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EIC Transition

EIC Transition supports the late development stages and validation of novel technologies and the simultaneous development of a business model for future commercialisation.

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  • Is the novel technology ready for the next steps towards its final development and validation for specific applications?
  • Have you at an earlier stage already explored potential markets for your innovation as well as potential competitors?
  • Can you picture yourself building a motivated and diverse team to further develop your idea and its readiness to be marketed?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to all of these questions, then EIC Transition might be the right programme for you.

Aim

EIC Transition funds innovation activities that go beyond the experimental proof of principle in the laboratory. At the start of the project, the technology should have a TRL of 3 or 4. EIC Transition supports both the maturation and validation of your novel technology from the lab to the relevant application environments (by making use of prototyping, formulation, models, user testing or other validation tests) as well as explorations and development of a sustainable business plan and business model towards commercialisation into high potential markets.

At the end of your EIC Transition project, you should be ready for the next stage, which can be to apply for EIC Accelerator (and if you are a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) include start-ups or spin-offs), to seek other investors or further sources of funding, to enter licensing or collaboration agreements with third parties or follow other routes to market deployment.

Application and Selection Process

The application process contains two steps.
1.     Written proposal

  • Part A (details regarding content, budget, consortium, no page limitations)
  • Part B (Technical description, maximum of 22 pages)

2.    Pitch and Interview in front of an EIC jury

Brief Overview
Details Conditions
Eligibility

Your proposal must build on results (demonstrated proof of principle) achieved within an eligible project in the following programmes:

  • EIC Pathfinder projects (including projects funded under the Horizon 2020 EIC pilot Pathfinder, FET Open, FET Proactive, CSA and CSA Lump sum FET Innovation Launchpad)
  • European Research Council Proof of Concept projects funded under Horizon 2020 or Horizon Europe
  • Research and Innovation Actions funded under Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges and Leadership in Industrial Technologies and under Horizon Europe pillar II, with an eligible TRL
  • European Defence Fund (EDF), including the Preparatory Action on Defence Research, research projects, but only for proposals which are focused on civil applications (including dual use)
  • Research and Innovation Actions funded under the Horizon Europe or Horizon 2020 Research Infrastructures part
  • the start date of your eligible grant must be more than 18 months before the cut-off date of the relevant EIC Transition (ERC Proof of Concept at least 6 months) 
  • the end date of the grant for the eligible project is less than 24 months from the cut-off date of the relevant EIC Transition call
Deadlines 16 September 2026
Budget 100 million euros
Project size

0.5 to max. 2.5 million euros

Funding according to the lump sum model
Project duration one to three years
Eligible consortia

You can apply for EIC Transition either as:

  • A single legal entity established in a Member State or an Associated State (‘mono-beneficiary’) if you are an SME or an organisation performing research (a university, research or technology organisation). Larger companies (such as those that do not qualify as SMEs) are ineligible to apply as a single legal entity; or
  • A small consortium of two independent legal entities from two different Member States or Associated States, or
  • A consortium of a minimum of three and a maximum of five independent legal entities (‘multi-beneficiary’) that must include at least one legal entity established in a Member State and at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated States.