The new EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges (AIC) pilot is one of the main novelties of the 2026 EIC Work Programme. It introduces an ARPA-style, two-stage scheme to push demand-driven deep tech solutions from advanced prototypes into real-world use, starting with two topics: “Accelerating Physical AI: Embodied Intelligence for the Next Frontier of AI-Powered Robotics” and “Translating Disruptive New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) into Practice.”
The pilot is implemented in two sequential stages. Stage 1 is funded under the 2026 Work Programme with an indicative budget of €6 million, while Stage 2 is expected to be funded from the 2027 Work Programme with an indicative budget of €25 million.
Regarding who can apply, the 2026 call covers only Stage 1. It is open to single legal entities (mono-beneficiaries) established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country that are either start-ups, SMEs, or research-performing organisations such as universities and research and technology organisations. Larger companies that do not qualify as SMEs are not eligible to apply as single applicants at this first stage. Stage 2 in 2027 will be restricted to projects previously funded under Stage 1 and will allow mono-beneficiaries and small consortia of two or three independent legal entities from different Member States or Associated Countries.
The maturity of projects is clearly framed. EIC AIC targets innovations that already have a prototype and are ready for validation in relevant environments. In Stage 1, grants of up to €300,000 (lump sum) are provided for a duration of up to 9 months to validate and benchmark potential solutions, starting at approximately Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4. Stage 2 will offer follow-up grants of up to €2.5 million (lump sum) for up to 2.5 years to further develop, validate, and user-test the most promising solutions, to reach TRL 6–7 and prepare them for deployment and market uptake.
Deadlines are already fixed in the Work Programme. Stage 1 proposals under the 2026 call HORIZON-EIC-2026-AIC-01 must be submitted by 26 February 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. The restricted Stage 2 call, open only to successful Stage 1 projects, is planned with a deadline of 18 June 2027.
The evaluation approach is tailored for speed and portfolio building. Stage 1 proposals are evaluated remotely by at least three independent expert evaluators, who score the applications against the AIC-specific award criteria. Proposals that pass all thresholds are then subject to a portfolio-based selection, where the EIC Programme Manager and the Agency build a coherent set of projects covering different technologies, use cases, and risk profiles within each challenge. The Work Programme indicates that applicants will be informed about the results roughly six weeks after the call deadline, which is significantly faster than standard Horizon Europe evaluation timelines.
Stage 2 will follow a different process. Only projects funded under Stage 1 will be eligible. All eligible consortia will be invited to a pitch session (virtual or physical) before an independent expert jury and the EIC Programme Manager. The jury will assess the progress achieved in Stage 1, the robustness of the Stage 2 plan, and the potential for breakthrough impact and real-world deployment, and will then recommend a limited number of projects for funding. For Stage 2, the evaluation is expected to be completed within six to eight weeks after the deadline. The Agency will aim to sign grant agreements as quickly as possible.
In terms of timing for project start, two elements are relevant. First, for Stage 1, information on results is expected around six weeks after the 26 February 2026 deadline. Second, under the general rules of Horizon Europe, grant agreements are typically signed within approximately eight months after the call deadline, and actions are expected to commence within the same eight-month timeframe. This means that most AIC Stage 1 projects can reasonably expect to start in the second half of 2026, with Stage 1 running for up to nine months. For Stage 2, the Work Programme explicitly allows the grant start date to be aligned retroactively with the date on which applicants are informed of the evaluation result, thereby avoiding gaps between stages and enabling projects to continue uninterrupted.
The number of grants is not fixed in the Work Programme; however, the available figures allow for a reasonable estimate. With €6 million earmarked for Stage 1 in 2026 and a maximum grant of €300,000 per project, the Commission could, in principle, fund up to approximately 20 projects across both challenges at this initial stage. However, the actual number will depend on the grant amounts requested and portfolio considerations. For Stage 2, the indicative 2027 budget of €25 million and the maximum grant of €2.5 million per project suggest that a much smaller subset of Stage 1 projects, likely on the order of 10, will receive the larger follow-up grants to complete development and user testing.
For applicants, a few additional features are particularly relevant. The funding rate is 100% of eligible costs in both stages, as the calls are implemented as Research and Innovation Actions with lump-sum funding. The scheme strongly emphasises early involvement of end-users and regulators: applicants are expected to engage potential users from the outset, for example, through letters of intent from end-user organisations or integrators, and to address issues such as safety, regulatory pathways, and scalability in their work plan.
Finally, projects selected under the AIC pilot will be managed in portfolios by dedicated EIC Programme Managers, who will organise joint activities, support refinement of roadmaps, and prepare the transition from Stage 1 to Stage 2. Awardees will also have access to the EIC’s Business Acceleration Services, including mentoring, matchmaking with investors and corporates, and access to relevant infrastructures, in line with the general EIC support model.
In summary, the EIC AIC pilot is aimed at teams that already have an advanced prototype in Physical AI or NAMs and are ready to co-design demanding use cases with users and regulators, with a clear path from TRL 4 to TRL 6–7 between 2026 and 2029. The scheme offers relatively small, fast grants in Stage 1 and a competitive selection for larger Stage 2 projects, with short evaluation timelines and a strong emphasis on demonstration, adoption, and market readiness.
If you are interested in discussing more about the new EIC AIC pilot, please contact us.
