EIT Higher Education Initiative – Call for Proposals 2026
EIT-HEI-CALL-2026
The EIT Higher Education Initiative funds consortia led by higher education institutions to build their innovation and entrepreneurship capacity together with business, research and public-sector partners. Projects run for 18 months (1 May 2027 – 31 October 2028) and implement an innovation vision action plan.
What is funded
- innovation action plans
- entrepreneurship and innovation programmes
- training, mentoring and capacity-building
- innovation structures within HEIs
- partnerships and innovation ecosystems
- technology transfer, knowledge valorisation and start-up creation
Target groups
- higher education institutions
- businesses and industry associations
- research organisations
- technology/knowledge transfer offices
- public bodies
- NGOs and social enterprises
Format & key facts
Min. 5 partners from Horizon Europe-eligible countries, incl. at least 3 HEIs from 3 different countries (one in an EU Member State) and at least 2 business/industry partners; an HEI must coordinate. Applications via the EIT HEI Call 2026 Application Portal (Part A online, Part B Innovation Vision Action Plan upload). Call launched 20 October 2026.
Higher educationResearch & innovationSkills
Always confirm eligibility and details in the official call. This overview is informational, not a binding eligibility check.