The Pathfinder Challenges fund frontier research towards breakthrough technologies. The European Innovation Council sets the challenge topics itself, so the subject matter is fixed rather than open to whatever an applicant wants to propose.
Participation is open across the EU, and most projects are consortia rather than single companies. That suits deep-tech teams already working with universities or research institutes, and suits founders looking for company-level funding much less.
Each project can draw up to EUR 4M as a grant. The current round closes on 28 October 2026 and no date has been published for the next.
What it actually costs you
Frontier research towards breakthrough technologies is the remit here, funded by the European Innovation Council for participants in the EU. Projects are mostly consortium-based rather than single-company, so this suits deep-tech teams willing to work alongside research partners. Each project can draw up to EUR 4M, awarded as a grant with no equity component and no dilution for the companies involved.