EU Funding Deadlines 2026 Calendar

This is GrantsFinder's cross-programme EU funding deadline calendar for 2026. It brings selected Horizon Europe, EIC, MSCA, ERC, LIFE, Digital Europe, Erasmus+, Creative Europe, and Innovation Fund dates into one place, with a direct official source for every entry.

Open and upcoming EU funding deadlines

The calendar is selective rather than an export of every topic. A row can represent one topic in a larger call family; use its identifier to reach the authoritative record, then inspect sibling topics separately.

Open and upcoming EU funding deadlines after 27 August 2026
Deadline	Programme	Call	Status	Official source
3 September 2026	Erasmus+	Centres of Vocational Excellence `ERASMUS-EDU-2026-PEX-COVE`	Open	Topic
3 September 2026	LIFE	Strategic Nature Projects, concept note `LIFE-2026-STRAT-NAT-SNAP-two-stage`	Open	Topic
9 September 2026	MSCA	Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 `HORIZON-MSCA-2026-PF-01-01`	Open	Topic
15 September 2026	Horizon Europe	Clean Industrial Deal: clean technologies `HORIZON-CID-2026-01-02`	Open	Topic
16 September 2026	EIC Transition	Transition Open 2026 `HORIZON-EIC-2026-TRANSITIONOPEN`	Open	Topic
17 September 2026	Horizon Europe	Cluster 6 biodiversity, circular bioeconomy and zero pollution `HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-01`	Open	Topic
17 September 2026	ERC	Proof of Concept, second cut-off `ERC-2026-POC`	Open	Topic
17 September 2026	Creative Europe	European mini-slate development `CREA-MEDIA-2026-DEVMINISLATE`	Open	Topic
22 September 2026	LIFE	Standard Action Projects: Nature and Biodiversity `LIFE-2026-SAP-NAT-NATURE`	Open	Topic
23 September 2026	Horizon Europe	Cluster 2 Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society `HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-01`	Open	Topic
1 October 2026	Digital Europe	Call 10: Advanced Digital Skills for AI uptake in health `DIGITAL-2026-SKILLS-10-DIGITAL-HEALTH-STEP`	Open	Topic
8 October 2026	Horizon Europe	Cluster 5 mobility, including CCAM and transport `HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-01`	Open	Topic
28 October 2026	EIC Pathfinder	Pathfinder Challenges 2026 `HORIZON-EIC-2026-PATHFINDERCHALLENGES-01-03`	Open	Topic
5 November 2026	Horizon Europe	Cluster 3 Civil Security for Society `HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-SSRI-01`	Open	Topic
24 November 2026	MSCA	Doctoral Networks 2026 `HORIZON-MSCA-2026-DN-01-01`	Open	Topic
25 November 2026	EIC STEP Scale Up	STEP Scale Up 2026 `HORIZON-EIC-2026-STEP`	Open	Topic
1 December 2026	New European Bauhaus	2026 neighbourhood transformation topics `HORIZON-NEB-2026-01-REGEN-01`	Open	Topic
17 December 2026	EIC Accelerator	Short proposals, final 2026 batch date `HORIZON-EIC-2026-ACCELERATOR-01`	Open	Topic

Recently closed 2026 deadlines

These milestones are retained for status clarity and planning future annual rounds. They are not application opportunities.

Selected closed EU funding deadlines through 27 August 2026
Deadline	Programme	Call	Status	Official source
12 May 2026	EIC Pathfinder	Pathfinder Open 2026 `HORIZON-EIC-2026-PATHFINDEROPEN`	Closed	Topic
23 April 2026	Innovation Fund	2025 Net-Zero Technologies call `INNOVFUND-2025-NZT-GENERAL-LSP`	Closed	Topic
8 April 2026	MSCA	COFUND 2026 `HORIZON-MSCA-2026-COFUND-01-01`	Closed	Topic
27 August 2026	ERC	Advanced Grant 2026 `ERC-2026-ADG`	Closed	Topic

How to use this deadline calendar

Open the official topic. Confirm that its status is still Open and that the identifier matches your intended call.
Read every deadline. Two-stage calls can list a first-stage and full-proposal deadline.
Check the cut-off time. The date alone is insufficient; use the time and time zone displayed by the Portal.
Verify eligibility before writing. Country, applicant, consortium, security, and funding-rate rules vary by action.
Save the call documents. Record the version used by your team and monitor Portal updates.

Search all current opportunities in the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

Planning lead times

Suggested preparation lead times by application type
Application	Suggested lead time	Start with
Horizon Europe consortium	3-4 months	Partner roles and expected outcomes
EIC Accelerator	2-4 months	Evidence, IP, market and financing case
MSCA fellowship	2-3 months	Researcher-host fit and training plan
Deployment or operating grant	2-3 months	Co-funding and delivery capacity

Programme guides

Use this page for cross-programme dates. Use the programme guides for scope, eligibility, and proposal strategy:

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find official EU funding deadlines?

The EU Funding and Tenders Portal is the authoritative source for most centrally managed EU calls. Search by the topic identifier, then check the call status, deadline, topic conditions, and call documents. Erasmus+ actions managed by National Agencies can have country-specific arrangements, so verify those with the relevant National Agency as well.

Which major EU calls are still open after August 2026?

As verified on 27 August 2026, selected open calls include MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships, Horizon Europe Cluster calls, LIFE Standard Action Projects, Digital Europe Call 10, EIC Pathfinder Challenges, MSCA Doctoral Networks, EIC STEP Scale Up, and the EIC Accelerator short-proposal route. Check each official topic link because status can change.

Is a deadline on 27 August 2026 shown as open here?

No. This calendar uses 27 August 2026 as its editorial reference date and conservatively marks every deadline on or before that date as closed. The official topic page remains authoritative for exact cut-off time and any extension.

Are all calls within a programme due on the same date?

No. A date can apply to one call family or one topic only. Several programmes also use two-stage applications with separate deadlines. Follow the linked official topic and do not infer that adjacent topics share its schedule.

How early should an applicant start?

A collaborative Horizon Europe proposal often needs three to four months for consortium, work-plan, impact, and budget work. Single-company or individual applications can be shorter, but eligibility and evidence gathering should begin before writing.

GrantsFinder can shortlist opportunities for a project profile. Always return to the official topic record for the final deadline and eligibility decision.

EU Funding Deadlines 2026: Verified Call Calendar