ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS

The ERC Proof of Concept Grant (ERC PoC Grant) is part of the Horizon Europe program, aimed at supporting researchers who have received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) to explore the commercial and social innovation potential of their frontier research. Primarily, the grant is targeted at Principal Investigators (PIs) who hold an ongoing or have completed (after January 1, 2024) ERC main grants, such as Starting, Consolidator, Advanced, or Synergy Grants.

The grant is structured as a single lump sum of EUR 150,000, intended to cover direct and indirect costs associated with proof of concept activities. It spans a duration of 18 months, although activities are generally expected to conclude within 12 months. The budget for the call is EUR 30 million, aiming to fund about 200 projects.

Eligibility for the grant extends to host institutions located in EU Member States or Associated Countries, which must be legal entities and demonstrate a gender equality plan. Researchers of any nationality can apply, provided they conduct their research activities in an eligible location. Each PI can submit only one proposal per call, and those with previously rejected proposals for integrity breaches are ineligible.

Applications are evaluated based on a single criterion of excellence, focusing on breakthrough innovation potential, feasibility of approach, and management of the project. The evaluation is performed by independent experts, and proposals must receive satisfactory marks across all evaluation elements to be considered for funding. There is no co-funding requirement, minimizing barriers to application.

The ERC places importance on open science principles, mandating that all publications resulting from funded projects are immediately available with full reuse rights and that data management aligns with FAIR principles.

The ERC PoC Grant is a crucial avenue for facilitating the transition of rigorous research into practical applications, ensuring that ERC-funded discoveries can have meaningful societal and commercial impacts.

The ERC-2025-POC call, under the Horizon Europe program, offers ERC Proof of Concept Grants to Principal Investigators (PIs) to explore the commercial and social innovation potential of their ERC-funded research. The call has an indicative budget of EUR 30,000,000 and aims to award around 200 grants. The financial contribution is a lump sum of EUR 150,000 for 18 months, intended to cover direct and indirect eligible costs, including personnel, subcontracting, purchase costs, and other cost categories. The ERC expects activities to be completed within 12 months, but provides 18 months for grant agreements. Extensions are granted only exceptionally.

Eligible PIs must be associated with an ongoing ERC main grant or have concluded one after January 1, 2024, subject to restrictions in Annex 3 of the ERC Work Programme 2025. A PI can submit only one proposal per call, and those with proposals rejected for research integrity breaches in 2023 or 2024 are ineligible. Synergy Grant PIs need written consent from all PIs in the same project.

The host institution must engage the PI for the project's duration and be in a Member State or Associated Country. Public bodies, research organizations, and higher education institutions must have a gender equality plan. Researchers of any nationality can apply and conduct research in a Member State or Associated Country. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may have specific funding provisions; refer to the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Proposals must be complete, readable, accessible, and submitted before the deadline, relating to the call's objectives. A maximum of three Proof of Concept Grants can be awarded per main grant project, or six for Synergy Grants.

A complete proposal includes an Administrative Part A form (with Ethics Review Table) and a Proposal Part B form with annexes. Part B should detail the PoC project, objectives, planning, execution, and resources. Key elements include: the idea and justification of breakthrough innovation potential (max 3 pages), approach and methodology (max 6 pages), and strategic lead and project management (max 1 page). A Host Institution Binding Statement of Support Letter is required. Ethics self-assessments and letters of support can be included. Proposals are limited to ten pages (excluding headers, title, abstract, references, and risk mitigation table), with specific formatting requirements.

Submission is electronic via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Early submission is advised. Applicants excluded by the EU Financial Regulation cannot participate.

Excellence is the sole evaluation criterion, based on breakthrough innovation potential, approach, methodology, strategic lead, and project management. Experts evaluate proposals independently, marking them as "very good", "good", or "fail" on three elements. Proposals must pass all three elements to be considered for funding. Ranking is based on marks received, and a Seal of Excellence is awarded to proposals passing all elements but unfunded due to budget limits.

The ERC promotes open science, requiring immediate open access to peer-reviewed publications with full re-use rights. Beneficiaries must manage research data according to FAIR principles and establish a data management plan.

Key documents include the standard application form, Information to Applicants, ERC Guide for Reviewers, ERC Work Programme 2025, ERC Rules for Submission and Evaluation, ethics self-assessment guidance, security guidance, and model grant agreements.

The call aims to help researchers explore the commercial and social innovation potential of their ERC-funded research, providing a lump sum to cover a range of eligible costs. The evaluation process focuses on excellence, and successful projects are expected to adhere to open science principles. This funding opportunity is designed to bridge the gap between research and practical application, fostering innovation and societal impact.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant is a Principal Investigator (PI) holding or having held an ERC main grant (Starting, Consolidator, Advanced, or Synergy Grant). The PI must either have an ongoing ERC main grant or have completed one after January 1, 2024. The host institution (Applicant Legal Entity) must engage the Principal Investigator for at least the duration of the Proof of Concept project. The host institution must be established in a Member State or an Associated Country and be a legal entity created under applicable national law. Eligible host institutions include public bodies, research organizations, and higher education institutions (including private research organizations and private higher education institutions) located in a Member State or Associated Country. These institutions must also have a gender equality plan or equivalent strategic document in place.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a lump sum grant.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity is for a single applicant, the Principal Investigator, although the project is carried out through the host institution.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. Researchers of any nationality are eligible, provided they conduct their research activity in a Member State or Associated Country.

Target Sector: The program targets all sectors of research that have received prior ERC funding, aiming to explore the commercial and social innovation potential of that research. This includes a wide array of fields across science, technology, engineering, mathematics, arts, and humanities.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity is open to Member States and Associated Countries. Switzerland is explicitly mentioned as having specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects. Hungary is mentioned in the context of restrictions due to Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506, but researchers with Hungarian host institutions can still apply.

Project Stage: The project stage is Proof of Concept. The grants aim to facilitate the exploration of the commercial and social innovation potential of ERC-funded research.

Funding Amount: The funding amount is a lump sum of EUR 150,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with multiple cut-off dates.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single-step evaluation process where experts evaluate each admissible and eligible proposal independently.

Success Rates: The success rate is not explicitly stated, but the evaluation process indicates that only proposals awarded a pass mark ("very good" or "good") by a majority of experts on each of the evaluation elements will be considered for funding. Proposals are ranked based on marks received, and funding is awarded in order of ranking until the budget is exhausted. A Seal of Excellence is awarded to proposals that pass all evaluation elements but cannot be funded due to budget limitations.

Co-funding Requirement: There is no explicit mention of a co-funding requirement. The grant covers the beneficiaries' direct and indirect eligible costs for the project.

Summary:

The ERC Proof of Concept Grant call (ERC-2025-PoC) is a funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe program, designed to help researchers who have already received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) to explore the potential for commercial or social innovation arising from their existing research. This grant provides a lump sum of EUR 150,000 for a period of 18 months, intended to cover the direct and indirect costs of the proof of concept activities.

To be eligible, the applicant must be a Principal Investigator (PI) of an ongoing or recently completed (after January 1, 2024) ERC main grant. The PI must be hosted by an institution in an EU Member State or Associated Country. The call is open to researchers of any nationality, and the research can be in any field.

The application process involves submitting a complete proposal, including administrative forms, a detailed project description, and a letter of support from the host institution. Proposals are evaluated based on excellence, focusing on the breakthrough innovation potential, the approach and methodology, and the strategic lead and project management of the PI. The evaluation is a single-step process conducted by independent experts.

The call has a budget of EUR 30,000,000 and aims to fund approximately 200 projects. There are multiple cut-off dates for submission, providing flexibility for applicants. The ERC is committed to open science principles, requiring beneficiaries to ensure open access to publications and manage research data according to FAIR principles.

This call provides a valuable opportunity for ERC-funded researchers to take their research to the next level by exploring its potential for real-world impact, whether through commercial applications or social innovation.