10 Nov 2026
2026 EIC Pathfinder Challenges call attracts record number of proposals
The European Innovation Council (EIC)'s Pathfinder Challenges call closed on 28 October 2026. By this deadline, the EIC received a total of 1,138 proposals, an unprecedented number of applications, and almost double the number of proposals compared to 2025. The proposals involve a total of 5,107 participants from 58 countries. The proposals are distributed over the three EIC Pathfinder Challenges as follows:
- Advanced materials for miniaturised energy harvesting systems: 261 proposals
- Biotechnology for healthy ageing: 427 proposals
- DeepRAP: Deep reasoning, abstraction & planning towards trustworthy cognitive AI systems: 450 proposals.
The total indicative budget for the call is €96 million, which is expected to be allocated in approximately equal shares across the Challenges.
The evaluation process has begun, with the results expected to be announced in spring 2027.
The EIC Pathfinder Challenges fund projects addressing specific thematic priorities. Grants of up to €4 million support early-stage research and development towards future technologies, up to proof of concept or validation in the laboratory (technology readiness levels 3–4).
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