The European Innovation Council (EIC) has received 611 proposals for its latest EIC Transition call, marking the highest number in the program’s history
The strong response shows growing interest across Europe in maturing breakthrough technologies and bringing them closer to market.
Participation across Europe
The proposals, which were due by September 17, 2025, attracted a diverse mix of applicants from 40 countries. Some of the most active nations were Italy, Germany, Spain, and France, reflecting strong national innovation ecosystems and engagement with EU-level funding opportunities.
In terms of applicant profile, the private sector led the way, accounting for 51% of submissions. Universities followed with 27%, while research organisations made up 17%. This balanced participation signals a healthy mix of academic excellence and commercial ambition, essential for the success of transition-stage innovation projects.
The aim of the EIC transition
EIC Transition funding is designed to close the gap between early-stage research and commercial deployment. The program targets results explicitly emerging from EIC Pathfinder, Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) or European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept projects.
Its main objective is to help teams validate their technologies in application-relevant environments and prepare for market entry. This includes activities such as prototype development, business model creation, and customer engagement. Selected projects can receive grants of up to €2.5 million, depending on the scale and maturity of the work proposed.
Open to all fields and technologies.
The EIC Transition Open call stands out for its inclusive approach. It does not define specific thematic priorities, allowing proposals from any field of science, technology, or innovation. This openness has likely contributed to the large number of submissions, providing researchers and entrepreneurs across various sectors with a valuable opportunity to pursue applied innovation.
While the proposals are still under evaluation, the high level of interest shows strong momentum in Europe’s push to turn cutting-edge research into viable technologies with real-world impact.
What’s next for applicants
Following the initial screening, selected applicants will be invited for interviews scheduled between December 1 and 5, 2025. These interviews represent the second stage of the evaluation process and are a critical step before final funding decisions are made.
All applicants will be informed of the outcome in January 2026. Projects selected for funding are expected to begin in May or June 2026, allowing sufficient time for preparation and finalisation of the grant agreement.
The EIC has confirmed that the next opportunity to submit EIC Transition proposals will be detailed in the upcoming EIC Work Programme 2026, which is scheduled for publication in November 2025. The program will outline deadlines, funding topics, and eligibility conditions for the following year.
With increasing interest and expanding participation, the EIC Transition program continues to play a key role in strengthening Europe’s innovation pipeline, helping transform promising research into market-ready solutions that address pressing societal and industrial challenges.
