| Topic | HORIZON-EIE-2027-01-CONNECT-03 |
|---|---|
| Status | Forthcoming |
| Call | HORIZON-EIE-2027-01 — Interconnected Innovation Ecosystems (2027.1) |
| Destination | CONNECT - Interconnected Innovation Ecosystems (2026-27) |
| Type of action | Coordination and Support Actions · lump sum |
| Opening | 1 June 2027 |
| Deadline | 15 September 2027 |
| Budget | around EUR 1 million per project · 6 projects expected · EUR 6 million in total |
| Part B page limit | 28 pages (standard application form; check your call) |
| Template | Work Programme 2026–2027 application form |
Expected outcomes
The topic does not say whether all outcomes must be addressed; treat them all as relevant. The topic says: “Project results are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:”
- EO1 Increase the collaboration of philanthropic organisations with higher education institutions, TTOs, innovative companies and Venture Capital (VCs) in supporting innovative projects and companies to develop and grow.
- EO2 Support the transition of academic research and innovations from higher education institutions to market-ready solutions.
Expected impacts named in the destination
The wider, long-term effects the destination seeks. Your outcomes feed them; they are not project deliverables.
- EI1 More competitive and more efficient European innovation ecosystems which provide favourable framework conditions for the development and market uptake of innovative solutions, drawing on the existing strengths of national, regional, and local ecosystems.
- EI2 Enhanced cross-border network connectivity and inter-regional collaboration to untap Europe’s potential for successful commercialization of innovative products and services, notably through reinforced links between resources, organizations, investors and policymakers.
- EI3 Improved access to funding by European startups and scaleups, notably in the deep-tech and strategic sectors, through diverse sources, including innovation procurement and philanthropy.
- EI4 Enhanced knowledge and technology transfer and capacity building within the European innovation ecosystems, providing innovative companies with the necessary conditions to thrive.
- EI5 Increased participation of less represented R&I stakeholders and less advanced innovation territories in the R&I cycle, capitalising on the experience and vision of an increasingly diverse range of people, companies and territories while promoting social cohesion, inclusion, accessibility and gender balance.
- EI6 Improved systemic conditions to tackle key EU strategic priorities, including the green and digital transitions, through building innovative capacities.
- EI7 Increased coordination of innovation policy and networking activities by the Member States and Associated Countries through the EIC Forum.
What evaluators will look for in this topic
Expected outcomes
- The topic does not say whether all outcomes must be addressed; treat them all as relevant.
- For each outcome (EO1 to EO2), name who will use or adopt your results (a specific group, not “industry” or “society”), how they get them, and the indicator that shows the change, with baseline, target and date.
- Use the topic's own words for each outcome, so the evaluator can tick it off.
What the scope asks for
Evaluators check the proposal against these sentences of the scope. Answer each one visibly, in the call's own words.
- “Higher education institutions are expected to propose a plan outlining how they intend to advance and commercialize the research and technologies they have developed.”
- “This plan should detail how they will engage with philanthropic organizations and/or venture capital investors to support early-stage companies, as well as with businesses that could adopt university-developed technologies.”
- “It should also include strategies for involving other relevant stakeholders who can help bringing these innovations to market.”
- “The collaboration of beneficiaries should lead to concrete results, where the activities could include, but are not limited to one or more of the following:.”
- “By the end of the project, the consortium should demonstrate the application—or confirmed interest in application—of the developed technology or technologies in the creation of new, or the improvement of existing, products and/or services by at least one startup, scaleup, or corporate entity.”
- “The funding should come from at least one of the following investor types: angel investors, accelerators, venture capital firms, corporate investors, philanthropic organizations, or National Promotional Banks.”
- “For the purposes of this call, eligible philanthropic organization should meet the criteria set by Philea for “public-benefit foundation”.”
Conditions that shape the proposal
- Part B, sections 1–3: 28 pages (standard application form). Text beyond the limit is not read; tables and figures count.
- Lump sum: the budget is fixed per work package and paid when each work package is completed. Every work package needs activities and deliverables an evaluator can verify, and the effort must match the money.
- Coordination and support action: no research is funded. Evaluators look for coordination, networking, dissemination or policy support with a clear audience.
- Other Eligible Conditions: “The coordinator of the project must be a higher education institution, or research technology organisation(s) (RTOs) or a network of such organisations.”
- Other Eligible Conditions: “Consortia must include at least three (3) participants from three (3) different member states or associated countries, including higher education institution(s) or RTOs and philanthropy organisation(s) or network of philanthropy organisations.”
- Other Eligible Conditions: “The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner. The JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal - see General Annex B.”
Impact pathway and traps
- Users or citizens are part of the scope. Show how they take part in the design and testing, not only that they are informed.
- The scope expects pilots or demonstration. Name the sites, the partners who run them and what is measured there.
- Market uptake is part of the scope. Evaluators look for a credible route to market with named first adopters.
- Keep outputs, outcomes and impacts apart: what you deliver, what changes when others use it, and the long-term effect.
- For each destination impact you claim, show which of your outcomes feeds it. Destination impacts are long-term effects, not project deliverables.
- Name the barriers outside the project (regulation, markets, user behaviour) that could block uptake, and what you will do if they do.
- Section 2.3 (the summary canvas) is optional on this call; the old split into scientific, economic and societal impact is no longer required.
The scope, as published
There are currently more than 33000 philanthropic organisations in Europe with EUR 50 billion of annual philanthropic expenditure and EUR 567 billion pool of philanthropic assets. Philanthropic organisations and higher education institutions have been working together for many years in supporting the development of breakthrough research and technologies. At the same time, the EU still faces challenges in bringing technologies to the market. Therefore, this action aims at building on these established models of cooperation to support the transfer of developed technologies to the market by supporting facilities (like living labs and test beds) and/or engaging relevant stakeholders to further commercialize technologies with concrete common objective. The purpose of this topic is to incentivise philanthropic organisations support to projects with high-potential, not only through financial resources, but also by providing access to expertise and networks of like-minded stakeholders and investors, as well as by being themselves first users of new technologies, allowing for their testing. Higher education institutions are expected to propose a plan outlining how they intend to advance and commercialize the research and technologies they have developed. This plan should detail how they will engage with philanthropic organizations and/or venture capital investors to support early-stage companies, as well as with businesses that could adopt university-developed technologies. It should also include strategies for involving other relevant stakeholders who can help bringing these innovations to market. The cooperation could take place at the regional, national or European level with the participation of at least one higher education institution or network of such organisations, RTO and one philanthropic organisation or network of philanthropic organisations. Consortia could also include accelerator or investors networks and government organisations and/or other relevant innovation stakeholders. The role of the philanthropic organisation in the consortia could include, but is not limited to: Providing access to other investors and networks of like-minded stakeholders; Increase the awareness of the project among relevant stakeholders; Accelerate the implementation and adoption of developed technologies by other stakeholders; Being first users of new developed technologies, allowing for their testing. The collaboration of beneficiaries should lead to concrete results, where the activities could include, but are not limited to one or more of the following: Bringing together diverse research and innovation actors to collaboratively develop a technology or combination of technologies. By the end of the project, the consortium should demonstrate the application—or confirmed interest in application—of the developed technology or technologies in the creation of new, or the improvement of existing, products and/or services by at least one startup, scaleup, or corporate entity; Supporting the creation of experimentation spaces and testing environments like living labs, testing beds, incubators or accelerators; In collaboration with Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs), supporting the launch of multiple spin-offs that successfully secure venture funding. The funding should come from at least one of the following investor types: angel investors, accelerators, venture capital firms, corporate investors, philanthropic organizations, or National Promotional Banks. As a result, a number of signed deals are expected; Building one or several accelerators with the aim to attract a number of startups to venture funding. The duration of the project depends on the proposed project but in order to have quality results, it is foreseen to be between one to three years. For the purposes of this call, eligible philanthropic organization should meet the criteria set by Philea for “public-benefit foundation”. Specifically, five criteria had been collectively defined to consider an organisation as a public-benefit foundation: They are independent, separately constituted non-profit bodies. They have no members or shareholders. They have their own established and reliable source of income, usually but not exclusively from an endowment. They have their own governing board. They distribute their financial resources for educational, cultural, religious, social or other public-benefit purposes, either by Supporting associations, charities, and educational institutions or individuals; or, Operating their own programmes. Participants are also encouraged to leverage relevant complementary programmes such as the EIT Higher Education Initiative. To support the work of higher education institutions in identifying relevant philanthropic organisations to collaborate with, the Commission will also launch a study to map and profile the relevant philanthropic organisations working in the area of research and innovation in Europe. McKinsey and Philea. In this topic, philanthropy refers to foundations, corporate funders and individuals using their own financial and non-financial resources for the public good. EIT Higher Education Initiative
Other topics in HORIZON-EIE-2027-01
- HORIZON-EIE-2027-01-CONNECT-01-CANCELLED — Startup Europe - CANCELLED
- HORIZON-EIE-2027-01-CONNECT-02 — Reinforcing synergies between experimentation spaces and innovation procurement
Source and attribution
Topic text from the official topic page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, retrieved 19 October 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU (CC BY 4.0). Changes: the expected outcomes and impacts are split into numbered statements, long passages are shortened, and the evaluator checklist is GrantWise's own commentary. Your call and the Work Programme always win; check them before you submit. GrantWise is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the European Commission.