ERC Proof of Concept Grant (ERC-2026-PoC)

The ERC Proof of Concept Grant provides funding to researchers who already hold an ERC award to support activities at the very early stage of translating research outputs into a commercial or socially valuable proposition. The grant amount is 150,000 euro. It supports preparatory work such as validation, market research, proof-of-concept experiments and measures to develop exploitation routes. The 2026 call (ERC-2026-PoC) has multiple deadlines; the next deadline for this call is 2026-09-17.

A grant of 150,000 euro to cover early-stage activities for translating research outputs into commercial or socially valuable propositions.

Available to researchers who already hold an ERC award.

Apply through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the ERC-2026-POC topic.