European Research Council (ERC)

Boosting the excellence of individual researchers

The European Research Council (ERC) encourages Europe’s brightest minds to develop high-risk, ground-breaking projects of a fundamental nature which prepare society for the needs of a knowledge-based society, address global challenges, and raise the global profile of European frontier research.

ERC grants are personal excellence (individual) grants which encourage the highest quality research in Europe. They are awarded through open competition to starting and established researchers, based in Europe or moving to work in Europe, irrespective of their nationality.

Being ‘investigator-driven’, ERC grants allow researchers to identify new opportunities and directions in any field of research, the sole criterion for success being scientific excellence. The aim here is to recognise the best ideas, confer status and visibility on the best brains in Europe, and attract talent from abroad. Based on the stage of your scientific career, you can apply for an ERC Starting, Consolidator, Advanced, and Synergy or Proof of Concept grant.

Take a look at the official ERC Work Programme 2026. The ERC Work Programme 2027 has not yet been published; however, the European Research Council has already announced the main changes that will apply to the 2027 calls: Changes to the 2027 Work Programme (April 2026)

 

ERC Training by PNO Group

PNO Group offers a comprehensive range of ERC training options to guide researchers through every stage of the ERC journey from exploring the scheme and developing strong proposals to excelling in the interview phase.

Informative Webinars & Keynote Sessions: We organise interactive sessions on ERC application procedures to share best practices with researchers and research officers. These tailored webinars or keynote sessions cover what makes an excellent idea and candidate (FIT), a strong proposal structure (FRAMEWORK), and compelling writing (WRITE), helping participants prepare effectively for upcoming ERC deadlines. Our one day ERC webinar gets tremendous feedback from the participants (95% positive evaluation forms). Attending PI’s consistently  confirm that such a dedicated ERC training session increases ERC success chances considerably.

Grant Writing Workshops: Our workshops aims to contribute to build a strong ERC mindset and deepen understanding of evaluation criteria and best practices. Participants learn to translate ERC expectations into practical strategies and begin developing proposals that stand out. Our experience with hundreds of ERC applications, across all ERC panels, is condensed in these practical, hands-on grant writing workshops.

Interview Training: For candidates invited to the ERC interview, we offer personalised, intensive training that includes a SWOT analysis of the proposal, Mock interviews and Q&A sessions, and feedback on the pitch, storyline, and slides supporting confident and effective interview performance. Our goal is to prepare candidates thoroughly for the ERC panel interview by anticipating the questions that will be asked during the real ERC panel interview. Based on feedback from interview training participants, we predict technical, project management and ERC-specific questions by leveraging our scientific expertise, a detailed strategic assessment of the ERC proposal, and our experience with ERC panel interviews.

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ERC in short

Intended audience Intended audience

Researchers with at least 2 years of scientific experience following their PhD.

Type of funding Type of funding

Public funding.

Total budget Total budget

16 billion euros (2021-2027).

ERC Grant schemes

Please note: The ERC Work Programme 2027 is expected to introduce changes to the eligibility periods for Starting and Consolidator Grants, including a significant widening of the eligibility windows.

  • For researchers with 2 to 7 years of experience after PhD
  • Funding can go up to 1.5 million euros for a period of 5 years; an additional 1 million euros can be requested

  • For researchers with 7 to 12 years of experience after PhD
  • Funding can go up to 2 million euros for a period of 5 years; an additional 1 million euros can be requested

  • For excellent established researchers who are leaders in their field of research
  • Funding can go up to 2.5 million eurosfor a period of 5 years; an additional 1 million euros can be requested

  • A group of 2 to maximum 4 Principal Investigators (PIs), working together and bringing different skills and resources to tackle ambitious research problems
  • Funding can go up to 10 million euros for a period of 6 years, an additional 4 million euros can be requested

  • For all Principal Investigators in one of the above ERC main grants
  • To explore the commercial and societal potential of their work
  • Lump sum of 150,000 euros for a period of 18 months

  • For outstanding Principal Investigators from all career stages with a vision to transform their field or open new avenues of research.
  • Funding can go up to €7 million for a period of 4 to 7 years.

Is your project eligible for funding?

  • Excellence is the sole criterion on the basis of which ERC fundings are awarded
  • Any field of research is eligible
  • The research must be conducted in a public or private research organisation in one of the EU Member States or associated countries.

≈140
ERCs per year

85%
ERC PoC success rate

~25
ERC experts across all panels

How can PNO Innovation help you with your ERC application?

Our experts can guide you through your ERC application process, ensuring your project aligns with the fund’s objectives. we offer support through concept co-development, strategic reviews, and hands-on assistance.

Our ERC experts

Contact the team

Start your ERC application

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