ERC Proof of Concept Grants 2025
Pays existing ERC grant holders a EUR 150,000 lump sum to test the commercial or social potential of their funded research.
ERC Proof of Concept Grants 2025 is a European Research Council (ERC) grant that pays existing ERC grant holders a EUR 150,000 lump sum to test whether findings from their funded research could become a product, service or spinout — the bridge step between lab research and market or societal application, not new research questions. The Principal Investigator applies through their existing host ins…
This call is only for Principal Investigators who already hold, or held until recently, a main ERC frontier-research grant, and who want to test whether findings from that grant could become a product, service or spinout. It funds the bridge step between lab research and market or societal application, not new research questions.
Sign up free to see the funding breakdown
Sign up free to see the industries in scope
Sign up free to see the full eligibility
Sign up free to see how to apply
Sign up free to see what you submit
Sign up free to see how they score you
Sign up free to see the timeline
Sign up free to see where teams trip up
Guides for this application
All guides →Horizon Europe Grants for Startups: A Founder Guide
A practical guide to Horizon Europe grants for startups, including EIC, consortia, eligibility, Funding & Tenders, TRL, budgets, and EU strategy.
Write proposalHow to Write a Grant Proposal Reviewers Can Score
Learn how to write a grant proposal around reviewer criteria, evidence, work packages, budget logic, and commercialization for deeptech and R&D funding.
DocumentsGrant Work Plan Template: Work Packages, Gantt, Milestones, and Risks
Use this grant work plan template to structure work packages, tasks, owners, deliverables, Gantt timing, dependencies, and risk registers.
DocumentsLetter of Support for Grant Applications: Template and Examples
Learn how to write and request a letter of support for a grant, with template structure, examples, reviewer logic, and common mistakes.
More from ERC
All grants from this funder →ERC Proof of Concept Grants
🇪🇺ERC · European Union
Pays existing ERC grant holders a EUR 150,000 lump sum to explore the commercial or social innovation potential of their ERC-funded research.
ERC Advanced Grants 2025
🇪🇺ERC · European Union
Pays established research leaders up to EUR 2.5 million over five years to pursue ground-breaking, high-risk frontier research.
ERC Advanced Grants 2026
🇪🇺ERC · European Union
Pays established research leaders up to EUR 2.5 million over five years to pursue ground-breaking, high-risk frontier research.
ERC Consolidator Grants 2026
🇪🇺ERC · European Union
Pays researchers consolidating their own independent lab up to EUR 2 million over five years for frontier research.
ERC Plus Grants 2026
🇪🇺ERC · European Union
Pays outstanding researchers up to EUR 7 million for a major scientific challenge a regular ERC grant couldn't fund.
ERC Public Engagement with Research Award
🇪🇺ERC · European Union
Awards ERC grant holders up to EUR 10,000 for outstanding public engagement with their ERC-funded research.
Similar grants
Browse the directory →
ERC Proof of Concept Grant
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds existing ERC grant holders in testing the commercial or societal potential of already-funded research through a fixed EUR 150,000 top-up grant.
Trade Relations Programme (TRP) 2026
🇳🇱RVO · Netherlands
Pays Trade and Innovate NL network members to run export-support activities for Dutch firms.
ENEA Proof of Concept Program
ENEA · Italy
Funds companies moving ENEA laboratory technologies toward industrial use through co-funded proof-of-concept projects.
Innovation Grant
🇫🇷Bpifrance · France
Funds SMEs maturing and testing technology projects with grants of up to EUR 50,000.
ERP Digitalization Loan and Grant (511/512)
🇩🇪KfW · Germany
Funds companies and freelancers in Germany delivering digitalization projects with subsidized loans and grants up to €200,000.
Grant for Establishing a Prospecting Office Outside the EEA (Subsidie voor Oprichting van een Prospectiekantoor Buiten EER)
🇧🇪FIT · Belgium
Supports Flemish businesses establishing prospecting offices for international lead generation.