Horizon Europe Proof of market: EUR 200,000 to test the market for Horizon project results, 24 grants, deadline 2 February 2027

Horizon Europe has published the Proof of Market grant call under topic HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-49. The funding scheme is designed to test the commercial potential and market viability of results previously generated under Horizon Europe Cluster 4 or Horizon 2020 LEIT projects.

The total available budget is EUR 4.7 million, with the donor anticipating to award approximately 24 grants of around EUR 200,000 per project. The call is open to European Union participants, and the application deadline is 2 February 2027.

What is funded

The call provides financial support for activities that transition existing research results closer to commercial use. Eligible activities include technology demonstration, testing, comprehensive market analysis, and running pilot initiatives directly with prospective customers.

Project funding also supports product certification and the legal consolidation of intellectual property rights. The funding rate is established at 70% of eligible costs, but it increases up to 100% for eligible non-profit entities.

Who can apply

Participation is designated for start-ups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and universities based in the European Union. Projects must be implemented by small consortia rather than large research groupings.

Applicants do not need to have been part of the original project consortium that generated the research findings. However, external applicants must possess formal proof of rights to the result or include a binding commitment letter from the original result owner.

Conditions and requirements

A central requirement is that all validated results must strictly originate from either Horizon Europe Cluster 4 or Horizon 2020 LEIT projects. Around 24 projects are expected to be funded, each operating within a standard budget envelope of roughly EUR 200,000.

Practical tip. If your organization did not participate in the original Horizon project, secure the written commitment letter or intellectual property agreements from the technology owner early. Without documented legal clearance to exploit the results, the proposal will not meet the eligibility conditions.

How to apply

Proposals must be prepared and submitted via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal under topic code HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-49. Submissions will be accepted up until the official closing date on 2 February 2027.

The donor does not specify granular proposal forms or evaluation stages in the provided extract. Applicants are advised to review the portal requirements directly to ensure their small consortia comply with standard submission standards.

Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: ec.europa.eu.