€1.4bn of new innovation grant funding for 2025 is launched for SMEs across Europe.
EIC Pathfinder
Summary
The EIC Pathfinder, under Horizon Europe, provides funding to support visionary research aimed at developing breakthrough technologies in deep tech. It targets early-stage research (TRL 1-4) with potential for significant market and societal impact.
| Deadline | Maximum Grant | External Link |
| 21 May 2025 (Pathfinder Open); 29 October 2025 (Pathfinder Challenges) | €3 million (Open); €4 million (Challenges) | EIC Pathfinder |
Project Size
Grants are up to €3 million for Pathfinder Open and up to €4 million for Pathfinder Challenges, supporting early-stage tech with significant market creation potential.
Scope of the Fund
The fund supports:
- High-risk, high-reward research projects in deep tech areas.
- Projects with potential to establish new fields or industries.
- Two streams: Pathfinder Open (any field) and Pathfinder Challenges (focused themes for 2025).
Eligibility Criteria
- Consortia must include at least three independent legal entities from different EU Member States or associated countries.
- Single applicants or smaller consortia are allowed for Pathfinder Challenges only.
- Projects should present a long-term vision for breakthrough innovation.
EIC Funding in General
The European Innovation Council (EIC) 2025 Work Programme offers over €1.4 billion in funding to support strategic technologies and the scaling up of companies.
Funding Opportunities
| Programme | Deadline | Maximum Grant | External Link |
| EIC Pathfinder | 21.05.25 (Open)29.10.25 (Challenges) | €4 million | EIC Pathfinder – European Commission |
| EIC Transition | To be announced | €2.5 million | EIC Transition – European Commission |
| EIC Accelerator | 12.03.25 (Open)01.10.25 (Open)October 2025 (Challenges) | €2.5 million | EIC Accelerator – European Commission |
| STEP Scale Up | To be announced | €30 million | STEP Scale Up – European Commission |
Project Size:
- EIC Pathfinder – Grants up to €4 million for visionary research projects.
- EIC Transition – Grants up to €2.5 million to transform research results into innovation opportunities.
- EIC Accelerator – Grants below €2.5 million and investments from €500K to €10 million for start-ups and SMEs.
- STEP Scale Up – Investments from €10 to €30 million to help companies scale up strategic technologies.
Scope of the Fund:
- EIC Pathfinder – Supports multi-disciplinary research teams to undertake visionary research with the potential to lead to technology breakthroughs.
- EIC Transition – Aims to turn research results into innovation opportunities, following up on results generated by EIC Pathfinder projects and other EU-funded projects.
- EIC Accelerator – Assists start-ups and SMEs in developing and scaling up innovations with the potential to create new markets or disrupt existing ones.
- STEP Scale Up – Provides additional equity funding to promising companies driving innovation in critical areas to help them secure larger private co-investment for further scaling their businesses.
Eligibility Criteria:
- EIC Pathfinder – Open to multi-disciplinary research teams from various sectors.
- EIC Transition – Targets projects building on results from eligible EU-funded projects.
- EIC Accelerator – Designed for start-ups and SMEs with high-risk, high-potential innovations.
- STEP Scale Up – Focuses on companies aiming to bring strategic technologies to the EU market and avoid strategic dependencies.
For more detailed information, please visit EIC 2025 work programme – European Commission.
Alex Chalkley
I have over 20 years experience in founding and scaling businesses, mainly focused on the non-dilutive funding sector. Since 2008, I have built, trained and mentored teams to successfully draw down over €100m in non-dilutive funding from the UK and EU for clients spanning multiple sectors.
Get in touch
