Prime Highlights
- The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has announced its largest-ever €70 million funding call to enhance STEM education and innovation capacity.
- The initiative aims to train 200,000 learners by 2028, strengthening Europe’s future workforce in innovation, entrepreneurship, and intellectual property management.
Key Facts
- Projects can receive up to €2 million each for a 24-month period (2026–2028) under the 2025 call.
- Applications are open until 4 March 2026 at 17:00 CET, with the programme already having supported 500+ institutions and 2,000+ startups through previous rounds.
Background
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has launched a record €70 million funding call aimed at strengthening STEM education, expanding innovation capacity, and preparing Europe’s future workforce. Announced under the EIT Higher Education Initiative, this is the largest funding round since the programme began and marks a new phase of cooperation between EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities and the European Universities alliances.
The 2025 call focuses on building Europe’s innovation and entrepreneurship strength in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It also supports the Union of Skills and the EU’s STEM Education Strategic Plan. The EIT expects the initiative to train 200,000 students, academics, and non-academic staff in areas such as innovation, entrepreneurship, and intellectual property management by 2028.
The programme will offer up to €2 million per project for a 24-month period from 2026 to 2028. Its goal is to improve STEM-related innovation, deepen collaboration among European universities, and activate Europe’s wider innovation ecosystem. According to the EIT, the effort will also support the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy by helping institutions translate early-stage ideas into impactful ventures.
The call is open to consortia that may include universities, research organisations, businesses, public bodies, and other partners. A matchmaking platform, detailed call text, and a new interactive guide have been made available to help applicants assess their readiness. Two virtual information sessions are scheduled for December 2025 and January 2026.
Applications will be accepted until 4 March 2026 at 17:00 CET, with selected projects to be announced later in the year. The EIT Higher Education Initiative remains the EU’s only dedicated programme for innovation in higher education. It has already supported over 500 institutions, trained more than 118,000 participants, and helped over 2,000 startups and scaleups grow. The initiative forms part of EIT Campus, which aims to train 2.3 million learners by 2028.
