Eligibility requirements for EIC funding instruments – from single SMEs to multi-beneficiary consortia
23rd January 2025 at 4:12 pm
The European Innovation Council (EIC) provides a range of funding instruments designed to support innovations at various stages of development, from early-stage breakthroughs to market-ready solutions. The EIC Pathfinder Open and Pathfinder Challenge instruments focus on funding high-risk, high-reward breakthrough technologies that are still in the early stages of development, ranging from Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 1 to 4. As technologies progress, the EIC Transition instrument offers funding for more mature technologies that are ready to advance towards TRL 5 or 6, helping them bridge the gap between research and potential commercialisation. Finally, the EIC Accelerator is designed to support individual SMEs – from start-ups to mid-sized companies – scaling their innovations, providing funding to bring their technologies closer to market readiness. As technologies advance through these stages, the requirements for consortium structure and eligibility criteria evolve, reflecting the increasing maturity and commercialisation potential of the projects.
Consortium requirements
The consortium requirements for EIC funding instruments vary depending on the specific programme and the stage of development of the project:
1. EIC Pathfinder
The Pathfinder Open instrument, which supports groundbreaking research and innovation, mandates the formation of collaborative consortia. These consortia must consist of at least three independent legal entities, each from a different EU member state or Horizon Europe-associated country. There is no formal maximum number of project partners, allowing for flexibility in consortium size. In 2024, the most common consortium size included six partners, with the largest consortium comprising 15 partners (see previous blog). In contrast, the Pathfinder Challenges have more flexible eligibility criteria, allowing for applications from mono-beneficiaries as well as smaller consortia of just two legal entities from two different countries. This flexibility is designed to accommodate proposals aligned with the specific, narrowly defined challenge topics, thus enabling a broader range of projects to qualify.
2. EIC Transition
The EIC Transition instrument, which supports the maturation and scaling of technologies, targets smaller consortia. These consortia may consist of 2 to 5 independent legal entities, and even single SMEs or research organisations can apply under mono-beneficiary projects (larger companies are not eligible as mono-beneficiaries). For a two-partner project, the two beneficiaries must be from different EU or Horizon Europe-associated countries, whereas larger consortia must include beneficiaries from at least three different countries. The maximum number of partners for any project is limited to five, reflecting the smaller scale of these initiatives with a funding ceiling for the Transition instrument of 2.5 million euro.
3. EIC Accelerator
The EIC Accelerator instrument is designed exclusively for individual start-ups and SMEs, offering targeted funding to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative technologies. While some activities within a project may be subcontracted, the EIC Accelerator does not support collaborative consortia, meaning that all applicants must be sole legal entities. This makes the programme highly focused on supporting the growth of single organisations, rather than multi-entity collaborations.
Eligibility criteria beyond consortium composition
1. EIC Pathfinder
In terms of eligibility criteria, the two Pathfinder instruments are open to any type of organisation and no previous results from another project are required. Legal entities from various sectors, including academic and research institutions, non-profit organisations, SMEs and larger companies, are all eligible to participate. This broad eligibility is designed to foster collaboration across disciplines and sectors, enabling innovative ideas to emerge from a wide range of participants.
2. EIC Transition
The EIC Transition instrument has more specific eligibility criteria beyond the consortium requirements. To apply for funding, the proposed project must be based on results derived from one of the following eligible project types:
- EIC Pathfinder projects, which include both the Pathfinder Open and Pathfinder Challenge initiatives funded under Horizon Europe, as well as their predecessors funded under Horizon 2020, such as the EIC pilot Pathfinder, FET-Open, FET-Proactive, CSA, CSA Lump Sum FET Innovation Launchpad, and FET Flagships calls.
- European Research Council Proof-of-Concept (ERC-PoC) projects.
- Research and Innovation Actions with eligible TRL, ensuring that the proposed technology is sufficiently mature and not too mature for the EIC transition instrument.
Eligible projects may either be completed or still ongoing. If the project is completed, applicants must submit their EIC Transition proposal within 30 months of the project’s completion. For ongoing projects, they must have started at least 12 months before the submission deadline of the EIC Transition call.
Importantly, only one application can be submitted for each eligible project per call – meaning even if an eligible project yielded multiple promising results, only one can be further developed in an EIC Transition project funded under the same call. Additionally, applicants do not necessarily have to be participants in the eligible project, but they must have the necessary access rights to the results they intend to develop further. This includes ensuring they have the appropriate intellectual property rights (IPR) or access to those rights to legally build upon the prior work.
3. EIC Accelerator
The EIC Accelerator provides funding for the final stage of technology development, aimed at bringing innovations to market readiness. It is specifically designed for single start-ups and SMEs that are working on cutting-edge technologies with high potential for commercialisation. While the technology does not have to be the outcome of a previous EU-funded project, it must be at the appropriate TRL to ensure it is mature enough for scaling up and market introduction.
Do you have an eligible consortium and a breakthrough project idea?
With a track record of successfully supporting five Pathfinder projects in Horizon Europe – namely CORENET, PEARL-DNA, POLINA, PIONEAR, and the recently started BoneOscopy – the accelopment team is exceptionally qualified to assist you in navigating these highly competitive funding schemes. Our dedication to pioneering research extends back to the FET programme under Horizon 2020, where we contributed to the success of projects such as CLASSY, FRINGE and Lumiblast.
We are committed to supporting your journey in groundbreaking research and innovation. Whether you are planning a resubmission or preparing a new proposal, we offer detailed proposal reviews and comprehensive assistance with new submissions. Please contact us if you need assistance with your EIC Pathfinder Open proposal.
Dr. Jörn-Frederik Wotzlaw
Research & Innovation Project Manager
