EIC Pathfinder success rates fall below 5% – how to prepare for future calls
24th September 2024 at 4:45 pm
The European Innovation Council (EIC) recently published the fourth EIC Pathfinder Open (PF-Open) call results under Horizon Europe. Of the 1,119 submissions, 45 high-risk/high-gain collaborative projects were selected for funding, totalling € 138 million. As we anticipated in an earlier blog post, EIC Pathfinder Open proposal submissions in early 2024 at an all-time high, the success rate fell below 5% for the first time since 2016, reflecting the increasing competition and high standards of the funding scheme.
Despite the fierce competition, strong consortia with highly innovative project ideas and compelling project proposals still have chances to succeed and get selected for funding. BoneOscopy is one of them! We are thrilled to be part of this high-risk / high-gain project that aims to revolutionise bone cancer treatment through a novel spectroscopy system.
Trends in EIC PF-Open success rates and future opportunities
In the past years, the success rates for the EIC Pathfinder Open call have shown a declining trend, from an all-time high of over 12% in 2019 to just over 4% this year. Below is a figure illustrating the success rate trends since the inception of the predecessor of the current funding scheme, the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Open.
Despite the challenges, new opportunities await. If your proposal was not selected this year or if you are thinking of a new project idea and proposal, consider preparing for the next EIC Pathfinder Open call. The deadline for submissions will be announced once the 2025 EIC Work Programme is published.
If you want to be notified as soon as we publish any EIC-related news, you can subscribe to our blog posts on this specific topic and stay updated about the latest developments, trends, and results.
The importance of the Impact section in PF-Open proposal
As in all HORIZON calls, proposals are evaluated based on three main criteria: 1) Excellence, 2) Impact, and 3) Implementation. While scientific excellence remains the cornerstone of the evaluation, accounting for 50% of the evaluation score, the Impact still accounts for 20% of the total score. As the Impact needs to be described on 3 to 4 pages only, it is often a challenge for applicants to highlight the importance of practical applications and potential benefits of the proposed research and innovation. We at accelopment are specialised in this and other less or non-scientific parts and have obtained a straight “5” in the Impact (5 out of 5). Sometimes a thorough review of the Impact section, suggestions for state-of-the-art and new dissemination activities and a possible roadmap for exploitation can make a difference.
You might find our dedicated blog post, Analysis of the EIC Pathfinder Open funded projects 2021-2023 – research areas, disciplines and more, with tips for preparing a competitive proposal useful.
Bringing groundbreaking research ideas to life together
Having already supported the preparation of five successful Pathfinder projects in Horizon Europe – CORENET, PEARL-DNA, POLINA, PIONEAR, and the soon-to-start BoneOscopy – our team at accelopment is well-equipped to help you in this highly competitive funding scheme. Our commitment to pioneering research dates back to the introduction of the predecessor of the EIC Pathfinder, i.e. the FET programme in Horizon 2020, where we supported CLASSY, FRINGE and Lumiblast.
If you are considering a resubmission or a new proposal, we offer tailored support, including proposal reviews and extensive assistance with new submissions. As in the successful project cited above, we can also be a project partner providing support in the efficient management of the project and the communication and exploitation of project results.
We are here to support your journey in pioneering research and innovation. Feel free to contact us for assistance with your EIC Pathfinder Open proposal.
Dr. Jörn-Frederik Wotzlaw
Research & Innovation Project Manager
