The five common pitfalls in your Pathfinder Challenge proposal
9th July 2025 at 11:33 am
EIC Pathfinder Challenge proposals are unlike any other Horizon Europe application. With a focus on visionary, high-risk/high-gain science and strict alignment with predefined objectives, they demand clarity, strategic thinking and precision. Based on the official guidance and our experience supporting EIC Pathfinder successful projects, here are five common mistakes that can jeopardise your proposal and how to avoid them.
Pitfall 1: Failing to fully align with the Challenge objectives
Each EIC Pathfinder Challenge has a specific vision, clearly defined objectives and non-negotiable scope boundaries. Whether the challenge guide defines categories (e.g. “application fields” and “approaches”), objectives (e.g. enabling plant-based biomanufacturing) or focus areas (e.g. GenAI tools for integrating multidimensional multimodal data), comprehensive coverage is mandatory.
Why it matters: Proposals that fail to address all required elements described in the respective challenge guide are deemed out of scope, regardless of their scientific quality. This is particularly common when applicants focus only on the part of the Challenge that aligns with their expertise, ignoring the rest.
What to do:
- Start with the official Challenge Guide, not your existing project idea. Map each element of the scope and objectives.
- Be explicit: label sections clearly (“Contribution to Objective 2”) and demonstrate how your work plan meets the required outcomes.
- Avoid partial coverage: if the Challenge requires both “resilience” and “production”, or “robot design” and “structural system”, you must address both in depth.
- Check exclusions: if something in the challenge guide is already declared “out of scope” (e.g. cement-based 3D printing), do not try to argue it in: exclude it.
Pro tip: Do not just say you “address the Challenge”, you must prove it. Use headings from the Challenge Guide to mirror the EC’s wording and make alignment crystal clear to evaluators. This helps them verify eligibility at a glance.
Pitfall 2: Treating “high-risk/high-gain” as a slogan
The EIC Pathfinder does not fund incremental improvements. At the same time, it does not reward ambition alone. The “high-risk/high-gain” concept refers to scientifically plausible but radically novel directions, where success would lead to a disruptive impact, where failure is possible, but instructive.
Why it matters: Bold claims alone will not convince the reviewers. They expect a well-defined concept that is risky for the right reasons. If you do not explain what makes your approach original and how you will test it step by step, your proposal may not fully meet the Excellence criteria.
What to do:
- Clearly define your “gain”: is it a step-change in performance, a new scientific capability, or a shift in the field’s direction? Describe the envisioned transformation.
- Identify your “risks”: be transparent about what can go wrong. Is there uncertainty in the mechanism? In integration? In reproducibility?
- Present a mitigation path: describe what the consortia will do if certain assumptions do not hold. This shows maturity, not weakness.
- Justify your risk with analogues: If there are no direct precedents, cite related proof-points from adjacent fields.
Pro tip: Use your Excellence section to explicitly describe the risk-reward relationship. What makes the project idea radically novel? What are the core assumptions and what happens if they fail? Reviewers want to see that consortia understand and can manage uncertainty.
Pitfall 3: Ignoring portfolio thinking
Unlike Pathfinder Open, the Pathfinder Challenges use portfolio-based selection. Even a technically excellent proposal might be rejected if it overlaps too closely with others or does not contribute to a diverse mix of approaches.
Why it matters: The EIC Programme Manager will assemble a complementary set of projects (a Portfolio) that together cover different technical routes, application domains and a spread of risks, technologies and methods. This ensures that the Challenge as a whole has a better chance of success and can help shape the field of research.
What to do:
- Identify your positioning: use the terminology from the Challenge Guide (categories, sub-areas, etc) to clearly show where your proposal fits. Then explain what sets it apart from other likely approaches in that space.
- Highlight complementarity: state how your method, use case or delivery system differs from other likely approaches, while being complementary.
- Anticipate selection logic: if your proposal lands in a crowded category, do not just aim to be the best; aim to be different. Spell out how your approach complements others, whether through its technical method, target use case, risk profile, etc.
Pro tip: Include a short “Portfolio Contribution” section in your proposal, referencing the category tables and showing awareness of the broader Challenge landscape.
Pitfall 4: Weak or generic Impact section
Many high-potential projects fall short in the Impact criteria because they focus solely on scientific novelty, ignoring the bigger picture. The EIC wants to fund projects that enable radical technologies but also show how those technologies can lead to change.
Why it matters: Impact is 20% of your score and is also used in portfolio-level decision-making. Strong Impact sections demonstrate credibility, foresight and a clear understanding of downstream needs.
What to do:
- Frame your impact around the Challenge outcomes: e.g. if the Challenge aims to improve worker safety in construction or develop resilience traits under climate stress, show how your work contributes directly.
- Identify early stakeholders: who will use, regulate, deploy, or build on your results? Engage them early (e.g. farmers, hospitals, construction firms, standardisation bodies).
- Include an IP and exploitation plan, even at TRL 4. Consider the EIC Transition instrument as a pathway.
- Address regulatory and ethical dimensions: especially in AI, biotech or health, these are not optional.
Pro tip: Use the Horizon Europe “Key Impact Pathways” (KIPs) as a structuring tool, even if not formally required.
Pitfall 5: Underestimating Implementation quality
Excellence (60%) and Impact (20%) may get the most attention, but Pathfinder proposals also need a well-structured, credible implementation plan. Reviewers will look at the coherence of your work packages, risk management, team capabilities and resources. For Challenge calls, a dedicated portfolio work package is mandatory.
Why it matters: A technically ambitious project with unclear coordination, unrealistic timelines or mismatched partners is unlikely to convince the panel, especially at TRL4, where experimental validation is required.
What to do:
- Assign one WP per Challenge objective/focus area: show a clear link between what is being proposed and how it will be delivered.
- Include a WP for “Portfolio Activities”: allocate at least 10 person-months. This should cover shared metrics, joint dissemination and benchmarking efforts across funded projects.
- Demonstrate operational readiness: show that your consortium has the capacity, infrastructure and coordination mechanisms to deliver on time and within scope. Include details on decision-making processes and how the consortium will handle technical dependencies or unforeseen hurdles.
Pro tip: Since Pathfinder Challenges use lump sum funding, your Implementation plan must clearly justify the cost structure. Break down person-months and task effort logically across work packages and ensure your cost estimations align with the technical ambition.
Turning research ideas into a Pathfinder Challenge reality
We at accelopment have successfully supported the preparation of multiple Pathfinder Challenge and Open proposals, including the ongoing PEARL-DNA, BoneOscopy, POLINA, PIONEAR and CORENET projects. With many years of proposal writing experience, we can support you through your application process and during the implementation of your funded Pathfinder Challenge project. Have a look at our Proposal Writing, Project Management and Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation services and contact our EIC Pathfinder experts to discuss how we can best support you with your proposal and ambition.
If you want to be notified as soon as we publish any EIC-related news, you can subscribe to our blog posts and stay updated about the latest developments, trends, and results.
Dr. Johannes Ripperger
Research & Innovation Manager
Andreia Cruz
Research & Innovation Project Manager