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Overview
L'EIC Pathfinder Open finance une recherche visionnaire et à haut risque sur la science qui sous-tend les futures technologies de rupture. C'est l'un des rares dispositifs en Europe réellement prêt à soutenir des travaux qui n'ont ni produit, ni marché, ni encore la moindre preuve qu'ils peuvent fonctionner. Il n'y a aucun thème prédéfini, donc toute idée radicale est la bienvenue, et il cible les tout premiers stades de la recherche, environ les niveaux TRL 1 à 4, là où la vraie question est de savoir si une technologie est seulement possible. L'offre est une subvention pure pouvant atteindre 4 millions d'euros par projet (relevée de 3 millions d'euros dans le programme de travail 2026), couvrant 100 % des coûts éligibles, sans prise de participation ni remboursement. La voie par défaut est un consortium d'au moins 3 entités indépendantes issues de 3 pays différents de l'UE ou pays associés, même si une entité unique peut candidater. L'appel 2026 disposait d'un budget de 166 millions d'euros et a attiré un nombre record de 2 103 propositions avant sa clôture le 12 mai 2026 ; les résultats de l'évaluation sont attendus aux alentours d'octobre 2026. Le prochain appel annuel est attendu début 2027, bien que les dates exactes n'aient pas encore été publiées. Ce qu'il finance est concret, pas abstrait. Des entreprises et des équipes comme CEREBRIS, qui travaille sur l'IA multi-agents pour les maladies neurologiques, HeartVision, qui ouvre de nouvelles voies dans le traitement de l'insuffisance cardiaque, et EUROPA, un accélérateur piloté par laser pour les radio-isotopes médicaux, ont toutes emprunté cette voie. Les lauréats peuvent ensuite progresser vers le marché grâce à l'EIC Transition et à l'Accelerator.
Soyez honnête avec vous-même sur les chances.
Is this for you?
- Radically new technology idea — not incremental
- TRL 1–4 (technology readiness level) — no product, prototype or revenue needed
- Consortium: 3+ legal entities from 3+ EU/associated countries
- Universities, research organisations, startups and SMEs can all lead
- Any field of science or technology — no predefined topics
- Scaling an existing product → EIC Accelerator
- Lone startup wanting non-dilutive cash → EIC Accelerator (single-company, TRL 5+)
- Lab result ready to spin out (TRL 4–6) → EIC Transition
- Your idea fits a defined strategic topic → EIC Pathfinder Challenges (€96M, smaller consortia allowed)
At least one consortium partner must be established in an EU member state. Individual researchers may join if they plan to set up a legal entity; single applicants and two-partner teams are only possible under Pathfinder Challenges, not Open.
Success rates — the honest picture
Roughly 1 in 50 applications gets funded. A sharp, evidence-backed proposal is what separates the funded from the rejected.
| Call | Submitted | Funded | Success rate | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 868 | 61 | 7.0% | €168M |
| 2022 | 858 | 57 | ~6.6% | €183M |
| 2023 | 783 | 53 | ~6.8% | €169.5M |
| 2024 | 1,119 | 45 | 4.0% | €138M |
| 2025 | 2,087 | 44 | 2.1% | €142M |
| 2026 | 2,103 | ~40–50 expected | results Oct 2026 | €166M |
The 2026 call closed on 12 May 2026 with 2,103 proposals from 76 countries requesting over €8.2B against a €166M budget. There is no resubmission limit — the EIC does not penalise rejected Pathfinder proposals, so a revised application next year is standard practice.
Eligibility
- 1La voie par défaut est un consortium d'au moins 3 entités juridiques indépendantes établies dans 3 États membres de l'UE ou pays associés à Horizon Europe différents, et elles doivent être réellement indépendantes les unes des autres.
- 2Une entité juridique unique (une startup, une PME, une université ou un organisme de recherche) peut candidater seule, mais c'est l'exception : lors de l'édition 2025, 48 % des participants étaient des universités, 27 % des entreprises et 25 % des organismes de recherche, et la plupart des projets financés étaient des équipes pluridisciplinaires.
- 3Votre idée doit se situer aux niveaux TRL 1 à 4, le stade scientifique où vous prouvez encore qu'un principe fonctionne, sans construire ni mettre à l'échelle un produit. Tout ce qui dispose d'un prototype existant ou d'une voie claire vers le marché relève plutôt de l'EIC Transition ou de l'Accelerator.
- 4Il n'y a aucune liste de thèmes. Pathfinder Open soutient tout domaine de technologie de rupture : vous ne concourez donc pas au sein d'un thème, vous concourez contre toutes les idées radicales d'Europe pour cette édition.
- 5La science doit être à haut risque et à fort potentiel, et réellement nouvelle. Les améliorations incrémentales de travaux existants, le développement appliqué et les propositions du type « nous allons optimiser X de 20 % » sont rapidement écartées.
- 6Les pays associés (tels que le Royaume-Uni, la Norvège, la Suisse selon les conditions actuelles, Israël et d'autres) comptent dans la règle des 3 pays ; vérifiez le statut exact d'association de votre pays pour l'appel 2026 avant de bâtir le consortium autour.
The consortium floor is stricter than it looks: at least three legal entities, independent of each other, each established in a different country — with at least one in an EU Member State and at least two others each in a different Member State or Horizon Europe associated country. Affiliated entities (parent, subsidiary, sister companies) do not count as independent, so a group with offices in three countries still fails. Universities, research organisations, SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), startups, industrial partners and even natural persons all qualify as entities — but single applicants are only allowed under Pathfinder Challenges, never Pathfinder Open.
Both the United Kingdom (associated since January 2024) and Switzerland (associated since January 2025) are full Horizon Europe associated countries for Pathfinder: their entities can participate, receive funding and coordinate. The trap is the anchor rule — at least one consortium member must sit in an EU Member State, so a UK–Swiss–Norwegian trio is ineligible no matter how strong the science.
Pathfinder Open 2026 runs on the Horizon Europe Lump Sum Model Grant Agreement (HORIZON-AG-LS). You propose a lump-sum amount built from estimated costs per work package; evaluators scrutinise it and the figure is fixed during grant preparation. Funding covers 100% of costs, with contributions between €1 million and €4 million (more only if duly justified). Payment then depends on completing work packages, not on submitting cost statements — simpler administration, but no topping up later.
Under the Horizon Europe rules on legal entity validation and financial capacity assessment referenced in the call conditions, the coordinator's financial viability is assessed where the requested EU funding is €500,000 or more — public bodies, higher-education establishments and entities whose viability is guaranteed by a Member State are exempt. A newly created spin-out can still coordinate, but expect scrutiny of accounts (or a self-declaration plus supporting evidence where accounts do not yet exist), and standard EU exclusion grounds (bankruptcy, fraud, unpaid taxes) apply to every beneficiary.
Admissibility is mechanical: sections 1–3 of Part B (covering Excellence, Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation) are capped at 22 A4 pages. Anything beyond the limit is automatically blanked out and never reaches the evaluators — a routine way for otherwise fundable proposals to lose their methodology section.
As a Horizon Europe action, every proposal selected for funding passes an ethics review and, where flagged, a security scrutiny before grant signature — the call documents include the standard Horizon Europe security-section guidance and clinical-studies information requirements. Projects involving human participants, personal data, animals or dual-use potential should budget time for ethics requirements becoming contractual deliverables.
Where you need to be
Your project should sit at TRL 1–4 when you apply. The eligible band is highlighted below.
- 1Basic principles observedYou've observed something interesting in the lab or on paper
- 2Technology concept formulatedYou have a hypothesis for how this could become a technology
- 3Experimental proof of conceptYou've shown the basic idea works in a controlled setting
- 4Technology validated in labYou've validated key components work together in lab conditions
- 5Validated in relevant environmentTested in conditions close to real-world
- 6Demonstrated in relevant environmentPrototype demonstrated in near-real conditions
- 7System prototype in operational environmentWorking prototype in actual operating conditions
- 8System complete and qualifiedFinal product tested and proven to work
- 9Actual system proven in operationProduct is live and working in the real world
The money — 100% grant, paid as a lump sum
Pathfinder uses the lump-sum model: you agree a fixed amount per work package up front, then declare each work package completed or not completed. No timesheets, no receipts, no detailed cost statements — the heaviest bureaucracy in EU funding simply does not apply here.
Unlike the EIC Accelerator (European Innovation Council's scale-up instrument, which mixes grant with equity), Pathfinder is a plain grant. The EU takes no shares and no board seat. A startup in the consortium keeps full ownership.
Pre-financing of typically 40–60% lands within 30 days of signature. Interim payments follow the periodic reports, and the final roughly 10% is released when the project closes. Projects run 36–48 months.
The €4M is for the whole consortium, not per partner. A typical 3–5 partner team budgets per work package; the coordinator distributes payments. Plan the split before you write the proposal — renegotiating shares after award strains a young consortium.
How to apply — step by step
- 1Create EU Login account10 min
Go to the EU Authentication Service and create an account. This is your gateway to all EU portals.
Create EU Login → - 2Register your organisation1–2 hours
Register your organisation in the Participant Register and obtain a PIC (Participant Identification Code).
Participant Register → - 3Build your consortiumWeeks–months
Assemble a consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU/associated countries. At least one must be from an EU Member State. Small consortia of 3–5 partners are typical.
Partner Search → - 4Write your proposal8–16 weeks
Part B is your technical proposal. Section 1: Excellence — the science, the breakthrough vision, the methodology. Section 2: Impact — the potential for radical transformation. Section 3: Implementation — work plan, consortium, budget. Max ~25 pages.
- 5Submit electronicallyBefore deadline
Submit via the Funding & Tenders Portal before the annual cut-off. The 2026 cut-off (12 May 2026, 17:00 Brussels time) has now closed — the next EIC Pathfinder Open cut-off is expected in spring 2027, to be confirmed in the EIC Work Programme 2027.
- 6Remote expert evaluation~4 months
At least 4 independent experts evaluate your proposal. Scored on Excellence (threshold 4/5), Impact (threshold 3.5/5), Implementation (threshold 3/5). Overall threshold: 70%. Top proposals invited to a rebuttal phase.
- 7Grant agreement + project start~January 2027
If selected, the Grant Agreement is signed ~6 months after the deadline. Pre-financing paid within 30 days of signing. Project typically runs 3–4 years.
What evaluators look for
Excellence
A long-term vision of a radically new technology. Scientific foundations, novelty, ambition, and high-risk/high-gain nature.
- Visionary, breakthrough research objective — not incremental improvement
- Sound scientific basis and plausible methodology
- Novelty — going well beyond the state of the art
- High-risk/high-gain — potential for radical transformation
- Interdisciplinary approach
Impact
Potential for transformative positive effects on economy, society, or environment. Credible pathways to impact.
- Potential for radical transformation in the field
- Credible pathways from research to real-world impact
- Contribution to European competitiveness and strategic autonomy
- Clear communication and dissemination plan
Quality & Efficiency of Implementation
Quality of the work plan, consortium competence, resource allocation.
- Well-structured work plan with clear milestones
- Appropriate consortium with complementary expertise
- Effective resource allocation
- Risk management strategy
Documents you'll need
The master document — pages 5–28 cover EIC Pathfinder.
- Contains:
- Defines EIC Pathfinder Open scope, €166M budget, eligibility, consortium rules, and evaluation process.
- Length:
- ~188 pages (pp. 5–28 for Pathfinder)
- Why:
- Source of truth for Pathfinder Open.
- When:
- Read first
Official Part B template for Pathfinder Open proposals.
- Contains:
- The template structure for your technical proposal.
- Length:
- ~25 pages
- Why:
- This is where your actual proposal lives.
- When:
- When writing your proposal
The exact form evaluators use to score proposals.
- Contains:
- Scoring criteria for Excellence, Impact, and Implementation.
- Length:
- ~8 pages
- Why:
- Structure your proposal to match this form.
- When:
- Before and during writing
Unofficial annotated version of the proposal template with guidance notes and tips.
- Contains:
- Section-by-section guidance for writing your Pathfinder proposal.
- Length:
- ~30 pages
- Why:
- Helps you understand what evaluators expect in each section.
- When:
- When writing your proposal
Comprehensive guide to the Horizon Europe grant contract.
- Contains:
- Every clause explained with examples.
- Length:
- ~300 pages
- Why:
- Reference for legal questions.
- When:
- After selection
Cross-cutting eligibility, evaluation, and funding rules.
- Contains:
- Eligible countries, entity types, ethics requirements.
- Length:
- ~50 pages
- Why:
- Check eligibility rules.
- When:
- If unsure about eligibility
How budgets and payments work under the lump sum model.
- Contains:
- Work package-based costing, payment schedule, reporting requirements.
- Length:
- ~20 pages
- Why:
- Understand how lump sum budgets differ from actual cost grants.
- When:
- When preparing your budget
Typical Budget Breakdown
After you're funded
Every funded project is assigned a Programme Manager — a domain expert at the European Innovation Council who steers the portfolio proactively, connects related projects and can shape follow-on funding. Treat them as an asset, not an auditor.
Grantees get access to the EIC's coaching, mentoring, training, global partner networks and investment-readiness support — the same services Accelerator companies use, available even though Pathfinder is research-stage.
Fixed lump-sum top-ups, capped at €50,000, to test the commercialisation potential of your research outputs. Available to Pathfinder grantees during or after the project via a simple application.
Pathfinder results feed the EIC pipeline: Transition (TRL 4–6, up to €2.5M) to mature the technology, and Fast Track, which lets you skip the EIC Accelerator's short-proposal step and apply directly with the full application (up to €2.5M grant plus equity investment).
Lump sum means no timesheets or cost statements, but you still file periodic reports declaring work packages completed, and the final ~10% is held back until project close. Projects run 36–48 months with milestones the Programme Manager actually reads.
Practical notes
Unlike EIC Pathfinder Challenges (which allows a single beneficiary or a 2-partner consortium), Pathfinder Open requires at least 3 independent legal entities each established in a different EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country, with at least one in an EU Member State. Affiliated entities don't count as independent, and associated partners (unfunded) don't count toward the minimum — so a startup or single lab must actively recruit genuinely independent partners before it can even submit.
The NCP network Access2EIC publishes a free, call-specific Annotated Proposal Template for EIC Pathfinder Open 2026 (via the Horizon Europe NCP Portal / access2eic.eu). It overlays the official template with colour-coded guidance: blue = the Commission's own instructions, yellow = NCP recommendations, and purple = 'Tips & Tricks' distilled from real evaluator feedback — effectively a marked-up version of exactly what the four remote experts look for.
Every EU/Associated Country has an EIC National Contact Point (NCP) that provides confidential advisory, partner-search help, and proposal-readiness feedback at no cost. Reaching out months before the deadline (not the week before) gets you a human who has seen funded and rejected Pathfinder proposals; the EIC also runs official info days and webinars for each call cycle that NCPs flag.
Pathfinder Open evaluation runs through a remote phase with four independent experts scoring Excellence, Impact and Implementation, then a rebuttal phase: you get ~7 days to respond to evaluator comments in a strictly limited 2-A4-page reply. You cannot add new information or change the proposal — only correct factual errors or misunderstandings — and the panel formally considers your rebuttal, so a sharp, surgical reply can move a borderline proposal. With the 2025 Open success rate at a record-low ~2.1% (44 funded of 2,087), every recoverable point matters.
Open calls
Live from the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
EIC Transition Open
16 Sept 2026Advanced Materials for Miniaturised Energy Harvesting Systems
28 Oct 2026Biotechnology for Healthy Ageing
28 Oct 2026DeepRAP: Deep Reasoning, Abstraction & Planning towards trustworthy Cognitive AI Systems
28 Oct 2026Who's been funded
44 projects funded · €140.5M in EU contribution · sourced from CORDIS.
CEREBRIS
€8.8MMulti AI-Agents to Revolutionise the Management of Neurological Diseases
SWIRFlex-DT
€4.1MAdvanced Organic Semiconductor Materials for Flexible SWIR Photodetection
HeartVision
€4.0MIlluminating new paths in heart failure therapy
EUROPA
€3.5MlasEr-driven Universal Radio-isOtope Production Accelerator
NEQIOS
€3.3MNeuromorphic Quantum-Inspired Optimization and Simulation
Fiber3D
€3.2MMulti-Process Strategy To Embed Optical Fibers In 3D-Printed Metal Parts
PROPANTHERA
€3.1MRetrograde atrophy induction: a paradigm shift in prostate and pancreatic cancer prevention and therapy.
CarboNcare
€3.1MCARBON-EFFICIENT BIOPRODUCTION OF CHEMICALS FROM METHANOL
PHINDER
€3.1MPicosecond-scale Photonic Heterogeneous Integrated Neuromorphic Detector
HoloMorPh
€3.1MHolographic surface Morphing for ready-to-use planar Photonic components
MECH-QUBIT
€3.1MMECHanical QUBIT With Enhanced Coherence
ULTRAPURE
€3.1MINTEGRATED SOURCES FOR ULTRAPURE OSCILLATIONS FROM ACOUSTICAL TO LIGHT WAVES
Key Features
Official links & resources
- Official EIC Pathfinder Open 2026 page
- Call topic on the Funding & Tenders Portal
- EIC Work Programme 2026 (master document)
- Official Pathfinder FAQ
- Find your National Contact Point (free expert help)
- Partner search — build your consortium
- Lump sum funding guide (how budgets and payments work)
- Funding & Tenders Portal — apply here
Frequently Asked Questions
Pathfinder Open est conçu pour des consortiums : il vous faut au moins 3 entités juridiques indépendantes issues de 3 États membres de l'UE ou pays associés à Horizon Europe différents. Les partenaires éligibles comprennent les universités, les organismes de recherche, les startups, les PME et les grandes entreprises. L'accent est mis sur les tout premiers stades de la recherche, environ les niveaux TRL 1 à 4, où vous explorez si une technologie de rupture est seulement possible.
Le programme de travail 2026 a relevé le plafond de subvention à 4 millions d'euros par projet, contre 3 millions, avec des montants plus élevés possibles s'ils sont dûment justifiés. Le financement couvre 100 % des coûts éligibles, et la subvention moyenne en 2025 était d'environ 3,7 millions d'euros. Il s'agit d'une subvention pure, sans prise de participation ni remboursement, donc entièrement non dilutive.
Pathfinder Open est un dispositif collaboratif, la voie par défaut est donc un consortium d'au moins 3 partenaires répartis dans 3 pays. Une entité juridique unique, telle qu'une startup, une université ou un organisme de recherche, peut candidater à part entière, mais l'évaluation récompense les équipes pluridisciplinaires, et la plupart des projets financés sont des consortiums. Lors de l'édition 2025, les universités représentaient 48 % des participants, les entreprises 27 % et les organismes de recherche 25 %.
L'appel EIC Pathfinder Open 2026 est désormais clôturé. La date limite était le 12 mai 2026 à 17 h 00, heure de Bruxelles, et l'appel a attiré un nombre record de 2 103 propositions. Les résultats de l'évaluation sont attendus aux alentours d'octobre 2026. La date limite de l'appel 2027 n'a pas encore été annoncée ; les dates sont généralement publiées par l'EIC à l'automne de l'année précédente. Surveillez le portail européen Funding & Tenders pour les mises à jour.
Très élevé. L'appel 2026 a attiré un nombre record de 2 103 propositions face à un budget de 166 millions d'euros. L'appel 2025 n'a financé que 44 des 2 087 propositions, soit un taux de réussite d'environ 2,1 %, le plus bas jamais enregistré. Sur les cinq dernières années, la moyenne a été d'environ 5 %, vous devez donc tabler sur des probabilités à un seul chiffre.
Attendez-vous à un calendrier qui se compte en mois, pas en semaines. Les candidats sont généralement informés du résultat de l'évaluation dans un délai d'environ 5 mois après la date limite, puis la convention de subvention est signée dans un délai d'environ 3 mois supplémentaires, soit environ 8 mois au total à compter de la date limite de mai. Pour l'appel 2026, cela situe les signatures de subvention et le premier préfinancement vers la fin 2026 ou le début 2027.
Pathfinder récompense une science réellement nouvelle au potentiel de rupture évident, et non des améliorations incrémentales de travaux existants. Comme l'appel est ouvert, sans thème prédéfini, votre proposition doit reposer sur l'ambition et la crédibilité de la vision à long terme, la force de l'équipe pluridisciplinaire et un plan de recherche à haut risque et fort potentiel. Avec des chances proches de 2 %, les évaluateurs attendent désormais aussi une voie claire vers un impact et une exploitation futurs, et pas seulement une science excellente isolée.
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