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EIC Transition funds innovation activities that go beyond the experimental proof of principle in laboratory. It supports both the maturation and validation of a 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 case and business model towards commercialisation.
Proposed activities must include further technology development on the results achieved in a previous project and follow user-centric methodologies to increase chances of the innovation’s future success in the market. EIC Transition projects should address, in a balanced way, both technology and market/business development, possibly including iterative learning processes based on early customer or user feedback. These activities should include, subject to the level of maturity of the technology, a suitable mix of technology development and validation activities to increase the maturity of the technology beyond proof of concept to viable demonstrators of the technology in the intended field of application (i.e., from TRL 4 up to Technology Readiness Level 5 to 6).
The activities must in all cases address market readiness towards commercialisation and deployment (market research, value proposition, business case and business model, prospects for growth, intellectual property protection, competitor analysis etc.) and aspects of regulation, certification and standardisation (if relevant), aimed at getting both the technology and the business idea investment ready.
Approximately 40 projects will be funded with contributions between EUR 500,000 to 2,500,000.
The EIC Transition is restricted to proposals based on results generated by the eligible projects described in the EIC Work Programme 2025.
The call is open from 22 April 2025 to 17 September 2025.
A proposal must build on results (at least experimental proof of concept TRL 3, ideally technology validated in the lab TRL 4) already achieved within an eligible project:
- 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, and FET Flagships calls.)
- European Research Council Proof of Concept projects funded Horizon 2020 or Horizon Europe.
- Research and Innovation Actions 85 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).
More details about this condition on eligible projects is provided in the EIC Work Programme 2025.
You can apply for EIC Transition either as:
- A single legal entity established in a Member State or an Associated Country (‘mono-beneficiary’)
- A small consortium of two independent legal entities from two different Member States or Associated Countries or
- A consortium of minimum three and maximum five independent legal entities (‘multi-beneficiary’) following standard rules i.e. 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 Countries.
The legal entities may for example be a start-up, an SME or research performing organisation (university, research or technology organisation, including teams, individual Principal Investigators and inventors in such institutions who intend to form a spinout company).
The Western Balkans are all in the category of “Associated Country”.
The standard admissibility and eligibility conditions as well as the eligibility of applicants from third countries are detailed in Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2025.