Are you envisioning a project with radically new technology that can create new markets? Then the European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder may be the programme for you. Within this programme, the EIC Pathfinder is a funding scheme for advanced research to develop the scientific basis to underpin breakthrough technologies. This page informs you on the topics, the evaluation criteria and process, and the most important differences compared to its predecessor FET-Open.

• What projects are eligible?
• Patfinder Challenges 2026
• Pathfinder Open
• When to apply in 2026?
• Who can submit?
• Evaluation criteria & process
• Changes & updates: from FET-Open to EIC Pathfinder Open
• EIC Programmes
• Extensive support

What projects are eligible?

There are two types of calls for the EIC Pathfinder:

1. Pathfinder Challenges (these projects are focussed on predefined areas) – Grants up to € 4 million per project or more if duly justified (meaning targeted, strategic priorities, complementary to the open call). The overall budget for the EIC Pathfinder Challenges in 2026 is € 96 million.
2. Pathfinder Open (projects can be in any field of science, technology or application without predefined priorities) – Grants up to € 3 million per project or more if duly justified (meaning open to proposals in any field of science, technology or application, no predefined thematic priorities); The overall budget for the EIC Pathfinder Open in 2026 is € 166 million.

Pathfinder Challenges 2026

There are three topics formulated as the Pathfinder Challenges 2026. To be eligible for funding from the Pathfinder Challenges, your project should focus on:

• Advanced Materials for Miniaturised Energy Harvesting Systems
• Biotechnology for Healthy Ageing
• DeepRAP: Deep Reasoning, Abstraction & Planning towards trustworthy Cognitive AI Systems

The Pathfinder Challenges support collaborative research and innovation from consortia or applications from single legal entities.

Pathfinder Open

Pathfinder Open aims to realise an ambitious vision for radically new technology (TRL 1-4), with potential to create new markets and/or to address global challenges. Proposals should meet the following characteristics:

• Convincing long-term vision of a radically new deep-tech that has the potential to have a transformative positive effect to our economy and society.
• Concrete, novel and ambitious science-towards-technology breakthrough, providing advancement towards the envisioned technology.
• High-risk/high-gain research approach and methodology, with concrete and plausible objectives.

The expected outcome is the proof of principle that the main ideas of the envisioned future technology are feasible. Interdisciplinary research is key, and in addition, EIC wants to stimulate that promising young researchers or start-ups/high-tech SMEs are empowered in your team.

When to apply in 2026?

The deadlines of the EIC Pathfinder in 2026 are:

• EIC Pathfinder Open: 12 May 2026
• EIC Pathfinder Challenges: 28 October 2026

Who can submit?

Proposals must be submitted by legal entities in a Member State (or associated country). The legal entities may for example be universities, research organisations, SMEs, start-ups, industrial partners or natural persons.

• Open Call: only consortia can apply
• Challenges Call: smaller consortia (at least two eligible entities) or single applications as well as larger consortia can apply

Evaluation criteria & process: excellence, impact, quality & efficiency

The main criterium for evaluation is excellence, which is amongst others where evaluators will score the novelty and ambition of the proposed plan in comparison to the state-of-the-art. Next to excellence, proposals will be evaluated on impact, and the quality and efficiency of the implementation. Some criteria may vary between the Pathfinder Open and Challenges, with the latter for example also including ‘relevance to the Challenge’.

Pathfinder Open

Pathfinder Open proposals will first go through a remote scoring phase, where EIC expert evaluators will allocate scores based on the above mentioned evaluation criteria. This phase is followed by a rebuttal procedure, which allows for response to potential misunderstandings or errors. Proposals will then go to the evaluation committee, which will have a different composition of experts than during the remote phase. Based on the remote score and the outcome of consensus discussions, and, if applicable, the rebuttal, a final score will be given.

Pathfinder Challenges

Pathfinder Challenges proposals will also first go through a remote scoring phase. Only proposals that meet a certain threshold will then proceed to be evaluated by the evaluation committee. This committee will make a list of proposals to be funded, which will be based on the initial remote score and the proposal’s contribution to the setting up of a consistent portfolio of projects.

The outcome of the evaluation of proposals for both Pathfinder Open and Challenges will be communicated within 5 months.

Changes & updates | From FET-Open to EIC Pathfinder Open

The Pathfinder Open is largely similar to its predecessor FET-Open, but there are some notable changes:

• The FET-Open was part of Excellent Science pillar under Horizon 2020, while EIC Pathfinder Open belongs to the Innovative Europe pillar under Horizon Europe. This might suggest an increased focus on innovative and market-driven aspects.
• A rebuttal procedure after the remote evaluation phase allows applicants to reply to the evaluators’ comments.
• The FET-Open gatekeepers (essential characteristics) ‘Radical vision’ and ‘Breakthrough technological target’ are maintained, but the Pathfinder Open’s ‘High-risk/high-gain’ has replaced the ‘Ambitious interdisciplinary research’ gatekeeper. Clearly, the EIC seeks out to fund only those ambitious projects that have significant breakthrough impact.

About the EIC Programmes

The EIC has three instruments, each offering funding during successive stages of the innovation process. The programme supports high-risk/high gain ideas that have the potential to scale up internationally. EIC offers the following three grant instruments, each is focussed on a different TRL level):

1. 1. EIC Pathfinder (for innovation with TRL levels up to 3/4)
   2. EIC Transition (for innovation with TRL levels from 3/4 up to 5/6)
   3. EIC Accelerator (for innovation with TRL levels from 5/6 up to 9)
   4. EIC Pre-Accelerator (SMEs and deep-tech startups in Widening countries)
   5. STEP Scale Up

Extensive support for grant applications and excellent track record

Hezelburcht has obtained extensive experience in supporting universities and companies with acquiring grants under the previous European Framework Programmes (Horizon 2020 and FP7), including FET-Open. We provide full service: identification of grant opportunities, feasibility check, application writing and reviewing, and project management. If you have any questions concerning the new EIC Pathfinder Programme and our support, please contact us via 088 495 20 00 or info@hezelburcht.com.