EIC Grants

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What are the EIC Grants?

EIC Grants aims to identify and support breakthrough technologies and game changing innovations to create new markets and scale up internationally. There are three main types of EIC funding available:

• EIC Pathfinder (formerly FET OPEN) grants support teams to research or develop an emerging breakthrough technology. Proposals are expected to achieve proof of principle and validate the scientific basis of breakthrough technology (technology readiness level, TRL 1-4).
• EIC Transition grants build on promising research results to demonstrate and mature the technology and develop business plans for specific technologies. Proposals should validate and demonstrate technology in application-relevant environment (TRL 4-5/6) and develop market readiness.
• EIC Accelerator grants provide funding and investments for individual start-ups and small companies to develop and scale up game changing innovations. Grants are intended for technology development ad validation (TRL 5/6-8)

Each of the types listed above comes in two flavours:

• the “open” call (applicants decide on the topic in a bottom-up approach);
• the “challenges” call (topics are pre-defined by the EIC in each call, and the groups of projects are proactively managed by the EIC programme managers.

Who can apply for the EIC Grants?

• EIC PATHFINDER OPEN: consortia of at least 3 different independent legal entities (e.g. research organisations, universities, SMEs, industry) from at least 3 different eligible countries.
• EIC PATHFINDER CHALLENGES: as for Pathfinder Open, but single applicants or small consortia (two partners, i.e. one research organisation and one SME) may be able to apply according to the call specifications.
• EIC TRANSITION: single applicants (SMEs, spin-offs, start-ups, research organisations, universities) or small consortia (2-5 partner). Applications must build on results from eligible Pathfinder (including EIC pilot Pathfinder, Horizon 2020 FET-Open, FET-Proactive), FET Innovation launchpads, FET Flagship (including ERANET calls) or ERC Proof of Concept Projects, projects funded under Horizon 2020 (Industrial leadership/Societal challenges pillars) or Horizon Europe (pillar II).
• EIC ACCELERATOR: single start-ups and SMEs (including spin-outs), individuals (intending to launch a start-up/SME) and in exceptional cases small mid-caps (fewer than 500 employees).

Why apply for the EIC Grants?

• EIC Pathfinder: financial support for your bold idea for radically new technologies of up to 3 M € per project (open call) or up to 4 M € per project (challenge call, from 2024 under lump sum rules).
• EIC Transition: financial support of up to 2.5 M € per project to help you to go beyond experimental proof of principle demonstrated in a previous European project and to fund validation and maturation of the novel technology or to build a business case/model for the innovation’s future commercialisation.
• Challenge calls: ongoing support of the EIC programme managers throughout the duration of the project and synergy with other funded projects within the challenge portfolio.

When to apply for the EIC Grants?

In 2023, the call deadlines relevant to the IOCB and the Challenge topics are the following:

• EIC Pathfinder Open (budget 136 M €): Tue 7 Mar 2024 17:00 Brussels time (EIC-PathfinderOpen-2024 summary  ).
• EIC Pathfinder Challenges (budget 120 M €, call will open 20 June 2024): Weds 16 Oct 2024 17:00 Brussels time:
  EIC Pathfinder Challenges summary 2024  ; topics open in 2024:
  • Solar-to-X devices for the decentralized prosumption of renewable fuels, chemicals and materials as climate change mitigation pathway - infoday 20 Mar 2024 recording, focusing on one chosen subsection
      - Standalone solar-to-X device development
      - Benchmarking and common metrics development for solar-to-X devices
      - Understanding fundamental mechanisms by means of computational materials science
  • Towards cement and concrete as a carbon sink - infoday 20 Mar 2024 recording
  • Nature inspired alternatives for food packaging and films for agriculture - infoday 20 Mar 2024 recording
  • Nanoelectronics for energy-efficient smart edge devices - infoday 20 Mar 2024 recording
  • Strengthening the sustainability and resilience of EU space infrastructure - infoday 20 Mar 2024 recording
• EIC Transition Open (budget 94 M €, call will open on 17 Apr 2024): Wed 18 Sep 2024 17:00 Brussels time (Call link).
• EIC Transition Challenges will not open in 2024.

Please inform the Project Office about your intention to apply.     Do not hesitate to contact us anytime for consulting, discussion or help.

Useful documents for EIC Grant applications

Programme guidelines

• EIC Work Programme 2024  
• Technology centre CAS brochure on EIC funding scheme  

EIC Pathfinder Open guides and template

• EIC Pathfinder Open application form template  
• EIC Pathfinder Open Part B template  

EIC Pathfinder Challenge guides and template

• Solar-to-X devices for the decentralized prosumption of renewable fuels, chemicals and materials as climate change mitigation pathway  
• Towards cement and concrete as a carbon sink  
• Nature inspired alternatives for food packaging and films for agriculture  
• Nanoelectronics for energy-efficient smart edge devices  
• Strengthening the sustainability and resilience of EU space infrastructure  
• EIC-Pathfinder Challenges 2024 application form  

EIC Transition Open template

• EIC Transition Part B template  
• Template for essential information for proposals including clinical studies  
• Letter of ownership of IP  

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IOCB participation (2) in EIC Grants:

• Zlatko JANEBA: RESYNC: Functional chemical reprogramming of cancer cells to induce antitumor immunity (2024-2026, CORDIS link)
• Robert HANUS: SMELLODI: Smart Electronic Olfaction for Body Odor Diagnostics (2022-2025, CORDIS link)