EIC Transition Open

The EIC Transition Open HORIZON-EIC under the EIC Work Programme 2026 funds projects to mature and validate technologies starting from TRL 3 (completed) or TRL 4 and typically reaching TRL 5–6 while developing a credible business plan and market validation. The call has an indicative total budget of €100 million and expects around 40 lump-sum grants of €500,000–2,500,000 per project, with typical durations of 1–3 years. Eligible applicants are single legal entities or small consortia established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries that build on results from eligible prior projects and can demonstrate IPR ownership or rights to commercialise. The call opens 22 April 2026 and the submission deadline is 16 September 2026 (17:00 Brussels time), with evaluation by experts and an EIC Jury interview stage.

EIC Transition Open — Call HORIZON-EIC-2026-TRANSITIONOPEN

What it funds

Scope and objectives

Grants to mature and validate novel technologies beyond experimental proof-of-concept (projects must have completed TRL 3 at submission and aim to reach TRL 5–6). Funding covers technology development, prototyping and validation in relevant application environments, market research, IP, regulatory/standardisation work and development/validation of an incipient business plan toward investment readiness.

Type of grant and payment model:HORIZON EIC Grants using a lump-sum Model Grant Agreement. Payments are tied to completion of work packages and reporting periods.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants must build on results from an eligible prior project (e.g., EIC Pathfinder, ERC PoC, selected Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe RIA projects and other listed sources). Applications may be:

1. 1Mono-beneficiary: a single legal entity established in an EU Member State or Associated Country (start-ups, SMEs, research organisations eligible).
2. 2Two-party small consortium: two independent legal entities from two different Member States or Associated Countries.
3. 3Multi-beneficiary consortium: 3–5 independent legal entities including at least one from an EU Member State and two others from different Member States or Associated Countries.

Proposals must explicitly reference the linked eligible project (grant number and where the result is published) and confirm rights to use or commercialise the prior result.

Funding and volume

Call budget 2026: €100,000,000. Individual grants: €500,000 to €2,500,000. Estimated number of grants: about 40.

Key administrative points

Single-stage submission. Part B (sections 1–3 and cover page) limited to 22 A4 pages. Detailed lump-sum budget table must be provided as an annex (cost estimations used to derive lump-sum shares). Evaluation uses standard Horizon Europe criteria (Excellence, Impact, Implementation) with specific thresholds for EIC Transition.

Evaluation and start:Selection includes expert evaluation and an interview with the EIC Jury; funded projects are expected to start within about two months after grant signature. Applicants receive an Evaluation Summary Report; high-scoring but unfunded proposals may receive a Seal of Excellence ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full details, eligibility lists and procedural documents are in the European Innovation Council Work Programme 2026 and the call page on the Funding & Tenders Portal: EIC Work Programme 2026

EIC Transition Open 2026 — Call HORIZON-EIC-2026-TRANSITIONOPEN

The EIC Transition Open 2026 funds innovation activities that take promising results from eligible EU-funded projects beyond experimental proof of principle in the laboratory, starting strictly from TRL 3 or TRL 4 at submission and typically targeting TRL 5 to 6 by project end. It supports both technology maturation and validation in relevant application environments, and the parallel development and validation of a credible business plan and business model to move towards market and investment readiness. The call operates as a lump sum grant under the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement for Lump Sum (HORIZON-AG-LS).

Key Facts and Timeline

Scope and Objectives

Projects must build on concrete results from an eligible originating project and further develop them beyond proof of concept. Proposals have to combine a coherent set of activities to: 1) mature and validate the technology toward demonstrators in a relevant environment (e.g., through prototyping, formulation, modelling, user testing, validation trials), and 2) advance market readiness including user-centric validation of value proposition and business model, IP strategy, and where relevant regulatory, certification and standardisation pathways.

Eligibility strictly requires that all elements of TRL 3 have been completed and that the linked project results are not beyond TRL 4 at submission. The expected outcome is a technology and a team that are investment ready, with validated technical performance in a relevant environment and a credible go-to-market pathway.

Who Can Apply and How to Organise the Consortium

Eligible Applicant Types:Startups and SMEs; universities and higher education institutions; research and technology organisations; research institutes and laboratories; nonprofit organisations; hospitals and clinical research sites when relevant; technology transfer offices; spin-offs and intended spin-offs from academic or research performers; larger enterprises may participate only within a consortium (not as single mono-beneficiary applicants). Teams of principal investigators or inventors inside universities/RTOs intending to form a spin-off are eligible as single legal entities. Public bodies and NGOs can participate if relevant to the project’s scope and tasks. The programme strongly encourages lean, market-driven teams with combined technical and business competencies.

Consortium Requirement:Single applicant or consortium. Options are: 1) mono-beneficiary: one legal entity established in an EU Member State or Associated Country; 2) small consortium: two independent legal entities from two different Member States or Associated Countries; 3) multi-beneficiary consortium: minimum three and maximum five independent legal entities, including at least one established in a Member State and at least two others established in different Member States or Associated Countries.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Applicants must be established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Participation from other third countries is possible under Horizon Europe rules; funding for such participants depends on association status or may exceptionally be granted if their participation is essential and justified. The eligibility of third-country applicants and associated partners follows the EIC Work Programme 2026 and the Programme Guide. UK entities funded via the UK Horizon Guarantee are not eligible as originating ERC PoC projects for this call.

What the Call Funds

Funding Type and Nature of Support:Grant funding provided as a Horizon Europe Lump Sum Grant. Typical EU contribution per project ranges from €500,000 to €2,500,000. Payments are linked to the completion of work packages as fixed in the grant agreement. In addition to financial support, beneficiaries gain access to EIC Business Acceleration Services, including coaching, mentoring, investor matchmaking, and access to partners and ecosystems.

Co-funding Requirement:The lump sum constitutes the maximum EU contribution. For EIC Transition topics, the standard Horizon Europe reimbursement rate typically covers 100% of eligible costs within the lump sum; any specific funding rate applicable will be set in the grant agreement. No separate co-funding is generally required from beneficiaries, but applicants must ensure the proposed lump sum is an approximation of actual eligible costs and reflects sound financial management.

Activities Supported:Technology maturation and validation beyond PoC; development of demonstrators in relevant environments; user-centric design and validation; IP protection and strategy; freedom-to-operate analyses; market research, stakeholder and customer discovery; refining business model and incipient business plan; regulatory pathway analysis and interactions; certification and standardisation planning; risk and quality management; pilot-level manufacturing/process development; where applicable, clinical study planning and execution following dedicated templates; and preparation for follow-on funding or EIC Accelerator application.

Eligibility Anchors Linked to Previous EU-funded Results

Proposals must build on results generated by an eligible originating project as defined in the EIC Work Programme 2026. At submission, the linked result must be at least TRL 3 and at most TRL 4. Applicants must identify and reference the originating project (grant number and acronym) and provide links or references where the result is reported (e.g., periodic reporting, Horizon Results Platform, Innovation Radar, or CORDIS). If the applicant is not the IPR owner, a commitment letter from the result owner confirming fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory access for commercial exploitation must be annexed. Eligible originating projects include, for example: EIC Pathfinder (including H2020 FET), ERC Proof of Concept (H2020 or HE), Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges and Leadership in Industrial Technologies RIAs and Horizon Europe Pillar II RIAs with eligible TRLs, European Defence Fund research projects for civil/dual-use applications, and Research Infrastructures projects under Horizon Europe or Horizon 2020.

Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Expectations

• Starting TRL at submission: fully achieved TRL 3 minimum and at most TRL 4 for the linked result.
• Target TRL at project end: at least TRL 5 and typically TRL 6, with viable demonstrators in relevant application environments.
• For multi-component technologies, the overall TRL is constrained by the lowest core subsystem/component TRL.
• Activities must integrate early user feedback and iterative learning to de-risk both technology and market adoption.

Target Sectors

EIC Transition Open is bottom-up and non-thematic. Proposals in any field of science, technology or application are eligible, including deep-tech domains such as health and medtech (including clinical studies where relevant), energy, climate and cleantech, advanced manufacturing, materials, photonics, ICT and software, AI, robotics, space, agrifood, biotech, quantum, semiconductors, cybersecurity, mobility and transport, built environment, and other industrial and societal sectors.

Application and Evaluation Process

Application Type and Method:Open call with a fixed deadline. Proposals are submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The submission system opens on 22 April 2026.

Application Stages:Three steps: 1) Proposal submission and remote evaluation by expert evaluators; 2) Invitation to EIC Jury; 3) Face-to-face interview with the EIC Jury panel (up to 6 members). Jury outcomes are communicated approximately within 4 weeks from the start of interviews.

Evaluation Criteria and Thresholds:Scoring from 0 to 5 per criterion. Thresholds: Excellence 4/5, Impact 4/5, Quality and efficiency of the implementation 3/5. Proposals are evaluated as submitted. For lump sum proposals, experts assess cost reasonableness and fitness under Implementation; overestimation may trigger recommendations or reduced score if serious issues are found. The jury applies GO/NO GO at the interview stage, coherently with expected TRL and business maturity.

Page Limits and Format:Part B Sections 1–3 and the cover page (including information about the eligible linked project) must not exceed 22 A4 pages. Excess pages are not visible to evaluators. Standard admissibility and layout requirements apply; applicants must use only the templates made available in the submission workflow for 2026.

Indicative Timeline:Submission deadline 16 September 2026. Remote evaluation and shortlisting are followed by interviews about 11–13 weeks after the deadline. Results from the interview stage are communicated about 4 weeks from the start of the interviews. Grant agreement signature typically within 6 months of the deadline, and projects are expected to start within 2 months after signature.

Seal of Excellence:Awarded to proposals that pass all thresholds at step 1 but are not funded due to budget limitations or receive a jury NO GO. In multi-beneficiary proposals, the Seal is awarded to the coordinator and cites all partners. Seal holders gain access to EIC Business Acceleration Services.

Budgeting and Lump Sum Specifics

EIC Transition uses Horizon Europe Lump Sum funding. Applicants must submit a detailed budget table (Excel) annexed to Part B, estimating eligible costs by beneficiary and by work package, per cost category. The lump sum is fixed in the grant agreement as the maximum EU contribution and is broken down per work package and participant (Annex 2). Payments are made upon completion and acceptance of work packages. No actual-cost reporting or financial ex-post audits are performed; controls focus on technical implementation and non-financial obligations. Budget flexibility allows justified transfers between incomplete WPs via amendments. Personnel cost reasonableness is benchmarked with the Horizon dashboard for lump sum evaluations; high personnel costs must be justified in the Excel table’s comments.

Clinical Studies (If Applicable)

For proposals involving clinical studies, applicants should complete and upload the dedicated Information on Clinical Studies template as a separate annex. This template structures essential details such as study rationale, objectives, design, population, regulatory and ethics preparedness, operational feasibility, data management, governance, and mandated deliverables: study initiation package, midterm recruitment report, and report on status of posting results. Ethics issues must be addressed in the proposal’s ethics section, and risks/mitigation in Part B.3.1.

Detailed Answers to Categorisation Questions

Eligible Applicant Types:Startup; SME; university; research institute; research and technology organisation; nonprofit; hospital/clinical organisation; technology transfer office; government or public body where relevant; NGO; large enterprise as consortium partner only (larger companies cannot apply as a single legal entity); public-private partnership consortia; intended spin-offs and inventor teams inside research organisations.

Funding Type:Grant. Specifically, Horizon Europe Lump Sum Grant (HORIZON-AG-LS) under the EIC.

Consortium Requirement:Single or consortium. Permitted formats: mono-beneficiary; two-beneficiary consortium; three to five beneficiaries under standard Horizon rules. Affiliated entities and associated partners may participate but do not count toward the minimum consortium composition.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Third-country participation follows the Work Programme and Programme Guide; exceptional EU funding for non-associated third-country participants may be permitted if essential. UK ERC PoC projects funded through the UK Guarantee are not eligible as originating projects for this call.

Target Sector:Open to all sectors and scientific domains. Typical deep-tech and high-impact fields include health and medtech (including clinical validation), energy, environment and climate, transport and mobility, ICT, software and AI, space, advanced manufacturing and robotics, advanced materials and photonics, semiconductors, agrifood, security/cybersecurity, industrial processes, construction, and other innovation-driven sectors.

Mentioned Countries:European Union Member States; Horizon Europe Associated Countries. References to non-EU and third countries are generic under Horizon Europe participation rules; no specific country list is provided in the topic text. UK is referenced contextually in FAQs regarding ERC PoC eligibility under the UK Horizon Guarantee.

Project Stage:From laboratory proof of concept to validation and demonstration in relevant environments. Typical maturity progression is from TRL 3/4 at start to TRL 5/6 by the end. Parallel business model validation and investment readiness development are mandatory. Stages covered include development, validation, demonstration, and go-to-market preparation.

Funding Amount:Per project: approximately €500,000 to €2,500,000. Total topic budget for 2026: €100,000,000, with around 40 grants expected.

Application Type:Open call with a fixed deadline; electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support:Money: Lump sum grants disbursed upon work package completion. Non-monetary: Access to EIC Business Acceleration Services including coaching, mentoring, partner and investor access, innovation ecosystem networking.

Application Stages:Three stages: 1) Remote evaluation of the written proposal; 2) EIC Jury invitation; 3) Jury interview with GO/NO GO decision.

Success Rates:Not specified for this call. The topic page does not provide success probability figures. Applicants may consult historical EIC Transition statistics for indicative context, but no official rate is given for 2026.

Co-funding Requirement:Generally no co-funding required; the EU lump sum typically covers 100% of eligible costs for this EIC action, with the applicable reimbursement rate fixed in the grant agreement. Beneficiaries must still ensure that the lump sum reflects realistic, eligible cost estimations and complies with sound financial management.

Templates, Forms, and Required Documents

Mandatory Application Structure (Part B outline):Cover page including linked eligible project identification; Section 1 Excellence; Section 2 Impact; Section 3 Quality and efficiency of the implementation; maximum 22 A4 pages for cover plus Sections 1–3. Use the 2026 standard application form made available in the submission workflow only; do not reuse earlier templates.

Evaluation Form and Criteria:HE EIC Transition standard evaluation form applies. Scores 0–5 with thresholds: Excellence 4, Impact 4, Implementation 3. Lump sum budget reasonableness is reviewed under Implementation; experts may recommend adjustments or reduce score if the budget is unfit.

Lump Sum Detailed Budget Table (Excel):Applicants must download the detailed budget table from the submission system, complete cost estimations per beneficiary and work package across cost categories, and upload it as an annex to Part B. The Excel generates the lump sum breakdown per WP and participant used for Annex 2 of the grant agreement. Use the horizon dashboard benchmarks to justify personnel costs; explain higher-than-benchmark personnel rates in the comments sheet.

Clinical Studies Annex (if applicable):Complete and upload the Information on Clinical Studies template as a separate annex if the project involves a clinical study. Provide details on rationale, design, governance, regulatory and ethics strategy, operational feasibility, recruitment, data management, and mandatory deliverables.

IPR Ownership or Access Documentation:Confirm ownership or rights to exploit the previous project’s results. If not the IPR owner, attach a commitment letter from the owner confirming its readiness to negotiate FRAND access for commercial exploitation.

Other Guidance and Reference Documents:EIC Work Programme 2026; HE Programme Guide; Lump Sum MGA; Decision authorising lump sum use; detailed budget table guidance; Online Manual; Annotated Model Grant Agreement; clinical studies information template; standard evaluation form. Use only the official 2026 templates supplied in the portal’s submission workflow.

Evaluation Focus Areas

• Technological breakthrough and novelty versus state of the art; timing and fit for TRL progression.
• Clear, credible, and feasible objectives and KPIs for both technology maturation and business development.
• Impact credibility including market creation or leadership potential, standard setting, and EU benefits such as strategic autonomy and employment.
• Investment readiness: IP protection, regulatory planning, validated business model, go-to-market strategy, and pathways to follow-on funding (e.g., EIC Accelerator or private investment).
• Team quality and motivation to move decisively to market; appropriateness of consortium size and partner roles.
• Robust milestones, KPIs, risk identification and mitigation, and resource allocation by WP and partner.

Submission Portal and Official Links

Call topic page and submission: EU Funding & Tenders Portal: HORIZON-EIC. Guidance, Work Programme, and templates are accessible from the topic’s Conditions and Documents section. Business Acceleration Services and programme overview are available on the EIC website.

Summary

EIC Transition Open 2026 is a competitive, bottom-up Horizon Europe grant scheme designed to propel high-potential, EU-funded research results beyond laboratory proof of concept toward validation in relevant environments and market readiness. The call requires applicants to build on eligible originating EU-funded projects, starting strictly from TRL 3 or TRL 4 and typically reaching TRL 5–6. Alongside advancing the technology through demonstrators, teams must validate a compelling, user-centric value proposition and business model, secure or plan IP, and address regulatory and standardisation aspects where relevant. Funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with €0.5–€2.5 millionper project and an overall 2026 budget of €100 million, and is complemented by access to EIC Business Acceleration Services. Applicants may apply as single entities or in small, well-justified consortia from EU Member States or Associated Countries, with third-country participation governed by Horizon Europe rules. Proposals are evaluated in three steps, including an interview with an EIC Jury, against strict thresholds on Excellence, Impact, and Implementation. Winning projects are expected to emerge investment ready, positioned to progress towards EIC Accelerator, licensing, partnerships, or direct market deployment.

Footnotes

1. 1Key references: Funding & Tenders Portal topic page for HORIZON-EIC; EIC Transition programme overview at EIC Transition; HE Lump Sum guidance and Model Grant Agreement; HE EIC Transition standard evaluation form.

EIC Transition Open 2026 - Funding Opportunity Report

Opportunity Overview

The EIC Transition Open HORIZON-EIC is a call for proposals under the European Innovation Council (EIC) Work Programme 2026 within Horizon Europe. It funds innovation activities to mature and validate novel technologies from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 (fully achieved) or TRL 4, aiming to reach TRL 5-6 by project end, while developing sustainable business plans for commercialisation in high-potential markets. Projects must balance technology development/validation with market/business activities, including user-centric methodologies, prototyping, market research, IP protection, and regulatory aspects.

Total budget: €100 million. Expected number of grants: approximately 40. Grant amounts: €500,000 to €2,500,000 per project. Funding type: 100% lump sum grants (HORIZON-AG-LS Model Grant Agreement). Project duration: typically 1-3 years. No thematic restrictions - open to any field of science, technology, or application.

Key Dates:Planned opening: 22 April 2026. Deadline: 16 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Single-stage submission with evaluation, shortlisting for interviews (approx. 11-13 weeks post-deadline), and final jury decisions.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Proposals must build on results from eligible prior projects at TRL 3 (completed) or ideally TRL 4 (not beyond), generated within the last 24 months or ongoing (active at least 12-18 months before deadline). Eligible prior projects include: EIC Pathfinder (incl. H2020 FET), ERC Proof of Concept (H2020/HE), Horizon Europe/H2020 Pillar II Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) with eligible TRL, European Defence Fund (EDF) civil applications, Horizon Europe/H2020 Research Infrastructures RIAs.

• Single legal entity (mono-beneficiary): Established in EU Member State or Associated Country; SMEs, start-ups, spin-offs, universities, research organisations (larger companies ineligible as single applicants).
• Small consortium: Minimum 2, maximum 5 independent legal entities from different EU MS/Associated Countries (at least one in EU MS).
• Must demonstrate IPR ownership or rights to commercialise results; commitment letter required if not owner.

Ineligible: Proposals beyond TRL 4 from prior project, non-eligible prior projects (e.g. FSTP grants, certain ERANETs), UK entities funded via Guarantee on ERC PoC. Third-country eligibility per EIC WP Annex 2. Proposal page limit: 22 A4 pages (Sections 1-3 + cover page in Part B).

Funding Details and Grant Structure

Lump sum grants cover all eligible costs (personnel, subcontracting, purchases, other categories + 25% indirect flat rate). Detailed budget table required in Excel annex to justify estimations (reasonable, non-excessive, aligned with activities). Payments: Pre-financing, interim (on completed work packages), balance. No actual cost reporting; focus on technical implementation.

Evaluation Criteria and Process

Three-step process: (1) Written proposal evaluation by experts; (2) Shortlisted for jury interview (GO/NO-GO on Excellence, Impact, Implementation); (3) Final jury decision. Thresholds: Excellence 4/5, Impact 4/5, Implementation 3/5 (overall threshold applies). Seal of Excellence for unfunded proposals meeting thresholds.

• Excellence (weighting standard): Technological breakthrough, credible objectives/KPIs, methodology/timing (TRL fit).
• Impact: Credible commercial/societal impacts, scale-up potential, investment/go-to-market strategy.
• Implementation: Team quality/motivation, KPIs/milestones/risks, workplan/resource allocation (partner justification).

Successful projects gain access to Business Acceleration Services (BAS): coaching, mentoring, partnering, ecosystem access, global partners. Fast-track to EIC Accelerator possible. EIC Transition Website¹.

Application Requirements and Tips

1. 1Identify/reference eligible prior project (grant no., acronym, result location: CORDIS/Horizon Results/Innovation Radar).
2. 2Describe technology maturation (prototyping, validation to TRL 5-6), business development (market research, value proposition, IP, business model/plan).
3. 3Include KPIs, milestones, risks/mitigation; user-centric approach with feedback loops.
4. 4Submit via Funding & Tenders Portal; use 2026 templates only.
5. 5Prepare detailed lump sum budget table; justify high costs.

Primary source: Official Topic Page. Consult EIC WP 2026, FAQs, Online Manual, NCPs, EIC Transition FAQs for guidance².

Additional Support and Resources

• National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), IT Helpdesk.
• Partner Search on Portal; EIC Community events.
• EIC Work Programme 2026, HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum Guidance.

Footnotes

1. 1EIC Transition official page with eligibility details and application guidance.
2. 2Includes EIC FAQs, evaluation forms, MGA, and lump sum instructions from scraped context.