Common questions

ACCEND is a Horizon Europe project that brings together ten innovation organisations in six countries to help deep tech scaleups grow across borders. It runs the ACCEND Accelerator, which supported 80 companies in 2026, and is building lasting cross-border support for scaleups, including the ACCEND Service Directory.

ACCEND is coordinated by the University of Edinburgh and delivered by ten partners: accelerators, universities, research centres, regional development agencies and a global city network. Meet the partners.

ACCEND is funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe, under grant agreement 101193504. It is a Coordination and Support Action managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), and runs from January 2025 to December 2026. See ACCEND on CORDIS.

Applications for the ACCEND Accelerator are closed. Follow ACCEND on LinkedIn to hear about any future opportunities.

ACCEND is for deep tech scaleups: companies whose product is built on science or engineering, that are already selling, and that are ready to grow beyond their home market. See Is ACCEND for you? for the signs we looked for.

Each company is matched with a dedicated Guide who builds a tailored journey with them and supports them throughout the programme. Through the Guide, companies can reach services, experts and connections across all ten partners: investor matchmaking and investment readiness, piloting in living labs and testbeds, routes to public buyers, and coaching for international growth. Being part of a selected European cohort also brings visibility with investors, customers and public buyers.

No. ACCEND does not provide funding directly. It connects companies with investors through matchmaking, signposts them to grants, loans and equity, including EU instruments such as the EIC Accelerator, and helps them prepare pitch decks and investment materials.

No, but it helps companies compete for them. Companies get training on how public tenders work, alerts on relevant innovation calls, chances to pitch to potential buyers, and matchmaking with public procurers across our partner regions. Writing tenders and company-specific lead generation are outside the scope of the service.

The core programme is delivered online, in two cohorts, so companies anywhere in Europe can take part without travel costs. Each company follows its own path through the four service areas, with its Guide as mentor, connector and single point of contact. We also take companies to major European events to meet investors, public buyers and partners in person. Taking part is free of charge.

A deep tech company builds its product on scientific or engineering advances, such as new materials, sensors, artificial intelligence or clean energy technology, rather than on a new business model alone. A scaleup is past the startup stage: it has a proven product, paying customers and investment, and is now focused on growth. ACCEND works with companies that are both.

Technology Readiness Level (TRL) is a 1 to 9 scale used across EU programmes to describe how mature a technology is. TRL 1 is a basic scientific idea. TRL 7 means a working prototype has been shown in a real operating environment. TRL 9 means the product is proven in real use. ACCEND looked for companies at TRL 7 to 9.

Each ACCEND company is matched with a Guide: an experienced innovation professional from one of our partners who acts as its single point of contact. The Guide helps the company agree its priorities, connects it to the right services and people across the partnership, and checks in throughout the programme.

It is when cities and other public bodies buy new solutions that are not yet widely available on the market, often through calls designed for innovative suppliers. For a scaleup, it can mean a first large public customer and a reference that opens doors elsewhere.

A testbed is a facility where companies can try out their technology under realistic conditions. A living lab does this in real places with real users, such as a neighbourhood, campus or public service, so companies can see how their solution works in practice and get feedback before scaling up.

A guide to 295 organisations across Europe that offer support to scaleups, from investors and testbeds to accelerators and public buyers. It was shaped by our Working Groups and will remain available after the project ends.

Cities, public buyers, investors, testbeds, living labs and support organisations can all work with ACCEND. See Work with ACCEND for the options, or email info@accendhorizon.eu.

Email info@accendhorizon.eu with a short description of your organisation and the support it offers to scaleups. We will pass it to Startup Poland, which leads the Service Directory.

Our results page sets out what ACCEND has achieved so far. Public project reports are published on CORDIS.

Email info@accendhorizon.eu or use the form on our contact page.