ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS

Topic descriptionTopic updatesConditions and documentsBudget overviewPartner search announcementsStart submissionTopic Q&AsGet supportFunded project listGeneral informationProgramme Horizon Europe (HORIZON) Call Call for proposals for ERC Proof of Concept (ERC-2026-POC) Type of actionHORIZON-ERC-POC HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept GrantsType of MGAHORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]Open For SubmissionDeadline modelmultiple cut-offOpening date20 January 2026Deadline dates 17 March 2026 17:00:00 Brussels time 17 September 2026 17:00:00 Brussels time Topic descriptionObjective:The ERC Proof of Concept Grants aim at facilitating exploration of the commercial and social innovation potential of ERC funded research and are therefore available only to Principal Investigators whose proposals draw substantially on their ERC funded research.Scope:Size of ERC Proof of Concept Grants: The financial contribution will be awarded as a single lump sum of EUR 150 000 for a period of eighteen months. Extensions of the duration of Proof of concept projects may be granted only exceptionally.The lump sum will cover the beneficiaries' direct and indirect eligible costs for the project: if the project is implemented properly the amounts will be paid regardless of the costs actually incurred. The lump sum is designed to cover the beneficiaries’ personnel costs, subcontracting costs, purchase costs, other cost categories, and indirect costs.Profile of the ERC Proof of Concept Eligible Principal InvestigatorThe ERC Proof of Concept Grant is open to Principal Investigators whose ERC main frontier research grant is ongoing, or Principal Investigators whose ERC main frontier research grant ends on or after 1 January 2025. For further information please see the ERC Work Programme 2026.Show moreTopic updates30 June 2026Press Release: Results of the ERC-2026-PoC-DL1 call: ERC awards Proof of Concept Grants to 182 researchers15 June 2026EVALUATION RESULTS of the ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum Grant 2026 - first cut-off deadline:Call for proposals: ERC-2026-PoC - ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANT Published: 20 January 2026 1st cut-off deadline: 17 March 2026 at 17:00 (Brussels local time) Available Budget: 27.300.000 €In accordance with the call conditions of the ERC 2026 Work Programme, the ERCEA, assisted by independent experts, has completed the evaluation of proposals submitted to the above call. The names of the experts that evaluated Horizon Europe proposals are published, collectively for each part of Horizon Europe and once per year, on the FUNDING & TENDERS PORTAL.The results of the evaluation are as follows: Number of submitted proposals: 561 Number of inadmissible proposals: 0 Number of ineligible proposals: 6 Number of withdrawn proposals: 1 Number of above-threshold proposals: 526 Number of proposals retained for funding [1]: 182 Number of proposals in the reserve list: 59 Number of proposals below available budget (passed evaluation thresholds but were not placed on the reserve list): 285 Number of rejected proposals (below thresholds): 28Total budget requested for proposals retained for funding: 27.300.000 €We informed the applicants about the evaluation results for their proposals on 10 June 2026.A Seal of Excellence will be awarded to the 344 proposals that have received a pass mark in all three of the evaluation elements set out in this Work Programme, but cannot be funded due to lack of budget available to the call. [1] The number of proposals that can finally be funded depends on the final available budget and the completion of the formal procedures needed to conclude grant agreements.The first grant agreements are expected to be signed around July 2026.Information on the selected projects will be published on CORDIS after signature of the grant agreements.For questions, please contact the Research Enquiry Service.ERC Proof of Concept Call Coordination11 June 2026Dear Applicants,The results for the first evaluation round of the 2026 Proof of Concept