EIC Pathfinder Challenges – Lessons from the 2025 results and what’s next for 2026

22nd April 2026 at 12:17 pm

The European Innovation Council has selected 30 new projects under the 2025 EIC Pathfinder Challenges. While the specific Challenge topics change every year, these results remain relevant for applicants in general. They reveal how the EIC interprets “breakthrough”, how it balances risk and credibility and how it constructs portfolios of complementary projects. For consortia preparing future submissions, this is not about copying past topics, but about understanding the underlying selection logic.

EIC Pathfinder Challenges by the numbers

In October 2025, the EIC Pathfinder Challenges call attracted significant interest from the European research and innovation community, with 3,765 participants across 33 countries submitting cutting-edge research projects in four strategic areas:

1. Biotech for climate-resilient crops and plant-based biomanufacturing,
2. Generative AI-based agents to revolutionise medical diagnosis and treatment of cancer,
3. Towards autonomous robot collectives delivering collaborative tasks in dynamic, unstructured construction environments
4. Waste-to-value devices – circular production of renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials.  

A total of 647 proposals were submitted in October 2025, with only 30 projects ultimately selected for funding, resulting in a success rate as low as 4.6% across these topics. The European Commission committed €118 million in total EU contribution, corresponding to an average grant of €3.9 million per project. The composition of participants is also indicative of the programme’s structure, with higher education institutions (41%), private organisations (29%) and research organisations (24%) forming the core of successful consortia.

A highly selective programme with a portfolio logic

The Pathfinder Challenges instrument operates fundamentally differently from most Horizon Europe calls. With a success rate below 5%, competition is not only about excellence but also about strategic fit within a portfolio. Even though each call introduces new topics, the evaluation logic remains consistent. Proposals are expected to:

• Address a clearly defined Challenge, not a broad research question
• Contribute to a portfolio of diverse but complementary approaches
• Demonstrate breakthrough potential with credible scientific grounding

This portfolio logic means that multiple high-quality proposals may be rejected simply because they overlap too closely with other selected approaches.

From results to proposal strategy: how to position yourself

The EIC Pathfinder Challenges results highlight consistent evaluation patterns that applicants should internalise.

1. Align precisely with the Challenge scope

Each Challenge is narrowly defined and often includes implicit expectations. Strong proposals:

• Use the exact terminology of the Challenge
• Address all dimensions of the problem
• Avoid generic framing or broad ambitions

2. Show portfolio awareness

Evaluators assess proposals in relation to others. This means you should:

• Identify alternative approaches in the field
• Position your method as complementary or disruptive
• Explain how your project contributes to a balanced portfolio

3. Combine science and future impact

Even at low TRLs, proposals must go beyond curiosity-driven research. This includes:

• A credible pathway towards application or follow-up funding
• Awareness of potential barriers to adoption
• Early consideration of scalability or integration

4. Embrace interdisciplinarity with purpose

Interdisciplinarity is not a formal requirement, but a functional necessity. Strong proposals:

• Integrate disciplines around a shared objective
• Avoid parallel work streams without interaction

Ensure that each discipline contributes to solving the core problem

The three Pathfinder Challenges in the EIC’s 2026 Work Programme

The upcoming EIC Pathfinder Challenges 2026 call continues this targeted, portfolio-driven approach, with a new set of thematic Challenges reflecting emerging scientific and technological priorities:

Each Challenge is designed to address a specific bottleneck or opportunity where early-stage, high-risk research can unlock future innovation pathways. As in previous years, proposals will need to demonstrate a clear alignment with the defined Challenge scope, combine interdisciplinary excellence with breakthrough ambition, and contribute to a balanced portfolio of complementary approaches. Applicants should therefore avoid generic deep-tech concepts and instead develop tailored project ideas that respond directly to the Challenge framing, while articulating a credible long-term vision for technological impact and follow-up development under EIC Transition or Accelerator schemes.

Our Pathfinder journey – from FET to EIC success

With years of hands-on experience in preparing successful proposals, we have become a trusted partner for ambitious researchers applying to the EIC Pathfinder Open. Having already supported the preparation of five successful Pathfinder projects in Horizon Europe – CORENET, PEARL-DNA, POLINA, PIONEAR and BoneOscopy – our team at accelopment is well-equipped to craft a proposal that captures the evaluators’ attention. Our track record extends back to the FET programme in H2020, the predecessor of the EIC Pathfinder, where we contributed to pioneering projects CLASSY, FRINGE and Lumiblast.

If you are considering a resubmission or developing a new proposal, we offer tailored support, including proposal reviews, strategic input on impact and hands-on guidance throughout every step of the process. As in many of our successful collaborations, we can also be a project partner providing support in the efficient management of the project and the communication and exploitation of project results.

Our team is ready to help you transform your innovative ideas into a strong and compelling project proposal. Don’t hesitate to get in touch and discover how our experience can strengthen your Pathfinder application.

Andreia Cruz
Research & Innovation Project Manager

Dr. Eva Avilla Royo
Research & Innovation Project Manager