Proof of Concept Grant
Issued by European Commission · via EU Funding & Tenders Portal
- Published
- 12 Nov 2026
- Closes
- 10 Mar 2027
- Reference
- ERC-2027-POC
- Location
- European Union
At a glance
European Commission in European Union has published a funding call: “Proof of Concept Grant”. Submissions close on 10 March 2027, 118 days from today. Quote reference ERC-2027-POC in any correspondence with the buyer. FreeTender has recorded 417 notices from this buyer since 2026, 404 of them currently open. Bids are submitted to the buyer through EU Funding & Tenders Portal, not through FreeTender.
Key requirements
Taken from the notice by FreeTender. The tender document on the official portal is binding — check it, and any corrigendum, before you bid.
To bid on EU public procurement
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Details
Objective
The ERC Proof of Concept Grant allows ERC main grant holders to explore the commercial and social innovation potential of their ERC-funded research. These grants are available only to Principal Investigators, whose proposals draw substantially on their ERC-funded research; therefore, applicants need to demonstrate the relationship between the idea to be taken to proof of concept and their main frontier research grant.
Scope:
Profile of the ERC Proof of Concept Eligible Principal Investigator : The ERC Proof of Concept Grant is open to Principal Investigators whose ERC main grant is ongoing, or Principal Investigators whose ERC main grant ends on or after the 1st of January 2026. For further information please refer to the ERC Work Programme 2027.
Type of action: HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
Programme period: 2021 - 2027
"> General conditions
1. Admissibility conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
The conditions specific to the ERC grants are described in the ERC Work Programme 2027 under the heading “ Admissibility, Eligibility, and Resubmission Restrictions” and in the ERC Rules for Submission and Evaluation . An overview is provided below:
Eligible Principal Investigator:
The ERC Proof of Concept Grant 2027 call 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 2026 , subject to restrictions provided in Annex 3 of the ERC Work Programme 2027 .
Resubmission Restrictions:
- Principal Investigators may submit ONLY ONE proposal under this Work Programme Proof of Concept 2027 call. If an applicant submits several proposals on different cut-off dates within the same call year, only the first admissible and eligible proposal will be evaluated.
- A Principal Investigator whose proposal was rejected on the grounds of a breach of research integrity in the calls for proposals under Work Programmes 2025 or 2026 may not submit a proposal to the ERC-2027-PoC call.
- Synergy Grant Principal Investigators are eligible to apply to the Proof of Concept call only with the written consent of all Principal Investigators in the same Synergy Grant project. Principal Investigators in the same Synergy Grant project can submit one Proof of Concept application each under this
Context for bidders
We hold 417 notices from European Commission, going back to August 2026 — 404 of them still open. They buy mostly in IT & Telecom, Water & Environment and Healthcare & Pharma. This one closes in 118 days.
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Before you bid on this tender
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- Confirm the exact closing date and time (and time zone) on the official portal — deadlines are strict and can be revised by a corrigendum.
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