Biotechnology for Healthy Ageing
EIC Pathfinder Challenges 2026 · HORIZON-EIC · TRL 1 to 3 · Can apply alone
What this call funds
This EIC Pathfinder Challenge funds early stage research turning ageing biology into proof of concept solutions for healthy ageing. It supports biotechnology or pharmaceutical interventions that target root causes of age related disease, biomarker tools to guide their safe use, and new non animal testing methods that better capture ageing processes. Projects must move from foundational science to a proof of concept validated in animal models or retrospective studies by the end of the project.
biotechnology · pharmaceuticals · diagnostics · public health · aging care · research excellence
Who wins this
This call suits research organisations, universities or biotech companies, working alone or in multi country consortia, that want to advance a fundamental ageing science discovery into a validated proof of concept intervention, biomarker or testing method.
Could you win this call?
Only the website is required.
The call in detail
- Indicative grant size
- €500k to €4M
- Funding model
- Lump sum. Paid per completed work package, with no financial reporting of actual costs
- Submission
- Single-stage submission (full proposal at once)
- Type of action
- HORIZON EIC Grants
- Partners
- Not required. You can apply on your own.
- Eligible applicants
- research organisation, SME, startup, university, natural person
- Also required
- Consortia of two entities must include independent legal entities from two different Member States or Associated Countries, consortia of three or more must include at least three independent entities each in a different country with at least one in a Member State, and single beneficiary projects cannot be mid caps or larger companies.
- Eligible countries (45)
- Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Israel, Türkiye, Ukraine, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, Tunisia, New Zealand
Read the full conditions from the official call ›
General conditions 1. Admissibility conditions: Proposal page limit and layout In order to apply, your proposal must meet the general eligibility requirements (see Annex 2 of EIC Work Programme 2026) as well as specific eligibility requirements for the Challenge (please see the Topic description above). Please check for particular elements (e.g., specific application focus or technology) in the respective Challenge chapter. The EIC Pathfinder Challenges support collaborative or individual research and innovation from consortia or from single legal entities established in a Member State or an Associated Country (unless stated otherwise in the specific Challenge chapter). In case of a consortium your proposal must be submitted by the coordinator on behalf of the consortium. Consortia of two entities must be comprised of independent legal entities from two different Member States or Associated Countries. Consortia of three or more entities must include as beneficiaries at least three legal entities, independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows: at least one legal entity established in a Member State; and at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries. The legal entities may for example be universities, research organisations, SMEs, start-ups, natural persons. In the case of single beneficiary projects, mid-caps and larger companies will not be permitted. Applications with elements that concern the evolution of European communication networks (5G, post-5G and other technologies linked to the evolution of European communication networks) will be subject to restriction for the protection of European communication networks (see Annex II – Section B1). The standard admissibility and eligibility conditions and the eligibility of applicants from third countries are detailed in Annex 2. Proposal page limit and layout: Described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Sections 1 to 3 of the part B of your proposal, corresponding respectively to the evaluation criteria Excellence, Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation, must consist of a maximum of 30 format A4 pages. Excess pages will be automatically made invisible, and will not be taken into consideration by the evaluators. Please also consult Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2026. 2. Eligible countries Described in Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2026. 3. Other Eligibility Conditions Described in Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2026. 4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion Described in Annex 2 of the EIC Work Programme 2026. 5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds Described in Section II of the EIC Work Programme 2026. 5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes Described in Section II of the EIC Work Programme 2026 and the Online Manual. 5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement Described in Section II of the EIC Work Programme 2026. 6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants Please refer to the Lump Sum Model Grant Agreement (Lump Sum MGA) used for Lump Sum EIC actions under Horizon Europe. Specific conditions Described in the EIC Work Programme 2026. Call Documents: EIC Work Programme 2026 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)