Up to €4M EIC Pathfinder Research Grant

The European Innovation Council, part of the EU's Horizon Europe programme, funds research teams chasing a radically new technology at its very earliest stage, from basic principles up to a proof of concept in the lab. Pathfinder Open takes projects in any field of science or technology, and for 2027 it moves to two stages: a short 10 page proposal first, then a full proposal and an interview for those invited.

What you get:

• A grant covering 100 percent of eligible project costs, paid as a lump sum; the EIC considers requests of up to EUR 4 million appropriate, and more can be requested if duly justified
• Access to the EIC's Business Acceleration Services: coaches, mentors, global partners and the innovation ecosystem
• Work with EIC Programme Managers
• Eligibility afterwards for Booster grants of up to EUR 50,000, an EIC Transition proposal, and the Fast Track into the EIC Accelerator

What you'll do:

• Build a consortium of at least three independent organisations in three different countries and collect a letter of commitment from each
• Submit a short proposal (Excellence and Impact, at most 10 A4 pages) through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal by 25 February 2027
• If invited, submit a full proposal of at most 23 pages by 16 September 2027 and attend an interview
• Carry the research to an experimental proof of concept or lab validation of the new technology, with open access publications

Key dates:

• Call opens 25 November 2026 (indicative)
• Stage 1 short proposals close 25 February 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time
• Stage 1 results within about 3 months of that deadline
• Stage 2 full proposals (by invitation) close 16 September 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time
• Interviews about 10 to 14 weeks after the Stage 2 deadline; results within about 4 months; grants signed within about 8 months

More information:

• EIC Work Programme 2027: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/ed9ab103-1ffb-4d5f-a6ad-168ac3b36900_en?filename=EIC-2027-Work-Programme.pdf
• EIC FAQs: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-frequently-asked-questions_en#eic-pathfinder
• National Contact Points: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/ncp
• Online information day on EIC 2027 funding, 19 November 2026: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/events/online-information-day-eic-funding-opportunities-2027-2026-11-19_en

• A consortium of at least three legal entities, independent from each other and each established in a different country
• At least one entity established in an EU Member State, and at least two others each established in different Member States or countries associated to Horizon Europe
• Entities may be universities, research organisations, SMEs, startups, industrial partners or natural persons; the coordinator submits on behalf of the consortium
• Single applicants and two-partner consortia are not eligible for Pathfinder Open (they are allowed only in Pathfinder Challenges)
• A letter of commitment from every consortium member must accompany the Stage 1 proposal, or the proposal is ineligible
• The project must present a long-term vision of a radically new technology, a concrete scientific breakthrough, and a high-risk, high-gain approach (the Gatekeepers)
• Rules for associated and third countries are in Annex 2 of the Work Programme; nuclear energy research goes to Euratom calls instead