ERC Plus Grant Opens Tuesday with Up to €7 Million Per Project as 10 Cluster 5 Calls Launch and Council Stalls on FP10

01 June 2026 · Strategic Funding Partners

Published 01 June 2026 · SFP Pulse · Weekly Research

> ERC Plus opens Tuesday with up to €7M per project. Ten Cluster 5 calls launch Thursday as the Innovation Fund draws record demand and FP10 stalls.

This week's EU funding update is led by two immediate openings. The ERC Plus Grant — a new ERC instrument for transformative research at any career stage — opens for applications on Tuesday 2 June, offering up to €7 million per project with a September deadline. Ten Horizon Europe Cluster 5 calls follow on Thursday 4 June, covering connected mobility, next-generation batteries, and smart urban transport. In policy news, EU research ministers met on 29 May but failed to reach agreement on FP10, and the Innovation Fund's most recent net-zero technology call drew a record €17.5 billion in demand against a €2.9 billion budget. The AI Act Article 50 transparency consultation also closes this Wednesday — the final input window before August enforcement.

Top News

ERC Plus Grant Opens for Applications on 2 June — Up to €7 Million Per Project for Transformative Research

The European Research Council has launched the ERC Plus Grant, a new funding instrument designed for high-risk, high-reward research with no disciplinary boundaries and no career-stage restrictions. The call opens for applications on Tuesday 2 June, accompanied by a live webinar at 15:00–16:30 CEST with ERC President Maria Leptin. The submission deadline is 2 September 2026.

ERC Plus Grants fund up to €7 million per project over 4–7 years. The Principal Investigator must commit at least 30% of their working time to the project and spend at least 50% in the EU or an associated country. Around 30 grants per year are expected. Unlike the existing Starting, Consolidator, and Advanced Grant scheme — which are tied to career stage — ERC Plus is open to researchers at any stage, making it the most accessible ERC instrument to date. Researchers who have already held an ERC grant, or who sit between career-stage brackets, now have a direct high-value route into exploratory ERC funding.

For universities and research institutes, this is a call worth alerting widely across your PI community. SFP can help you identify strong candidates, assess eligibility, and develop a submission strategy — get in touch to find out more.

> 📅 Programme: Horizon Europe / European Research Council > > Budget: Up to €7,000,000 per project > > Deadline: 2 September 2026 > > Opens: 2 June 2026 > > Indicative grants: ~30 per year > > Eligible PIs: Any career stage

> Source: European Research Council — ERC Plus Grant

Competitiveness Council Misses 29 May Deadline for Partial General Approach on FP10

At the Competitiveness Council (Research and Space) on 29 May 2026, EU research ministers held a policy debate on the Horizon Europe successor programme (FP10, covering 2028–2034) but did not adopt the partial general approach that the Cyprus Presidency had targeted for that session. The Presidency confirmed that discussions are converging but that further work is needed on European Partnerships, FP10–ECF interlinkages, social sciences and humanities, Missions, research and technology infrastructures, research security, and dual-use research.

The Cyprus Presidency holds the rotating chair until 30 June 2026, when the Irish Presidency takes over. The European Parliament and several research networks — including the Coimbra Group and ESMO — urged the Council to align with Parliament's draft positions ahead of interinstitutional negotiations. A further attempt at agreement before the June 30 handover remains possible but has not been confirmed.

For research organisations, the delay adds uncertainty to planning beyond 2027. SFP monitors FP10 developments and can help you interpret the implications for your institutional roadmap — get in touch for a conversation.

> 📋 Framework Programme: FP10 (Horizon Europe successor, 2028–2034) > > Session: Competitiveness Council, 29 May 2026 > > Outcome: No partial general approach adopted > > Next: Cyprus pushing for PGA before 30 June handover; Irish Presidency takes over 1 July; EP trilogue not expected until October

> Source: Science|Business — EU governments make final push for FP10 deal · Science|Business — EU governments miss target for FP10 agreement · Consilium — Competitiveness Council 29 May 2026

AI Act Article 50 Transparency Consultation Closes 3 June — Final Input Window

The European Commission's targeted consultation on draft guidelines for transparency obligations under Article 50 of the AI Act closes this Wednesday 3 June 2026. This is the final stakeholder input window before the Commission adopts the guidelines, which take effect on 2 August 2026.

The Article 50 guidelines clarify how providers and deployers of AI systems must inform users when they are interacting with an AI system or with AI-generated content. Watermarking obligations are delayed until December 2026 for systems placed on the market before the August deadline, but the core transparency duty applies from 2 August. A separate consultation on high-risk AI classification under Article 6(5) remains open until 23 June 2026.

AI Act compliance is increasingly relevant to EU-funded project design. Grants under Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, and other programmes that include AI components may carry high-risk classification or transparency obligations from August. If you are reviewing AI components in an EU-funded project for compliance exposure, get in touch — SFP can help you map obligations and align project documentation with the latest requirements.

> ⚠️ Regulation: AI Act (Regulation EU 2024/1689) > > Article 50 consultation closes: 3 June 2026 (this week) > > Application date: 2 August 2026 > > Also open: Article 6(5) high-risk classification consultation — closes 23 June 2026

> Source: European Commission — AI Act Article 50 consultation

Innovation Fund 2025 Net-Zero Technology Call Drew 358 Applications Requesting €17.5 Billion

The European Commission confirmed on 29 May that the Innovation Fund 2025 Net-Zero Technologies (IF25 NZT) call — which closed on 23 April — received 358 project applications from organisations across 27 EEA countries. Those projects collectively request €17.5 billion in funding, more than six times the €2.9 billion available. The Commission estimates the submitted projects could avoid approximately 1.1 billion tonnes of CO₂ over their first ten years of operation. Evaluation results are expected in October 2026.

By topic, the breakdown was: large-scale 104, medium-scale 74, pilot projects 79, small-scale 51, and clean-tech manufacturing 50. Projects that are evaluated positively but do not receive funding will be eligible for the STEP Seal — a recognised quality marker that can support alternative financing.

The six-to-one oversubscription underlines the scale of industrial appetite for decarbonisation funding that the Innovation Fund currently cannot satisfy. For organisations preparing for IF26, differentiated positioning and early consortium formation will be critical. A separate consultation on IF26 Heat Auction draft Terms and Conditions is open until 2 July, with a stakeholder workshop on 7 July in Brussels. SFP supports organisations preparing Innovation Fund applications — get in touch to discuss readiness for IF26.

> 🏭 Programme: Innovation Fund (EU ETS revenues) > > Call: IF25 Net-Zero Technologies (closed 23 April 2026) > > Applications received: 358 from 27 EEA countries > > Funding requested: €17.5 billion against €2.9 billion available (6x oversubscribed) > > Evaluation results expected: October 2026 > > STEP Seal: Available for qualifying unsuccessful projects

> Source: DG CLIMA — IF25 NZT demand figures, 29 May 2026

Council Adopts First-Ever EU Framework for Science Diplomacy

On 29 May 2026, the Council of the EU adopted a Recommendation establishing the EU's first formal framework for science diplomacy (ST-6868/26). The framework provides a shared vision and code of conduct for using scientific cooperation as a foreign policy instrument. It identifies Horizon Europe as the EU's primary tool of global science diplomacy, with countries including Canada, South Korea, and Japan already participating as associated countries.

The framework is a Council Recommendation — not legally binding — but carries significant political weight as a signal of Member State intent. It aims to strengthen the EU's position as a global leader in science and technology and to use scientific collaboration to advance foreign policy objectives, build resilience, and project soft power in partner regions.

For research organisations engaged in international collaborations, the framework formalises the diplomatic dimension of EU research. It may shape future calls — particularly those under international cooperation or security-sensitive themes — and could influence eligibility criteria for associated country participation under FP10.

> 🌍 Instrument: Council Recommendation (ST-6868/26) > > Adopted: 29 May 2026 > > Focus: EU scientific cooperation as a foreign policy tool > > Horizon Europe: Described as the EU's primary science diplomacy instrument > > International context: Canada, South Korea, Japan participate as associated countries

> Source: Consilium — EU Science Diplomacy Framework, 29 May 2026 · DG R&I

Featured Calls

These are the most popular calls on Discovery this week. Get in touch if you'd like to find out whether you could be a fit.

> 💻 HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-05 — Regional Components of the EU Digital Twin Ocean > > Budget: €19,400,000 | Deadline: 23 September 2026 > > Programme: Horizon Europe Missions (Ocean) | Status: Open > > Thematic Areas: Digital / Telecommunications, Environment / Climate > > Fit signal: Marine research institutes, digital infrastructure providers, AI and data science SMEs, ocean observation networks, and coastal authorities building regional digital twin platforms. Consortia should combine oceanographic domain expertise with digital infrastructure capability.

> 🌡️ HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-02 — Transition to Low-Temperature Heating Solutions in Multi-Apartment Buildings > > Budget: €18,000,000 | Deadline: 8 October 2026 > > Programme: Horizon Europe Missions (Cities) | Status: Open > > Thematic Areas: Energy, Smart Cities / Urban Development > > Fit signal: Municipalities, housing associations, heat pump manufacturers, building renovation companies, district heating operators, and energy agencies working on decarbonising multi-apartment residential heating. Consortia should include demonstration sites and citizen engagement capacity.

> 🌊 HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-02 — Addressing Aquatic Pollution and Biodiversity Loss Through Nature-Positive Solutions > > Budget: €31,000,000 | Deadline: 23 September 2026 > > Programme: Horizon Europe Missions (Ocean) | Status: Open > > Thematic Areas: Environment / Climate, Agriculture / Agrifood > > Fit signal: Environmental research institutes, river basin authorities, water utilities, nature-based solutions providers, biodiversity NGOs, and agricultural organisations addressing nutrient pollution, microplastics, and habitat degradation from source to sea. Consortia should integrate upstream land-use management with downstream marine and freshwater restoration.

Are you an innovation authority or funding body? Get your opportunities in front of an active community of organisations already tracking EU funding. We can tailor placement to your target countries, sectors, or applicant profile. Get in touch to find out more.

New Calls This Week

15 new calls were added since the last SFP Pulse Edition. Highlights below.

Horizon Europe:

ERC-2026-ADG ⇢ ERC Advanced Grants Budget: €746,700,000 | Deadline: 27 Aug 2026

HORIZON-JU-EDCTP3-2026-OUTSRESEARCHTEAMPRIZE ⇢ EDCTP3 Outstanding Research Team Prize Budget: €50,000 | Deadline: 2 Sep 2026

PPPA:

PPPA-2026-IRIS2-UT-IND-READINESS ⇢ Industrial Readiness for Affordable Ka-band User Terminals (IRIS²) Budget: €20,000,000 | Deadline: 26 Aug 2026

PPPA-2026-SOCIAL-ECONOMY-TOURISM ⇢ Smart Social Economy Model in Tourism (Long Distance Trails) Budget: €1,500,000 | Deadline: 26 Aug 2026

> To view more of these calls, sign up to Discovery.

Calls Opening This Week

Added to Discovery this morning — ERC Plus and four EuroHPC quantum calls, all open today (Tue 2 Jun):

ERC-2026-PLUS ⇢ ERC Plus Grant — up to €7M per project, any career stage — opens Tue 2 Jun Budget: Up to €7,000,000 per project | Deadline: 2 Sep 2026

EuroHPC quantum calls — opens Tue 2 Jun

⇢ HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-PQC-06-01 — €10M, deadline 26 Jan 2027 Large-Scale Photonic Quantum Computing Platform Technologies (EuroHPC JU)

⇢ HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-QML-07-01 — €3M, deadline 28 Jan 2027 Quantum Machine Learning (EuroHPC JU)

⇢ HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-NGC-04-01 — €2M, deadline 14 Jan 2027 Grand Challenge: Quantum Sensors for Inertial Navigation (EuroHPC JU)

⇢ HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-STAND-05-01 — €1M, deadline 19 Jan 2027 Standards for Quantum Technologies (EuroHPC JU)

Horizon Europe Cluster 5 — opens Thu 4 Jun, deadline 8 Oct 2026

⇢ HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D2-03 — €100M Integrated Production for Next-Gen Lithium Batteries (BATT4EU/Made in Europe)

⇢ HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-01 — €100M Flagship Pilot: Large-Scale CCAM Demonstrations (CCAM Partnership)

⇢ HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-03 — €13M Generative AI for Smarter CCAM (CCAM Partnership)

⇢ HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-07 — €4M Supporting Sustainable and Smart Urban Mobility (CIVITAS)

⇢ HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-10 — €10M Enhanced Resilience in Multimodal Passenger Transport Through AI

⇢ HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-06 — €20M Competitiveness of Multimodal Freight Transport and Logistics

⇢ HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-09 — €12M Road Safety and Resilience of Rural Areas

⇢ HORIZON-CL5-2026-10-D6-02 — €4M CCAM — Geopolitics and Standards

PPPA-2026-BORN-DIGITAL-HERITAGE ⇢ Safeguarding Europe's Born-digital Heritage — opens Thu 4 Jun Budget: €1,985,000 | Deadline: 16 Jul 2026

Closing Soon

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-TECH-01-01 ⇢ R&D for Next-Gen Scientific Instrumentation and Digitalisation Tue 16 June 2026

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-DEV-01-02 ⇢ Research Infrastructure Landscape Consolidation Tue 16 June 2026

HORIZON-INFRA-2026-TECH-01-02 ⇢ Digital Twins for Environment, Climate and Security Tue 16 June 2026

HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2026-COAIF-03 ⇢ Cooperation of AI Factories and Factories Antennas Tue 23 June 2026

SOCPL-2026-INFO-WK ⇢ Information and Training Measures for Workers' Organisations Wed 24 June 2026

CEF-DIG-2026-GATEWAYS-WORKS ⇢ Backbone Connectivity for Digital Global Gateways — Works Tue 30 June 2026

Upcoming Events

Upcoming events relevant to EU funding and innovation.

Digital Europe Info Session — Regulatory Compliance Through Data ⇢ Info session for the Digital Europe call on data-driven regulatory compliance tools Date: Monday 08 June 2026 | Location: Online

LIFE 2026 Webinar — Confindustria ⇢ Webinar covering LIFE Programme 2026 calls for proposals Date: Wednesday 10 June 2026 | Location: Online

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 Webinar ⇢ Official webinar on the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 call (14:00–16:00 CEST) Date: Friday 12 June 2026 | Location: Online

Horizon Europe Missions 2026–2027 Webinar — RVO ⇢ RVO webinar on Horizon Europe Missions calls for 2026–2027 (15:30–17:00 CEST) Date: Monday 15 June 2026 | Location: Online

EIC TTO Webinar — From Lab to Market ⇢ EIC online session on the role of technology transfer offices in bringing research to market Date: Thursday 18 June 2026 | Location: Online

Innovation Fund IF26 Stakeholder Consultation Event ⇢ Stakeholder consultation on the design of IF26 calls for proposals — registration deadline 9 June Date: Friday 19 June 2026 | Location: Brussels / Online

EuroHPC AI Factories Session at ISC High Performance 2026 ⇢ Session on EuroHPC AI Factories at ISC High Performance 2026 (17:30–18:00 CEST) Date: Wednesday 24 June 2026 | Location: Hamburg

Innovation Fund IF26 Heat Auction — Public Consultation Workshop ⇢ Public workshop on the IF26 Heat Auction draft Terms and Conditions (09:30–13:30 CEST) Date: Tuesday 07 July 2026 | Location: Brussels / Online

> 🚀 Explore EU funding on Discovery: Browse and track open calls at strategicfundingpartners.eu/discovery Strategic Opportunities Report: Want to know which open calls are the right fit for your organisation? Email info@strategicfundingpartners.eu for a tailored report.