-border networks, each bringing together around 10–18 highly capable startup and scaleup hubs.

The networks are expected to connect research and higher education institutions, research and technology organisations, corporates, entrepreneurs and investors. Their work should make it easier for deep-tech startups and scaleups to access talent, capital, laboratories, infrastructure, mentoring and new markets beyond their home ecosystem.

Key facts

• Call ID: HORIZON-EIE-2027-02-CONNECT-01
• Status: Open
• Opening date: 6 October 2026
• Deadline: 5 January 2027, 17:00 CET
• Available budget: €40 million
• Procedure: Single-stage
• Information session: 22 October 2026

Expected activities

According to EISMEA, proposed networks should interconnect innovation ecosystems, share infrastructure and expertise, organise specialised visits and short-term mobility, and provide access to facilities and innovation services. The call also envisages a highly selective acceleration programme for high-performing startups — described as a “European combinator” — with mentoring, networking and investor-facing Demo Days.

Projects should additionally support both local and partner-network startups, connect companies with services such as Enterprise Europe Network, EDIHs and EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, and bridge regional gaps by integrating less-connected hubs.

Important: this is not a direct grant for an individual startup

The call is structured around ecosystem networks and consortia. Startups may benefit from the services, infrastructure and acceleration activities created by successful projects, but an individual startup should not assume it can apply alone for a direct €40 million funding pot. Consortium architecture, role allocation and compliance with the Funding & Tenders conditions must be assessed before proposal development begins.

What potential applicants should do now

1. Confirm the organisation’s role and eligibility in the official call documents.
2. Map complementary hubs across leading and emerging ecosystems.
3. Define which research assets, facilities, investors and corporate partners the network can mobilise.
4. Design measurable cross-border services for deep-tech founders and scaleups.
5. Register for the 22 October information session and convert clarifications into a compliance checklist.
6. Start consortium and work-package planning before the end-of-year period.

How European Funding Agency can support the process

European Funding Agency supports European innovation consortia with call-fit assessment, consortium strategy, work-package architecture, impact logic, proposal coordination and quality review. For organisations considering HORIZON-EIE-2027-02-CONNECT-01, the highest-value first step is a structured eligibility and partnership assessment based on the official call documentation.

Frequently asked questions

What is the deadline?

5 January 2027 at 17:00 CET.

What is the available budget?

€40 million, according to EISMEA.

How many hub networks are expected?

The action aims to pilot two networks of around 10–18 European Startup and Scaleup Hubs each.

Can a startup apply alone?

The call targets cross-border ecosystem networks. An individual startup should verify the formal consortium and eligibility rules rather than treat this as a standalone direct-startup grant.

Fact-checked on 8 October 2026 against the official EISMEA call page. Applicants must use the Funding & Tenders Portal documentation as the controlling source.

Book a funding review with European Funding Agency to assess call fit and consortium readiness. You can also explore our Horizon Europe proposal support and Paulina Złotko’s expert profile.