EIC Pathfinder (via ISERD) — Horizon Europe
Funds early-stage Israeli teams through EIC Pathfinder support routes coordinated by ISERD within Horizon Europe opportunities.
EIC Pathfinder via ISERD is the European Innovation Council's early-stage research route for Israeli applicants. It supports high-risk, high-gain projects from ideation through proof of concept, with Pathfinder Open for any topic and Pathfinder Challenges for defined themes under Horizon Europe. The grant reaches €4 million, and the route can support either a small consortium or, in Pathfinder Challenges, a single entity. The eligible applicant set is broad: academia, research institutes, industry, SMEs, NGOs, public sector bodies, and even natural persons, provided the proposal sits in the TRL 1 to 4 window. The current challenge topics include DeepRAP for trustworthy cognitive AI systems and advanced materials for miniaturised energy harvesting systems, both with a 28 October 2026 deadline. The strongest proposals do not promise a market-ready product; they frame a technically ambitious question that still needs research, validation, and early proof of concept. ISERD supplies proposal review and guidance for Israeli teams, but the EIC is the body that awards and pays the grant.
Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.