Choose the EIC logic your proposal will actually face
Pathfinder, Transition, Advanced and Accelerator are not interchangeable. Pick the instrument that matches the maturity, evidence and market logic of your proposal, then stress-test against that specific evaluation context.
For high-risk/high-gain research that can create the scientific and technological basis for a future breakthrough technology.
For eligible research results that need technology maturation, user validation and market readiness to advance together.
For the Advanced Innovation Challenges pilot, where benchmarking, user commitment and fast evidence generation drive the next funding gate.
For startups and SMEs taking a high-impact innovation from late-stage validation toward market deployment, growth and investment readiness.
Start from the maturity and funding objective. Pathfinder explores a breakthrough, Transition matures an eligible research result, Advanced validates demand-driven deep tech through stage gates, and Accelerator prepares commercialisation and scale-up.