EIC Transition 2027 is intended to turn an eligible EU-funded research result at TRL 4 into a validated technology at TRL 5 or beyond and an investment-ready commercial opportunity. The August 2026 draft assigns EUR 92 million to the call and proposes a major structural change: one eligible organisation applies as the beneficiary instead of a multi-beneficiary consortium.

Deadlines / EIC Transition Cut-Off Dates 2027

  • EIC Transition Open
    • 1st cut-off 2027: September 16th 2027

The 2027 rules remain provisional until adoption of the EIC Work Programme. Applicants should use the final call and Funding & Tenders topic conditions as the controlling documents.

Which Research Results Are Eligible?

A proposal must build on results generated by an eligible feeder project, including specified EIC Pathfinder and Horizon 2020 FET projects, European Research Council Proof of Concept projects, eligible Horizon 2020 or Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions, European Defence Fund research projects with civilian applications, or eligible Research Infrastructure projects.

The starting result must be beyond experimental proof of concept and in laboratory validation at TRL 4. Results already at TRL 5 or higher are not eligible as the starting point. The application must identify the feeder grant, project acronym and the location in which the relevant result was reported.

Who Can Apply?

The proposed applicant is a single startup, SME or research-performing organisation established in an EU Member State or Associated Country. A university, research organisation, principal investigator or inventor team can participate through the relevant research-performing entity when it intends to create a spin-off.

The applicant does not need to have participated in the feeder project, but it must hold or secure sufficient rights to develop and commercialise the result. A non-owner must include a commitment from the result owner to negotiate fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory access for the project and the required follow-on period.

Funding, Duration and Project Scope

  • Requested contribution: more than EUR 500,000 and below EUR 2.5 million.
  • Funding rate: 100% of eligible costs through a lump sum.
  • Duration: one to three years.
  • Draft call budget: EUR 92 million.
  • Target outcome: validated technology, validated use case and a credible route to investment or market adoption.

Transition is not a research-only grant or a market-study exercise. The work plan must mature the technology and the commercial proposition together. The draft also introduces a first-year continuation review based on measurable technological and commercial KPIs, allowing a project to continue, be reoriented or be terminated.

Mandatory Commercial Evidence

Every admissible proposal must include the prescribed letter of intent from an interested third party such as a customer or user. A strong letter identifies the problem, intended use case, validation environment, access to data or infrastructure, decision criteria and the procurement, licensing or commercial pathway if validation succeeds.

Application and Evaluation

The draft application contains a maximum 22-page Part B covering Excellence, Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation, plus a short video pitch and the letter of intent. Remote experts assess the technical breakthrough, milestones, evidence, market opportunity, team, business model and implementation plan.

Top-ranked proposals advance to an interview. The jury can recommend GO, GO Reserve or NO GO. A proposal that meets the quality thresholds but is not funded can receive a Seal of Excellence under the stated conditions.

Preparation Checklist

  • Confirm that the feeder project and starting TRL are eligible.
  • Document ownership or access rights before submission.
  • Define first-year and end-of-project technical milestones with measurable evidence.
  • Identify users and paying customers rather than a generic market category.
  • Secure a detailed third-party letter of intent.
  • Connect every work package and budget item to technology or market-risk reduction.

See the EIC Work Programme 2027 guide for the complete draft and the EIC Transition 2026 guide for the preceding call architecture.