The 2026 Work Programme of the European Research Council has been adopted.

The programme outlines funding opportunities, grant budgets, competition schedules, and eligibility rules for ERC funding in the coming year. The document was drafted and endorsed by the ERC Scientific Council and adopted by the European Commission.

From 2026, applicants will be asked to structure their proposals into two parts: a concise five-page Part I outlining the scientific idea and objectives, and a more detailed Part II focused on implementation and methodology. Feasibility will now only be assessed at Step 2 of evaluation.

Here you can find the indicative summary of calls from the 2026 budget.

The ERC Starting Grant 2026, which expires on 14th October, and the ERC Synergy Grant, which expires on 5th November, are already available.