As the European Commission has published the first draft of the work programme for 2026, we have highlighted the most important and relevant changes that, apparently, will take place next year for the EIC Pathfinder:
- Purpose: Early-stage research funding for proof of principle and scientific validation, aiming at TRL 3-4.
- Funding: 100% grant, no co-funding required. Potential booster grants (€50k) available for commercialization pathways.
Pathways of the EIC Pathfinder 2026
- Challenges: Top-down topics aligned with EIC priorities; budget €96 million; applicants can be single or small consortia (min. 2 entities).
- Open Call: Bottom-up innovation with a budget of €156 million; minimum consortium of 3 entities.
2026 Challenges
- Advanced materials for miniature energy harvesting
- Biotechnology for healthy aging
- New approach methodologies (overlapping with AIC)
- Debater: reasoning and cognitive AI systems
Evaluation Criteria EIC Pathfinder 2026
- Excellence (50%)
- Impact (30%)
- Quality and efficiency of implementation (20%)
Thresholds apply for each.
To know more about the EIC Pathfinder
To learn more about the EIC Pathfinder, watch our webinar:
EIC Updates for 2026 (Part 1): Advanced Innovation Challenges & EIC Pathfinder
