ER
European Research Council

ERC Proof of Concept Grants

Pays existing ERC grant holders a EUR 150,000 lump sum to explore the commercial or social innovation potential of their ERC-funded research.

OpenEuropean Research CouncilEU

ERC Proof of Concept Grants is a European Research Council (ERC) grant that pays existing ERC grant holders a EUR 150,000 lump sum to explore the commercial or social innovation potential of their ERC-funded research — bridging an already-funded ERC discovery toward a commercial or social application, such as testing feasibility, validating a prototype, or preparing IP and a business case. The awa…

This call is open only to Principal Investigators whose ERC main frontier research grant is currently ongoing, or ended on or after 1 January 2025, and it funds work that draws substantially on that ERC-funded research. It is not a general research grant — it is meant to bridge an already-funded ERC discovery toward a commercial or social application, such as testing feasibility, validating a prototype, or preparing IP and a business case.

CycleiHow often this grant runs - e.g. annually, on a rolling basis, or a one-off call.No fixed schedule
Next deadlineiThe next date applications are due. Rolling means you can apply any time.17 Sept 2026
Decision timeiTypical time from the deadline to the funder's decision.-
Project durationiHow long the funded work is expected to run.-
Award typeiThe form of funding - grant, equity, loan, tax credit, etc.Grant
Match fundingiThe share of project costs you must cover yourself. 0% = fully funded.-
Funding pooliThe total budget available across all awards in this round.€60M

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