Deadline Date: March 04, 2026
The EIT Higher Education Initiative’s Call for Proposals 2025 is now open, offering up to €2 million per project to strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship capacity in higher education across Europe.
The call has two core objectives: to reinforce the innovation and entrepreneurial capacity of Europe’s STEM talent pipeline, and to build long-term synergies between European University alliances and the EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, helping to boost competitiveness, resilience, and strategic autonomy across Europe.
The call is structured around two thematic areas, focusing on STEM capacity building and the development of stronger synergies between universities and innovation ecosystems. Funded projects are expected to fully integrate the three dimensions of the EIT Knowledge Triangle—education, innovation, and business—by strengthening collaboration between higher education institutions, industry, and other innovation actors. This integrated approach is designed to accelerate the translation of research and knowledge into tangible societal and economic impact, while fostering entrepreneurial mindsets and skills at both regional and European levels. Projects are also expected to demonstrate a clear and measurable commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Successful projects may receive up to €2 million in funding over a 24-month period. Funding can support a wide range of activities, including the development and implementation of innovation action plans, the design and delivery of entrepreneurship programmes, training and mentoring initiatives, the establishment of new innovation structures, the building of partnerships and ecosystems, and support for technology transfer and startup development.
Applications must be submitted by partnerships, or consortia, led by higher education institutions. These institutions are expected to work closely with businesses and other organisations to build sustainable innovation capacity within higher education. By encouraging collaboration across sectors, the call aims to strengthen Europe’s ability to nurture talent, scale innovation, and enhance long-term economic and societal resilience.
For more information, visit European Institute of Innovation and Technology.
