EIC Pathfinder call: deadline extended after submission system problems

On 19 May 2021 the European Innovation Council announced a short extension to the EIC Pathfinder Open 2021 call deadline. The reason given was technical problems affecting the European Commission's submission system. The new closing time for proposals was set to 25 May 2021 at 17:00 Central European Time.

What happened and why the deadline changed

The European Commission uses the Funding and Tenders Portal as the single entry point for submitting Horizon Europe proposals. On or before the original deadline applicants experienced technical difficulties that affected their ability to complete submissions. The EIC responded by postponing the deadline to give applicants a short but additional window to finalise uploads and avoid losing their work. The Commission and its agencies aim to minimise disruption from technical failures. Nevertheless applicants should assume that the portal is a shared, complex IT service and that outages or capacity issues can occur.

Practical details for applicants

If you experienced problems during the original session take these steps immediately. First preserve evidence of the problem. Capture screenshots, save error messages, and note timestamps. Second contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT Helpdesk to report the issue and to obtain an incident reference. Third notify the EIC helpdesk or the relevant National Contact Point if your proposal depends on time sensitive attachments or third party inputs.

What the EIC Pathfinder funds and who can apply

The EIC Pathfinder under Horizon Europe supports high risk and high reward research that aims to establish the scientific and technological basis for radical new technologies. It targets early stage work typically at low technology readiness levels, roughly TRL 1 to TRL 4. Funding is intended to get projects to proof of concept rather than to market deployment.

Awarded projects also benefit from Business Acceleration Services which provide coaching, mentoring and access to partners and peers. The EIC and its implementing agency EISMEA manage the calls and subsequent beneficiary support.

How evaluation works and what to expect after submission

EIC proposals go through remote evaluation by independent experts followed for successful candidates by full proposal development and in most cases by interviews with an EIC jury. The 2021 Pathfinder calls piloted a right to react or rebuttal phase in which applicants could reply briefly to evaluators' comments before the jury set final scores. Timelines in calls vary but applicants should expect several months between submission and final outcome and additional months for grant preparation.

Practical checklist and recommendations

Because IT problems can reappear or affect only subsets of users, applicants should follow a conservative submission strategy and prepare for contingencies. Recommended actions include:

- Start the submission process well before the closing time and avoid last minute uploads. - Maintain local copies of all uploadable files and export the portal submission form as PDF where possible. - Obtain EU Login and PIC well in advance. - Use the Funding & Tenders Portal test and validation tools when available. - Document any errors thoroughly with screenshots and timestamps. - Contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT Helpdesk immediately and request an incident reference. - Notify your National Contact Point or EIC helpdesk if the submission is affected and you need further assistance. - Preserve all correspondence with the portal and helpdesks as evidence in case of dispute.

Risks and limits of the extension

A short deadline extension reduces stress for applicants but does not eliminate underlying risks. If the portal failure was due to a transient load issue then the extension may be sufficient. However if the problem is structural it could reoccur during the extension window. Applicants should not assume automatic acceptance of late submissions unless the Commission explicitly confirms that a specific incident will be accepted. Keep a record of interactions and seek incident references from the IT Helpdesk to support any later claims.

Where to get help

Primary support channels are the Funding & Tenders Portal IT Helpdesk for technical submission issues and the EIC helpdesk for call specific questions. National Contact Points and Enterprise Europe Network members can provide practical guidance. If you suspect a security vulnerability in the portal avoid public disclosure and follow the Commission's Vulnerability Disclosure Policy.

Final note

The extension to 25 May 2021 was a pragmatic response to technical disruption. It is in the interest of applicants and the Commission that the submission system works reliably. Applicants should protect their proposals by preparing early, documenting problems, and using the established help channels. Short extensions help but do not replace robust contingency planning when relying on centralised IT services for critical deadlines.