EIC Transition
The EIC Transition is one of the instruments of the European Innovation Council Work Programme, part of Horizon Europe. Single applicants (SMEs, spin-offs, start-ups, research organisations, universities) or consortia of max. 5 partners are eligible to apply to EIC Transition.
EIC Transition 2026 requirements
Proposals must build on the results from EIC Pathfinder, FET Flagship calls or ERC Proof of Concept projects, either by including participants of those projects or by showing that you have access to the IP or the rights to further develop the technology. In general a Transition project aims to validate and demonstrate technology (in an application-relevant environment) and develop its market readiness. EIC Transition supports the maturation and validation of your novel technology in the lab and in relevant application environments (by making use of prototyping, formulation, models, user testing or other validation tests). As well as the development of a business case and business model towards the innovation’s future commercialisation.
The expected result of a Transition project is that the applicant(s) are ready for the next stage, which can be to: apply for EIC Accelerator (for SMEs, including start-ups or spin-offs), seek other investors or sources of funding, enter licensing or collaboration agreements with third parties, or utilise other routes to market deployment. Additionally, projects funded through EIC Transition are eligible to submit an EIC Accelerator proposal via the Fast Track scheme.
In 2025 the EIC Transition programme only contains an Open Call. This is open to any type of technology and research area. The call information is presented below.
EIC Transition Open Call 2026 summary
- Deadline: 16 September 2026. After full proposal stage interview rounds will be held approx. 13 weeks after cut-off dates.
- Subsidy: €0.5M-€ 2.5M.
- Total Budget available: €100M
- Funding rate: 100%
- Consortium: single applicants (SMEs, spin-offs, universities) are eligible to apply alone or in small consortia, including 2-5 partners from both academia and industry. Applications must build on the results from a previous FET, Pathfinder or ERC Proof of Concept Project. The project should have been active for at least 12 months, or completed less than 24 months prior to the deadline.
- Scope: If a project previously received a EIC Pathfinder, a FET Flagship or a ERC Proof of Concept, and the goal is to go beyond the proof principle, then the EIC Transition is the solution. The Transition programmes aims at maturing both the technology and business idea to increase its technology (TRL 5 to 6) and market readiness. In addition Transition projects should prepare for commercialisation of the innovation.
Download the EIC Transition guide
Would you like to read more about the EIC Transition grant? Download our EIC Transition Guide
EIC Transition FAQs
When is the EIC Transition deadline in 2026?
EIC Transition has one deadline on 16 September 2026. This year there are no Challenge calls, so there is only one deadline.
What is the budget for EIC Transition?
There is a total available budget of €100 million in 2026. This is all available under the open call for projects that validate and demonstrate technology in application-relevant environment (starting at TRL 3/4 aiming at achieving TRL 5/6) and develop business and market readiness.
How to write a winning application for EIC Transition?
The EIC Transition programme was created to fund innovation activities that support both: maturation and validation of your novel technology, and development of a business case towards the innovation’s future commercialisation. First, you should be sure that your project matches this purpose. The EIC Expert evaluators will evaluate the proposal based on the following criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation. Contact us to discuss your project idea today, or download our free EIC Transition guide for more information.
What is the subsidy for EIC Transition?
The maximum subsidy amount for EIC Transition projects is €2.5M.
Who can apply for EIC Transition?
Single applicants (SMEs, spin-offs, universities) are eligible to apply alone or in small consortia, including 2-5 partners from both academia and industry. Applications must build on the results from a previous FET, Pathfinder or ERC Proof of Concept Project. To apply, applicants must demonstrate that they are the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) owner or have the rights to commercialise the IPR obtained from the previous project.
Catalyze is now an official EIC Partner!
Catalyze is an official EIC Partner. All EIC supported projects and companies get access to coaching, mentoring, partnering and other EIC Business Acceleration Services.
About the European Innovation Council (EIC) Programme
Under Horizon Europe the EIC work programme will be implemented. Previously, the EIC pilot was tested and evaluated under Horizon 2020. The EIC aims at identifying and supporting breakthrough technologies and game-changing innovations with the potential to scale up internationally and become market leaders. 70% of the entire budget is ear-marked for SMEs, which shows the focus of EIC on supporting SMEs. There are 3 sub-programmes that form the basis of the EIC programme: EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition and EIC Accelerator.
Read more about the European Innovation Council (EIC) programme or visit the official EIC website.
European Innovation Council Programmes
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