The EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges are being introduced for the first time as a pilot programme in the 2026 work programme. The programme aims to support high-risk, demand-driven deep tech innovations with transformative potential.
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The focus will be on areas where extensive research has already been conducted, but which have not yet been exploited commercially.
The EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges are designed to accelerate such innovations. Commercial users (e.g. industry and the public sector), end users, and other key stakeholders, such as regulatory authorities, will be involved from the very beginning to validate use cases at an early stage, increase market relevance, and promote acceptance.
The EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges use a two-stage funding process:
This pilot aims to assess whether competitive, stage-gated support can accelerate the path to market for high-risk deep tech innovations, and whether early integration of demand side actors can enhance the relevance, validation, and ultimately the uptake of breakthrough solutions.
Proposal Template for Stage 1:
Proposal Template for Stage 2:
| Details | EIC Advanced Innovation Challenge - Stage 1 | EIC Advanced Innovation Challenge - Stage 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline | 26 February 2026 | 18 June 2027 – only for proposals that have participated in Stage 1 |
| Budget | 6 million euros | 25 million euros |
| Topics |
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| Project volume | 300,000 euros | up to 2.5 million euros |
| Project duration | up to 9 months | up to 30 months |
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| Particularities |
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