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Overview
ERC Proof of Concept helps an eligible ERC investigator test whether a research result can become an innovation with commercial or societal value. Activities can include validation, targeted testing, user engagement and preparation of a knowledge-transfer or exploitation route. The award is a €150,000 lump sum, normally for eighteen months. It is a useful route toward a spin-out, licence or technology partnership, but it is restricted to results linked to an eligible ERC main grant. It does not replace a general startup funding application. The 2026 submission cycle is closed; the adopted 2027 work programme provides the next provisional calendar and a new numerical evaluation scale.
Check the prior ERC grant and PI eligibility first.
Is this for you?
- You are the PI of an eligible ERC main grant.
- Your innovation idea demonstrably comes from that research.
- Your host will support and engage you for the PoC project.
- You have no qualifying ERC main grant.
- You want to fund unrelated startup activities.
- Your proposed work is already funded as part of the main grant.
The 2027 eligibility window and numerical scoring come from the adopted 2027 work programme, not the older landing-page wording.
Success rates — the honest picture
Roughly 1 in 3 applications gets funded. A sharp, evidence-backed proposal is what separates the funded from the rejected.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Proposals submitted | 554 |
| Projects selected | 182 |
| Funding awarded | €27.3M |
| Publication date | 30 June 2026 |
Approximately 33% in this historical round. These are research projects, not a count of incorporated startups, and the ratio does not predict the 2027 result.
Eligibility
- 1Only Principal Investigators of eligible ERC main grants may apply; an unrelated startup, SME or researcher without that ERC award cannot apply independently.
- 2For ERC-2027-PoC, the main ERC grant must be ongoing or have ended on or after 1 January 2026. The 2026 call used the earlier 1 January 2025 threshold; do not carry that window into 2027.
- 3The proposed idea must draw substantially on that ERC-funded research. It must explore innovation potential through additional activities, not duplicate the work funded by the main grant.
- 4The PI submits on behalf of an eligible host institution, normally in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country, which must engage the PI for the project and provide a binding support letter. Public and private hosts can qualify.
- 5One eligible application per PI per annual PoC call. The 2027 maximum is three PoCs per Starting, Consolidator, Advanced or ERC Plus grant, and six per Synergy project; Synergy applicants need the other PIs’ written consent.
- 6Applicable ethics, research-integrity, security and country restrictions remain. Public bodies, research organisations and higher-education hosts in the EU/associated countries need a compliant Gender Equality Plan.
The eligible prior-grant end date moves from 1 January 2025 to 1 January 2026. The 2027 work programme includes ERC Plus among main-grant projects subject to the three-PoC ceiling.
The PoC host can differ from the original ERC host if eligible and able to engage the PI. Resolve access to results, IP and operational responsibilities before submitting.
The 2027 call includes research-integrity restrictions linked to the 2025/2026 work programmes and country/entity restrictions in Annex 3. These are distinct from the resubmission rules of the main frontier-research calls.
A spin-out is one possible exploitation route. Licensing, research partnerships and societal applications may also fit the PoC purpose.
A fixed grant for a defined proof of concept
The contribution covers eligible project activity and is paid against implementation and reporting. It is not an equity investment, and successful commercialisation is not the payment test.
Separate the PoC activities from tasks already funded under the original ERC grant. Explain the additional validation and innovation work.
The 2027 €60M envelope is planned to be split evenly between two rounds. Its final availability remains subject to the EU budget conditions in the adopted work programme.
How to apply — step by step
- 1Check the ERC linkBefore drafting
Confirm the PI’s ERC main-grant identifier, contractual end date, remaining PoC quota and relationship between the proposed idea and that funded research.
- 2Secure the host and rightsPreparation
Agree the host institution, exploitation/IP position and team. Obtain its binding support letter and any required Synergy co-PI consents.
- 3Prepare the applicationUse the call-year package
Prepare portal administration, the ten-page proposal under the current template, ethics information and applicable supporting documents. Explain innovation potential, the validation plan and the PI’s strategic management.
- 4Choose one cut-off2027 dates provisional
Choose one of the 2027 cut-offs in the adopted work programme: 10 March or 16 September. Opening is provisionally 12 November 2026; confirm the exact portal deadline and time when the call is published.
- 5Evaluation and agreementOne-step expert review
Following one-step expert evaluation, selected projects complete ethics/security checks and grant preparation. Payment follows the agreed work and reporting, rather than a claim for each actual expense.
What evaluators look for
Innovation potential
Make the case for a distinctive innovation arising from the ERC result, with meaningful potential beyond current solutions.
Approach and methodology
Use a credible validation and transfer plan, suitable people, justified resources and a feasible timetable.
PI leadership and management
Show how the PI will make decisions, direct the team and address uncertainty and risks.
Documents you'll need
PoC rules in section 2.1: grant size, provisional calendar, updated eligibility window and numerical evaluation.
- Contains:
- PoC rules in section 2.1: grant size, provisional calendar, updated eligibility window and numerical evaluation.
- Length:
- 71
- Why:
- Use the official version relevant to your call year.
- When:
- During preparation and before submission
Historical/current evaluation-cycle rules; keep distinct from the forthcoming 2027 competition.
- Contains:
- Historical/current evaluation-cycle rules; keep distinct from the forthcoming 2027 competition.
- Length:
- 72
- Why:
- Use the official version relevant to your call year.
- When:
- During preparation and before submission
Applicant workflow, eligibility, ethics, submission and host-letter guidance. Preparatory reference until the 2027 edition appears.
- Contains:
- Applicant workflow, eligibility, ethics, submission and host-letter guidance. Preparatory reference until the 2027 edition appears.
- Length:
- 35
- Why:
- Use the official version relevant to your call year.
- When:
- During preparation and before submission
Part B structure and support-letter examples; the linked public edition is for preparation, not a substitute for the current submission forms.
- Contains:
- Part B structure and support-letter examples; the linked public edition is for preparation, not a substitute for the current submission forms.
- Length:
- 24
- Why:
- Use the official version relevant to your call year.
- When:
- During preparation and before submission
Explains the older verbal-mark review process; for 2027 scoring the adopted work programme takes precedence.
- Contains:
- Explains the older verbal-mark review process; for 2027 scoring the adopted work programme takes precedence.
- Length:
- 15
- Why:
- Use the official version relevant to your call year.
- When:
- During preparation and before submission
182 selected from 554 proposals, €27.3M awarded; dated cohort evidence rather than forecast success odds.
- Contains:
- 182 selected from 554 proposals, €27.3M awarded; dated cohort evidence rather than forecast success odds.
- Why:
- Use the official version relevant to your call year.
- When:
- During preparation and before submission
Official references to national/regional alternatives for qualifying unfunded proposals; no automatic transfer or award.
- Contains:
- Official references to national/regional alternatives for qualifying unfunded proposals; no automatic transfer or award.
- Why:
- Use the official version relevant to your call year.
- When:
- During preparation and before submission
Host eligibility, innovation activities, NCP support and links to ERC portfolio tools.
- Contains:
- Host eligibility, innovation activities, NCP support and links to ERC portfolio tools.
- Why:
- Use the official version relevant to your call year.
- When:
- During preparation and before submission
Official list of selected principal investigators, host institutions, countries and project titles; selection is not evidence of completed commercial outcomes.
- Contains:
- Selected 2026 first-round projects, researchers and host institutions.
- Length:
- 3
- Why:
- See concrete technical directions and identify research groups with relevant expertise.
- When:
- When testing fit and mapping research-to-market activity
2026 Deadlines
- 2026-03-172026-03-172026 first cut-off — closed
17:00 Brussels local time; first-round results published 30 June 2026.
- 2026-09-172026-09-172026 second cut-off — closed
17:00 Brussels local time; no new 2026 submissions.
- 2026-11-122026-11-12ERC-2027-PoC provisional opening
Adopted 2027 work-programme schedule; the call is not yet open as of 12 October.
- 2027-03-102027-03-102027 first provisional cut-off
One application per PI across the annual call. Confirm exact time in the published portal.
- 2027-06-302027-06-30First-round applicant information
Indicative; not an application date.
- 2027-09-162027-09-162027 second provisional cut-off
Alternative submission round, not a second eligible application.
- 2027-10-282027-10-28First-round grant signatures
Indicative.
- 2028-01-142028-01-14Second-round applicant information
Indicative.
- 2028-05-132028-05-13Second-round grant signatures
Indicative.
After you're funded
Maintain an eligible host/PI arrangement, satisfy ethics and any security requirements and deliver the agreed activities.
Lump-sum payment is assessed against work carried out and reported. A negative validation result is not the same as failing to perform the agreed work.
Manage IPR, open-access and research-data obligations together with the intended exploitation route and the host’s technology-transfer team.
An eligible ERC PoC result may support a later EIC Transition application; it has its own eligibility, maturity and timing tests. Some eligible PoC teams can also access EIC Tech to Market support.
Practical notes
Map the ERC result, ownership, protection strategy, target users and possible exploitation route before choosing the experiments.
The official landing page and linked applicant guide still describe 2026 verbal marks. The adopted 2027 work programme introduces numeric scores; use the call-year document.
The currently linked applicant guide and public form describe 2026. Use them for preparation, then obtain the 2027 submission-system package when available.
Who's been funded
Maria Christakis at Vienna University of Technology was selected in the first 2026 round for work on automating security checks in zero-knowledge systems. This is a research project selection, not a claim of a launched product.
Søren Stobbe at the Technical University of Denmark was selected in the first 2026 round for electromechanical optical-modulator work aimed at more energy-efficient data-centre connections. Commercial results are not reported in the selection list.
Key Features
Official links & resources
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The applicant PI must hold or have held a qualifying ERC main grant and establish the connection to that research. A company can be an eligible host or commercial partner in appropriate circumstances, but incorporation alone creates no eligibility.
The PoC grant is a €150,000 lump sum for eighteen months. Properly justified duration extensions may be possible. The €60M annual call envelope is not an individual award.
No. The 2027 work programme requires an ongoing main grant or one ending on/after 1 January 2026. The closed 2026 call used 1 January 2025.
The PoC rules focus on the eligible ERC result and its innovation potential, not one numerical TRL or a mandatory spin-out. The proposed validation and transfer route must be credible.
Only one admissible and eligible application is evaluated per PI in that annual call. Two cut-offs provide a choice of submission round, not two attempts for an eligible proposal.
Experts score three elements from 0 to 5 in half-point steps. Each element needs at least 3 from a majority of experts to pass. Passing is necessary but does not guarantee funding when the round’s budget is exhausted.
No. ERC PoC can provide an eligible precursor result for Transition under its rules, but readiness, timing, rights and the separate competitive application still apply.
Related Programmes
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