EIC (European Innovation Council)

The EU's flagship innovation programme with a €10.1B budget (2021-2027), designed to identify and support breakthrough technologies and game-changing innovations. The EIC operates through three main instruments: Pathfinder (early-stage research, TRL 1-4), Transition (validation, TRL 4-6), and Accelerator (market-ready, TRL 5-9, offering up to €2.5M grant plus €15M equity).