EdTech Accelerator
Up to €2.7 million in 100% grant funding to accelerate European EdTech startups.
The EdTech Accelerator is a Digital Europe Programme funding line supporting European startups and SMEs in education technology to transform innovative concepts into mature, tested and scalable solutions.
What is the EdTech Accelerator?
The programme accelerates the development of EdTech solutions, improves learning outcomes, and strengthens Europe's competitiveness in education technology.
It funds consortia that select, mentor and scale promising EdTech startups across Europe through a cascade-funding mechanism.
Eligible beneficiaries include accelerators, universities, EdTech clusters, research organisations and SMEs from at least three different EU/associated countries.
Who is eligible?
Consortium of 4+ entities
Public/private entities from at least three different EU or Horizon-Europe-associated countries acting as the accelerator consortium.
EdTech startups & SMEs
Innovative European EdTech startups receiving cascade funding (typically up to €150K each) to mature and validate their solution.
Research & education partners
Universities, research bodies and pedagogical experts that ensure the educational quality of accelerated solutions.
Mentors & investors
Industry mentors, business angels and VCs that support startups in scaling commercially after the acceleration phase.
How the programme works
- 1
Form a competitive consortium
Assemble at least four complementary partners across EU countries — accelerator, EdTech cluster, university, and industry mentor.
- 2
Design the acceleration programme
Define the open call for startups, selection criteria, the mentoring track, and the scaling support package.
- 3
Submit the proposal
File the application under DIGITAL-2026-SKILLS-10-EDTECH before the October 2026 deadline.
- 4
Run the open call for startups
Once funded, the consortium launches an EU-wide call and selects the most promising EdTech ventures.
- 5
Accelerate & cascade-fund
Selected startups receive grants, mentoring, pedagogical validation and access to networks for typically 12–18 months.
- 6
Scale & report
Track results, support startups in scaling commercially, and report back to the European Commission on impact.
How CARO helps
From idea to a winning EdTech Accelerator proposal
CARO Business Ventures structures the consortium, drafts the technical and financial proposal, and coordinates with EU partners to maximise scoring against the DIGITAL Europe evaluation criteria.
- Consortium structuring & partner search
- Concept note & full proposal writing
- Budget engineering & cascade-funding design
- Compliance with DIGITAL Europe rules
- EC submission & grant agreement preparation
- Post-award programme management support
Programme details summarized from the European Commission's call page for DIGITAL-2026-SKILLS-10-EDTECH (Digital Europe Programme). Final terms and the call timeline are published on the EU Funding & Tenders portal. This page is informational and not a legal offer.