EIC Pathfinder Open 2026 call continues to attract strong interest from the research community

The European Innovation Council (EIC) has received 2103 project proposals under the EIC Pathfinder Open 2026 call, confirming the continued strong interest of the research and innovation community in breakthrough deep-tech funding opportunities.

The call, which closed on 12 May 2026, attracted participants from 76 countries. Applicants collectively requested more than €8.2 billion in grant funding, reflecting the growing demand for support for ambitious, high-risk and potentially transformative research projects.

Compared to the previous year, the number of submitted proposals increased once again, continuing the upward trend observed in recent editions of the programme and underlining the strategic importance of the EIC Pathfinder instrument within the European innovation ecosystem. 

The scale of participation also highlights the highly competitive nature of the programme. The call received:

• 12 399 beneficiary participations
• 4 633 unique beneficiary organisations

 The sustained level of interest demonstrates that the EIC Pathfinder programme remains highly attractive to Europe’s research community, despite the very competitive success rates of previous years. It also reflects the continued appetite for funding visionary research with the potential to create entirely new technological pathways. The EIC Pathfinder Open 2026 call has an indicative budget of €166 million.

Next steps

The evaluation process is now underway, with results expected to be announced in October 2026. 

More information

The EIC Pathfinder supports visionary ideas for radically new technologies. It promotes high-risk/high-gain, interdisciplinary collaborations focused on early-stage technology development (Technology Readiness Levels 1–3), up to proof of concept. 

Funded projects benefit not only from grants of up to €3–4 million, but also from direct engagement with EIC Programme Managers. Additional funding opportunities are available to explore the innovative potential of research results or to support collaborative portfolio actions. 

For more information, consult the EIC Work Programme 2026.