EIC Pathfinder Open 2027 introduces a two-stage selection process

Turning a scientific discovery into a technology capable of transforming an economic sector or addressing a major societal challenge involves taking risks that traditional funding mechanisms are not always willing to support. To encourage precisely this type of research, the European Union offers EIC Pathfinder Open, a funding scheme under the European Innovation Council (EIC) that supports the development of radically new technologies from their earliest stages. The 2027 call, with a budget of €166 million, introduces significant changes to the selection process, with two stages and an evaluation procedure that will include interviews with applicant consortia.

A two-stage call

The main change is the division of the call into two stages. The deadline for the first stage will be 25 February 2027. By this date, interested organisations will be able to submit an initial proposal of no more than ten pages, focusing on scientific excellence and the potential impact of the research.

Consortia that pass this initial selection will be invited to submit a full proposal by 16 September 2027. At this second stage, proposals will be limited to 23 pages. The initial selection will be carried out so that the funding requested by the invited applicants amounts to approximately 2.5 times the available budget.

“This procedure will allow applicants to concentrate their efforts on preparing full proposals for projects that have passed an initial evaluation,” explains Francesc Fabrega, European Projects consultant and the person responsible for this call at Zabala Innovation. “The results of this stage are expected to be communicated within three months of the deadline,” he adds.

Up to €4 million per project

EIC Pathfinder Open targets high-risk, high-potential research projects pursuing scientific breakthroughs that could lay the foundations for disruptive technologies. Unlike other parts of the programme, it does not establish thematic priorities, meaning that proposals from any scientific or technological field may be submitted, provided they meet the call’s objectives.

Research projects must be based on a convincing vision of a radically new technology, identify the scientific breakthrough needed to make it a reality and propose an appropriate interdisciplinary methodology. They must also demonstrate their potential to help address a global challenge or an economic, social or environmental problem that has yet to be solved.

The aim is not to develop a market-ready product, but to progress from early-stage research to achieve, at a minimum, technological validation in a laboratory environment through integrated use cases. Therefore, “proposals based on incremental improvements or on technologies that have already been validated and merely require funding for their deployment are excluded,” warns Fabrega.

The call will cover 100% of eligible costs through a lump sum funding model. The EIC considers funding requests of up to €4 million per project appropriate, although higher amounts may be awarded where duly justified.

Consortia of at least three entities

Proposals must be submitted by consortia comprising at least three independent legal entities established in three different countries. At least one must be established in an EU Member State, while the other two may be based in EU Member States or countries associated with Horizon Europe.

Eligible participants include universities, research organisations, companies, SMEs, startups and natural persons. Applicants must provide letters of commitment from the participating entities from the first stage, although the composition of the consortium will not be assessed at that point.

An evaluation process that will include interviews

Another significant change is the introduction of interviews during the second evaluation stage. Projects that meet the established thresholds will be invited to appear before the EIC evaluation panel to present and defend their proposals for a maximum of ten minutes, followed by questions from the panel.

In the first stage, scientific excellence will account for 60% of the score and impact for 40%, with a minimum threshold of four out of five points for both criteria. In the second stage, the quality and efficiency of implementation will also be assessed, accounting for 20% of the score, compared with 50% for excellence and 30% for impact.

Beyond funding, selected projects may benefit from business acceleration services, additional Booster grants of up to €50,000 and potential follow-on funding opportunities, such as EIC Transition or EIC Accelerator. These opportunities are intended to help scientific results progress towards future applications and reach the market.

“Zabala Innovation supports organisations interested in EIC Pathfinder Open throughout the entire lifecycle of their projects, from identifying opportunities and defining funding strategies to finding partners, building consortia, preparing proposals and managing funded projects,” explains David Rebollo, a consultant in the firm’s Entrepreneurship department. “We also have extensive experience in coordinating communication, dissemination and exploitation work packages, which play a fundamental role in raising the visibility of scientific advances, engaging relevant stakeholders and supporting their future transfer to the market,” he concludes.