EU-level instruments (EIC, Chips JU, Chips Act) apply on top of national instruments and generally require establishment in an EU member state or an associated country. EU-level results are shown for every target-country selection. Separately, a political agreement (Dec 2025) on a reformed EU FDI Screening Regulation designates semiconductors a "hyper-critical technology" that all member states will be required to screen — expect national regimes to keep converging and tightening.
✓ 3 Jul 2026
The European Innovation Council's flagship instrument for deep-tech SMEs: grants up to €2.5M plus equity investments of €0.5–10M+. Semiconductors are listed as a strategic priority with investment safeguards. Requires establishment in the EU or an associated country.
Equity-only instrument for European deep-tech scale-ups under the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP): €10–30M EIC Fund investments. Digital & deep tech — semiconductors and quantum in particular — is the focus.
Under Pillar 1 of the Chips Act (the Chips for Europe Initiative), the Chips Joint Undertaking funds design infrastructure open to companies: the European Chips Design Platform provides cloud-based EDA tools, IP libraries, design enablement, and routes to prototyping. Consortium calls require an EU partner and national co-funding.
PROPOSED — not yet law. A Commission proposal (2026) to revise the Chips Act, aimed at closing the "lab-to-fab" gap: reinforced support for first-of-a-kind facilities across the value chain (incl. design/packaging), plus crisis-management tools (emergency powers, a pooled procurement mechanism, and information-request penalties).
The EU framework mobilising up to €43bn to strengthen Europe's semiconductor ecosystem, built on three pillars: the Chips for Europe Initiative (R&D, design platform, pilot lines), a security-of-supply framework for first-of-a-kind facilities, and a monitoring/coordination structure.
Early-stage EIC grants for high-risk, high-gain research on breakthrough technologies — typically collaborative consortia advancing radically new device/design concepts toward proof of principle.