Updated January 5, 2026
As part of the EIT Higher Education Initiative, a call for proposals for 2025 has been officially announced. The aim of the 2025 call is to strengthen European capacity in innovation and entrepreneurship in STEM fields, support the EU's strategic plan for skills (Union of Skills) and education in STEM fields, while encouraging European University Alliances (EUA) to engage in closer strategic cooperation within the EIT ecosystem. With a budget of up to €70 million, this is the largest call to date under this program. The call is open to consortia led by universities with partners from the business, research, and public sectors.
Deadline for applications: March 4, 2026 (5:00 p.m. CET).
Funding: up to €2 million per project for a period of 24 months (2026–2028)
Requirement: The call requires organizations to join forces and form a consortium in order to submit a joint application.
Details on funding and partnership (consortium) requirements are available HERE.
Funding can support:
- The development and implementation of action plans in the field of innovation
- The design and implementation of programs to support entrepreneurship
- Training and mentoring
- Creation of new innovation structures
- Building partnerships and ecosystems
- Support for technology transfer and start-ups
A series of webinars will be held in December and January to provide potential applicants with detailed information about the call, instructions on the application process, project priorities, and opportunities for cooperation.
The dates of the planned webinars on the EIT HEI call are available on the call website.
Recordings of past webinars are available HERE.
A special networking platform is also available to help find partners for the consortium, as well as a new interactive guide to help applicants assess their eligibility and readiness.
EIT platform for finding potential partners for a consortium - HERE.
Interactive guide for finding the right funding - HERE.
Anyone interested in assistance with submitting an application can also contact PS UP staff. We look forward to working with you!
Source: eit-hei.eu