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Advanced Innovation Challenges - Pilot

Advanced Innovation Challenges - Pilot is a grant for start-ups, small and medium-sized businesses and research organisations in the United Kingdom developing high-risk deep tech innovations. This scheme has closed.

Run by European Innovation Council

Checked against the official page (eic.ec.europa.eu) on 5 Oct 2026.

This scheme has closed

It closed on 26 February 2026. It stays here in case it reopens; check with the organisation for future rounds. We do not know where it was open, so these are for the whole North.

Grants and support for high-risk, demand-driven deep tech innovation with transformative potential, especially where there is extensive research but lack of commercial uptake.

Status and deadline

Status

Closed

Confirmed on the official page

Deadline

Closed 26 February 2026

As stated: The deadline for submitting your proposal was 26 February 2026 at 17h00 Brussels local time.

Confirmed on the official page

How much

€300,000 lump sum (stage 1), up to €2.5 million lump sum (stage 2)

Not confirmed on the official page

Who can apply

Start-ups, SMEs or research performing organisations (universities, research or technology organisations, including teams, individual Principal Investigators and inventors) established in a Member State or Associated Country. Larger companies that do not qualify as SMEs are not eligible.

Confirmed on the official page

Business size

Start-ups, Micro (under 10 staff), Small (10 to 49 staff), Medium (50 to 249 staff)

Confirmed on the official page

Sectors

deep tech

How to apply

Visit the provider website for further information about this scheme, including how to apply.

Confirmed on the official page

Where it is open: UK-wide

United Kingdom

Checked by a person

HartlepoolMiddlesbroughRedcar and ClevelandStockton-on-TeesDarlingtonHaltonWarringtonBlackburn with DarwenBlackpoolKingston upon Hull, City ofEast Riding of YorkshireNorth East LincolnshireNorth LincolnshireYorkCounty DurhamCheshire EastCheshire West and ChesterNorthumberlandCumberlandWestmorland and FurnessNorth YorkshireBurnleyChorleyFyldeHyndburnLancasterPendlePrestonRibble ValleyRossendaleSouth RibbleWest LancashireWyreBoltonBuryManchesterOldhamRochdaleSalfordStockportTamesideTraffordWiganKnowsleyLiverpoolSt. HelensSeftonWirralDoncasterRotherhamNewcastle upon TyneNorth TynesideSouth TynesideSunderlandBradfordCalderdaleKirkleesLeedsWakefieldGatesheadBarnsleySheffield

Open across United Kingdom, so every council area in the North of England is shaded.

Drawn from the areas the funder names. If a scheme is only for part of a council area, check its own page. Boundaries from the Office for National Statistics.

Have you used this scheme?

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Related open schemes

Everything open across the North

Source and last checked

Local Landscape gathers this information automatically from the pages below, then checks the key details against the official page. Checked against the official page (eic.ec.europa.eu) on 5 Oct 2026. Its details last changed on 31 Oct 2026. A person last checked it on 31 Oct 2026, so confirm the details with European Innovation Council before you apply.

Run this scheme? Claim European Innovation Council's page to keep it right.