The EIC Pathfinder provides funding for companies working on breakthrough technologies that have the potential to disrupt existing markets or create new ones. Within the Pathfinder program, the European Innovation Council (EIC) supports exploration of innovative technology ideas and early-stage development future technologies which focus on high-risk/high-gain interdisciplinary science collaborations.

The program invites visionary scientists and researchers from universities and research organizations as well as start-ups and industrial stakeholders to participate.

Projects typically involve consortia of at least three countries, but options for individual SME to participate are to be found.

The EIC provides grants of up to € 3-4 M to support early-stage development, up to proof of concept and validation of a scientific basis of breakthrough technology (TRL 1-3). The funding rate is set to be 100% of the eligible costs.

The EIC pathfinder has 2 cut-off dates a year, one for the open funding scheme and one for the challenge-drive scheme.

The EIC Pathfinder program consists of a combination of both open funding scheme as well as challenge-drive scheme (LINK), each one has different format, timeline, and themes.  In the “OPEN” path, projects typically involve consortia of researchers and other partners from at least three different countries, while in the CHALLENGE calls one-applicant is eligible.