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EIC Pathfinder funds research at the earliest end of the innovation chain, TRL 1 to 4, where the scientific idea itself has not yet been proven. The 2026 Challenges call carries EUR 96 million and closes 28 October 2026 at 17:00 CEST, with grants of up to EUR 4 million per project and more where justified. The distinction between Pathfinder Challenges and Pathfinder Open matters for AI applicants.
Open, which closed 12 May 2026 with a EUR 166 million budget, accepts any breakthrough technology direction. Challenges are pre-defined thematic portfolios set annually by the EIC, and recent editions have consistently included computing, AI-adjacent and cognitive-systems themes, so AI researchers should read the specific 2026 Challenge descriptions in the EIC Work Programme before assuming fit.
Consortia normally require at least three independent legal entities from three different countries with at least one in an EU Member State, but Challenges uniquely permit single applicants - a significant concession that lets an individual research group or a single deep-tech company bid without assembling a consortium.
Proposals must present a convincing long-term vision of a radically new technology and a high-risk, high-gain research approach; incremental improvement of an existing method is the most common reason Pathfinder proposals are rejected. Winners also gain access to EIC Booster grants for commercialisation follow-on.
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Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: For EIC Pathfinder Challenges, consortia must include at least three different independent legal entities established in different countries, with at least one established in an EU Member State; uniquely among Pathfinder calls, single applicants are also permitted for Challenges. Associated countries to Horizon Europe participate under standard Horizon Europe association rules. Projects must sit at Technology Readiness Levels 1 to 4 and must demonstrate a convincing long-term vision of a radically new technology together with a high-risk, high-gain research approach. Grants are up to EUR 4,000,000 per project, with higher amounts possible where justified, from a 2026 Challenges call budget of EUR 96,000,000. The deadline is 28 October 2026 at 17:00 CEST. Pathfinder Open, the untargeted variant with a EUR 166,000,000 budget, closed 12 May 2026. Successful Pathfinder projects may additionally apply for EIC Booster grants of a fixed amount not exceeding EUR 50,000. Because the specific Challenge topics are redefined each year in the EIC Work Programme and determine whether an AI proposal is in scope at all, applicants must read the current EIC Work Programme Challenge descriptions and verify eligibility, consortium composition rules, budget ceilings and the exact deadline on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal before submitting. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows EIC Pathfinder Challenges 2026 carries a call budget of EUR 96,000,000, with individual grants of up to EUR 4,000,000 (approximately USD 4,400,000) and larger amounts possible where justified. Pathfinder Open, the untargeted companion call, holds a further EUR 166,000,000. Successful Pathfinder projects also become eligible for EIC Booster grants of a fixed amount not exceeding EUR 50,000 to explore commercialisation of results, which is a cheap follow-on most grantees underuse. amount_min of 1,100,000 reflects the low end of typical Pathfinder consortium awards rather than a published floor - the EIC sets no minimum - and amount_max of 4,400,000 is the USD conversion of the published EUR 4,000,000 per-project ceiling. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Applications for EIC Pathfinder Challenges 2026 for High-Risk Breakthrough Research Including Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Computing are due October 28, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
EIC Pathfinder Challenges 2026 for High-Risk Breakthrough Research Including Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Computing is funded by European Commission - European Innovation Council (EIC). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
Violence Against Women Discretionary Grants for Indian Tribal Governments is sponsored by Department of Justice. To increase tribal capacity to respond to violent crimes against Indian women, and to develop and strengthen victim services in cases involving violent crimes against Indian women. This listing is currently active. Program number: 16.587. Last updated on 2024-11-26.
The NSF CISE Future Computing Research (Future CoRe) program supports research in computing and communication foundations, intelligent systems, and network systems. The program funds innovative research that advances the frontiers of computing including artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, and robotics. This is one of NSF's largest computing research programs with $280 million in total budget. Projects can address fundamental computing challenges, novel AI architectures, scalable intelligent systems, and next-generation network infrastructure.
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