The European Innovation Council (EIC) has announced the selection of 40 new Transition projects under the 2025 EIC Transition call, marking a major step toward advancing early‑stage research results into commercially viable innovations. The announcement was published on 9 February 2026 by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency.
A Record Number of Submissions
This year’s call received a remarkable 611 proposals, the highest volume ever recorded for an EIC Transition deadline. Among these, 130 submissions originated from European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept projects, highlighting the programme’s strong connection to frontier research. Following the evaluation process, 40 proposals were selected and will each receive up to €2.5 million in funding upon signing their grant agreements.
Supporting the Path from Lab to Market
The EIC Transition scheme is specifically designed to help teams validate and demonstrate technologies that have already proved their feasibility in research settings. The funding supports activities that strengthen both technical development and business planning, enabling innovators to prepare for commercial market entry. The programme imposes no thematic restrictions, encouraging applications from all scientific and technological fields.
Broad European Participation
The selected projects involve participants from 17 EU Member States and Horizon Europe associated countries, illustrating the diverse and distributed nature of the European innovation ecosystem. This geographic spread reflects the programme’s commitment to supporting excellence across Europe. Recognition Through Seals of Excellence
In addition to the funded proposals, the EIC awarded 228 Seals of Excellence—for the first time on this scale—to high‑quality proposals that could not be funded due to budget limitations. These seals confirm that the projects merit support and encourage them to seek funding from other EU, national, or regional sources.
Strengthening Europe’s Innovation Landscape
By selecting this new cohort of Transition projects, the EIC continues to reinforce its mission of bridging the gap between breakthrough research and market‑ready solutions. The programme remains a cornerstone of the European Union’s ambition to nurture deep‑tech innovation, support high‑potential teams, and enhance Europe’s global technological competitiveness.