Scaling up deep tech ecosystems
Funds cascading grants of up to EUR 500,000 for deep-tech pilot projects built around Europe's pan-European research infrastructures.
The EUR 500,000 per-pilot cap is deliberate: the Commission reasons that a lower threshold would discourage research infrastructures from engaging with a range of different partners, undermining the whole point of building an ecosystem around collaborative projects. Money can only reach third parties as grants, never another instrument, and each pilot is expected to push its technology to somewher…
This call pays a single consortium — which must include at least one ESFRI Landmark or European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) as a beneficiary — to identify deep-tech innovations with breakthrough potential tied to pan-European research infrastructures, and then run pilot grant calls in three to five technological areas. Pilot projects should reach Technology Readiness Level 2-5 and increase industry (including SME and startup/spin-off) engagement with these research infrastructures.
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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.
Start hereTRL Levels Explained for Deeptech Founders
Learn what TRL levels mean, how to estimate technology readiness, and how TRL affects grants, EIC Accelerator, SBIR/STTR, funding stage, and application evidence.
DocumentsProof-of-Concept Data for Grants: Evidence Examples for Deeptech Applications
See how to present proof-of-concept data in grant applications, with examples for evidence registers, test logs, pilot data, and prior project proof.
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.
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