Single SMEs/startups/spin-offs or small consortia; project must build on eligible prior EU/ERC research results. Technology maturation and business/market readiness.

How does selection work?

Confirm eligible source project and IP rights; Submit proposal at annual cutoff; Remote expert evaluation; Interview with EIC jury; Grant preparation and portfolio support. Remote evaluation is followed by a jury interview for successful proposals and grant preparation; the annual work programme publishes indicative dates.

What burden and restrictions apply?

Recipients execute an 18-36 month milestone plan, submit Horizon Europe technical and financial reports, and participate in EIC transition/business support. Support is restricted to the approved work plan, eligible costs and award period; unsupported, unrelated, double-funded or noncompliant expenditure is excluded.

EIC Transition

Grant up to EUR 2.5 million at 100% of eligible costs for maturation and validation of eligible prior-project results. · European Innovation Council (EIC) / European Commission — EU · deadline 2026-09-16

Bridges the gap between research results and market by maturing promising technologies (TRL 4 to ~5-6) and validating business viability. Builds on results from EIC Pathfinder, ERC Proof of Concept, Horizon Europe Pillar 2 and Research Infrastructure projects. Current lifecycle: open; next verified deadline 2026-09-16. Real economics: Grant up to EUR 2.5 million at 100% of eligible costs for maturation and validation of eligible prior-project results..

Tier 2deep-techcommercialisationeueic

Apply Official site Open in the live directory

Key facts

Funder	European Innovation Council (EIC) / European Commission — EU
Amount	Grant up to EUR 2.5 million at 100% of eligible costs for maturation and validation of eligible prior-project results.
Deadline	2026-09-16
Decision time	Remote evaluation is followed by a jury interview for successful proposals and grant preparation; the annual work programme publishes indicative dates.
Eligibility	Single SMEs/startups/spin-offs or small consortia; project must build on eligible prior EU/ERC research results. Technology maturation and business/market readiness.
Restrictions	Recipients execute an 18-36 month milestone plan, submit Horizon Europe technical and financial reports, and participate in EIC transition/business support. Support is restricted to the approved work plan, eligible costs and award period; unsupported, unrelated, double-funded or noncompliant expenditure is excluded.
Status	open

Always confirm on the official page before applying — dates and terms change.

Application process

Confirm eligible source project and IP rights
Submit proposal at annual cutoff
Remote expert evaluation
Interview with EIC jury
Grant preparation and portfolio support

Background

European Innovation Council (EIC) / European Commission — EU operates EIC Transition. This pass separates direct cash, repayable finance, credits, incentives and umbrella programs so later ranking does not compare unlike instruments. EIC Transition explicitly bridges eligible research results toward TRL 5-6 and market readiness. The official ceiling is EUR 2.5 million per project. Projects can access EIC Business Acceleration Services and later Accelerator pathways.

How the application really works

Confirm eligible source project and IP rights → Submit proposal at annual cutoff → Remote expert evaluation → Interview with EIC jury → Grant preparation and portfolio support

Tips

Show direct fit with deep technology derived from eligible EIC or Horizon results.

Watch out for

Current lifecycle is open.
Recipients execute an 18-36 month milestone plan, submit Horizon Europe technical and financial reports, and participate in EIC transition/business support.
Support is restricted to the approved work plan, eligible costs and award period; unsupported, unrelated, double-funded or noncompliant expenditure is excluded.

Track record

EIC Transition explicitly bridges eligible research results toward TRL 5-6 and market readiness.
The official ceiling is EUR 2.5 million per project.
Projects can access EIC Business Acceleration Services and later Accelerator pathways.

The reviewed official corpus does not publish an applicant denominator and comparable selection rate.

Frequently asked questions

Is this actionable now?: open. Next verified deadline: 2026-09-16.
What is the real economic value?: Grant up to EUR 2.5 million at 100% of eligible costs for maturation and validation of eligible prior-project results.
Who is eligible?: Single SMEs/startups/spin-offs or small consortia; project must build on eligible prior EU/ERC research results. Technology maturation and business/market readiness.
How does selection work?: Confirm eligible source project and IP rights; Submit proposal at annual cutoff; Remote expert evaluation; Interview with EIC jury; Grant preparation and portfolio support. Remote evaluation is followed by a jury interview for successful proposals and grant preparation; the annual work programme publishes indicative dates.
What burden and restrictions apply?: Recipients execute an 18-36 month milestone plan, submit Horizon Europe technical and financial reports, and participate in EIC transition/business support. Support is restricted to the approved work plan, eligible costs and award period; unsupported, unrelated, double-funded or noncompliant expenditure is excluded.
What evidence exists?: EIC Transition explicitly bridges eligible research results toward TRL 5-6 and market readiness. The official ceiling is EUR 2.5 million per project. Projects can access EIC Business Acceleration Services and later Accelerator pathways. The reviewed official corpus does not publish an applicant denominator and comparable selection rate.

Sources

eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities/eic-transition_en — Current official 2026 call lifecycle, deadline, eligibility, award and selection process (checked 2026-08-10)
eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-frequently-asked-questions/faqs-eic-transition_en — Official maturity, source-project and IP requirements (checked 2026-08-10)