The European Innovation Council (EIC) is the European Commission’s primary tool for identifying and supporting breakthrough technologies and significant innovations with the potential to scale up internationally and become market leaders. The EIC Pathfinder enables multidisciplinary research teams to develop the scientific basis to underpin breakthrough technologies. This route supports early stage development of future technologies up to proof of concept. The majority of funding issued through the EIC takes the form of Open Funding with no predefined thematic priorities.

The 2025 round of the EIC Pathfinder Open opportunity is now accepting applications. A total of €142 million is available to enable applicants to realise an ambitious vision for radically new technology, with potential to create new markets and/or to provide solutions for global challenges.

EIC Pathfinder Open supports early stage development of such future technologies (eg various activities at low Technology Readiness Levels from 1 to 4), based on high-risk/high-gain science-towards-technology breakthrough research (including ‘deep-tech’). This research must be interdisciplinary and provide the foundations of the envisioned technology.

Grants of up to €3 million are available for proposals meeting the following essential characteristics:

• A convincing long-term vision of a radically new technology that has the potential to have a transformative positive effect to solving a challenge in our economy and society.
• Concrete, novel and ambitious science-towards-technology breakthrough, providing advancement towards the envisioned technology.
• High-risk/high-gain research approach and methodology, with concrete and plausible objectives.

An incremental approach or proposal that is already known will not be supported.

The expected output of the project is the proof of principle that the main ideas of the envisioned future technology are feasible, thus validating its scientific and technological basis.

Submissions may be made by consortia of at least three different independent legal entities (such as research organisations, universities, SMEs, start-ups, industry, natural persons) established in at least three different eligible countries (EU Member States and Associate Countries), of which at least one must be an EU Member State.