Call for applications to the EIT Community NEB’s start-up accelerator: Catalyse NEB 2026
Details
Are you building an impact-driven start-up that wants to grow — without compromising your values? Apply now for Catalyse NEB 2026, the EIT Community NEB accelerator for ventures shaping a sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful future.
The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is where innovation meets culture, design, and sustainability. It’s Europe’s creative engine for turning the Green Deal into everyday reality — rethinking how we build our cities, produce materials, and shape communities. The EIT Community NEB aims to bridge the gap between science and technology on the one hand, and arts and culture on the other, promoting business through start-ups, ideation and education, as well as citizen education and engagement. With that purpose, EIT Community NEB engages with European innovators to overcome fragmentations in the European innovation landscape, works together with universities and stakeholders in the identification of problems and solutions, and ensures civil society engagement in the NEB movement.
Catalyse NEB will support 20 NEB-minded businesses that put at the core social innovation as key to deliver systems change and new ways of living together. Making available NEB solutions for end-users, cities and regions, and other companies is essential to develop successful long-term solutions that match the needs of the wider community. By supporting NEB-minded businesses, Catalyse NEB promotes a true synergy of innovation, business, creativity, and design, improving citizens quality of life and driving green and digital transformations.
Watch the info session recording to learn more about Catalyse NEB 2026:
Watch the recording
Who can apply?
- Registered with legal effects in an eligible country, either in an EU member state or third country associated to Horizon Europe.
- Incorporated after 1st January 2021.
- Financial Standing: Applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria
- Generated a minimum of EUR 15,000 in revenue in 2025, or
- Secured at least EUR 40,000 in investments, or
- Participated in the Grow NEB programme.
- Funding Stage: The company should have received, or currently be seeking, venture funding from sources such as business angels, venture capital funds, or corporate venture funds. Eligible companies should be in the pre-seed, seed, or, in exceptional cases, Series A stage. Applicants should have raised no more than EUR 1,000,000 in total funding at the time of applying.
- TRL/BRL of at least 4 or participant in the Grow NEB programme.
- Founders owning more than 50% of shares.
- Agree to sign Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) with associated KIC before the programme start-date.
- Guarantee the participation of at least one of the founders in the programme.
DO NOT apply to this call if your venture is not in a position to sign the SAFE.
What will you gain?
The 20 successful awardees will be welcomed in the EIT Community Catalyse NEB programme that will be tailored to each company. You will receive support on business, communications and NEB in the form of interactive workshops, one-on-one mentoring on both the design and business dimensions, and in-person and online networking events, with the aim to assess and further develop both the business structure of your company and your alignment with NEB core values and principles. Additionally, you will receive EUR 22k in cash.
Timeline
| Opening call: | 27 October 2025 |
| Information session: | 26 November 2025, 17:00 CET |
| Deadline for call content questions: | 10 December 2025 |
| Call FAQ posting: | 17 December 2025 |
| Closing call: | 19 January 2026, 17:00 CET |
| Admissibility and eligibility checks: | 30 January 2026 |
| Round 1 evaluations: | 20 February 2026 |
| Deadline for written confirmation on SAFE signing: | 10 March 2026 |
| Round 2 evaluations: | 27 March 2026 |
| Initial consensus: | 1 April 2026 |
| Due diligence calls: | 6 – 17 April 2026 |
| Final consensus and communication of final selection to the participants: | 22 April 2026 |
| Deadline to Sign FSA and SAFE: | 22 May 2026 |
| Start of programme: | 25 May 2026 |
How to apply?
All applicants to the call for the 2026 Catalyse NEB programme are required to complete the application form. All applications must be submitted in English.
The application form is built to assess how the applying entity adheres to the NEB core values and principles, and if it is fit to receive the support from this EIT Community NEB programme. Applicants should select at least one of the Strategic Focus Areas.
In addition to the questions in the application form, applicants will be required to provide both a proof of incorporation and a proof of revenues or investments received.
Please reach out to neb@eitcommunity.eu for any queries.
