[European Commission](https://commission.europa.eu/index_en)

March 13, 2025 | September 18, 2025

€150,000 lump sum per grant, for up to 18 months

Supports ERC grantees to explore and develop the commercial or societal innovation potential of their ERC-funded research.

Only one proposal per PI per call; only ERC main grant holders (current or ended after Jan 1, 2024) eligible.

--- ## Description The ERC Proof of Concept Grants are designed to help researchers who have received an ERC main grant (Starting, Consolidator, Advanced, or Synergy) bridge the gap between their frontier research and the early stages of innovation. The grant supports activities such as technical validation, market research, business model development, and intellectual property strategy, aiming to translate research results into marketable products, processes, or societal solutions. The scheme fosters entrepreneurship and accelerates the impact of ERC-funded discoveries. --- ## Due Dates - March 13, 2025 (17:00 Brussels time) - September 18, 2025 (17:00 Brussels time) Applicants may submit at any time before the final deadline, but only one proposal per Principal Investigator will be considered under this call. --- ## Funding Amount - Lump sum of €150,000 per project - Project duration: up to 18 months (most projects are expected to complete within 12 months) - The lump sum covers all eligible direct and indirect costs The indicative overall budget for the 2025 call is €30 million, with approximately 200 grants expected to be awarded. --- ## Eligibility - **Principal Investigator:** Must hold an ongoing ERC main grant or have completed an ERC main grant that ended after January 1, 2024. - Synergy Grant PIs require written consent from all Synergy project PIs to apply. - Maximum of three Proof of Concept grants per main grant project (six for Synergy Grants). - Only one proposal per PI per call; if multiple are submitted, only the first will be considered. - **Host Institution:** Must be established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country and engage the PI for at least the duration of the PoC project. - Public bodies, research organizations, and higher education institutions must have a gender equality plan in place. - **Nationality:** Open to researchers of any nationality intending to conduct the project in a Member State or Associated Country. - **Other:** PIs found in breach of research integrity in ERC calls (2023/2024) are ineligible. --- ## Application Process 1. **Prepare Proposal:** - Complete Administrative Part A (online form, including ethics table). - Prepare Proposal Part B (max 10 pages): includes innovation justification, approach/methodology, and PI’s strategic lead. - Obtain Host Institution Binding Statement of Support. - Optional: Ethics self-assessment, stakeholder letters of support. 2. **Submission:** - Submit electronically via the [EU Funding & Tenders Portal](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home). - Early registration and submission are strongly recommended. 3. **Evaluation:** - Single-step peer review based solely on excellence, considering: - Breakthrough innovation potential - Approach and methodology - Strategic lead and project management - Proposals must pass all evaluation elements to be ranked and funded. - If more proposals pass than available budget, ranking determines funding. 4. **Documents and Guidance:** - [Information for Applicants](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/information-for-applicants_he-erc-poc_en.pdf) - [Proposal templates](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/temp-form/af/af_he-erc-poc_en.pdf) - [ERC Work Programme 2025](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2025/wp_horizon-erc-2025_en.pdf) --- ## Additional Information - **Open Science:** Immediate open access to all peer-reviewed publications is required; data management must follow FAIR principles. - **Seal of Excellence:** Proposals passing all evaluation criteria but not funded may receive a Seal of Excellence. - **Reporting:** Only a final project report is required, reflecting the shorter project duration. - **No time sheets:** Not required for contractual obligations under this scheme. - **Host Institutions:** SMEs and spin-off companies are eligible as long as all other requirements are met. - **Transferability:** Grants may be transferred to a new beneficiary if needed. --- ## External Links - [ERC Proof of Concept Grants – Call details and submission](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/ERC-2025-POC?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502&order=DESC&pageNumber=16&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate) - [EU Funding & Tenders Portal](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home) - [ERC Proof of Concept Guidance & FAQ](https://erc.europa.eu/apply-grant/proof-concept) - [ERC Work Programme 2025 (PDF)](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2025/wp_horizon-erc-2025_en.pdf) - [Information for Applicants (PDF)](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/information-for-applicants_he-erc-poc_en.pdf) - [Proposal template (PDF)](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/temp-form/af/af_he-erc-poc_en.pdf) - [ERC Rules for Submission and Evaluation](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/erc-rules-for-submission-and-evaluation_he-erc_en.pdf) - [FAQs for Applicants](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/faq?isExactMatch=true&status=0&type=0,1&order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=publicationDate) --- ## Contact Information | Purpose | Contact/Resource | |---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | General grant queries | [erc-poc-applicants@ec.europa.eu](mailto:erc-poc-applicants@ec.europa.eu) | | Technical portal support | [IT Helpdesk](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/helpdesks/contact-form) | | National Contact Points (NCPs) | [Find your NCP](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/ncp) | | Research policy/eligibility queries | [Research Enquiry Service](https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/contact-us/research-enquiry-service_en) | | Partner search | [Partner Search Tool](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/how-to-participate/partner-search?order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=lastModified&isExactMatch=true&type=ORGANISATION,PERSON&frameworkProgramme=43108390) | ---

ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS

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