EIC Pathfinder Challenges fund early-stage, high-risk research, open to single legal entities or to small consortia of at least two entities from two different countries. The 2026 round runs three Challenges, each with its own page on this site. Grants can reach €4 million where duly justified, from a combined €96 million budget across the three Challenges. All three share the same deadline: 28 October 2026.