The Call for Proposals 2025 sets a new record for the EIT Higher Education Initiative 

1,865 organisations from 61 countries submit applications to the Call for Proposals 2025.

The EIT Higher Education Initiative Call for Proposals 2025, which closed on 4^th March 2026, attracted an unprecedented level of interest. A total of 138 applications were submitted, marking the highest number of proposals received in a single call cycle. The applicant pool reflects a broad and diverse innovation ecosystem, with strong participation from higher education institutions, businesses, and other innovation actors from across Europe and beyond. 

Application breakdown: 

• Total applications received: 138 
• Topic 1 – STEM capacity building: 102 applications 
• Topic 2 – Building synergies with the European Universities alliances: 36 applications 

Who participated: 

• 861 higher education institutions (734 as beneficiaries, 127 as associated partners)
• 1,004 non-HEI organisations (530 as beneficiaries, 474 as associated partners), of which 515 are private businesses (321 as beneficiaries, 194 as associated partners)

Applications came from organisations across 61 countries, with all EU member states and 25 of the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) area represented. Notably, 36 out of 73 European University alliances submitted project proposals, with two-thirds of their member institutions participating within each consortium, on average. 

The Call for Proposals 2025 also attracted 455 higher education institutions that have not yet received funding through the initiative, reflecting continued expansion of its reach across the European higher education landscape. At the same time, with 348 previously funded partners returning to participate in new project proposals, there are strong signals of sustained engagement from existing and past project partners. 

The evaluation process is currently underway, and the selected projects will be announced in July 2026. 

We are delighted by the outstanding response to this Call for Proposals and deeply grateful for the time, effort, and dedication that consortia across Europe have invested in putting together such high-calibre proposals. 

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