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How to get a PIC number for EU funding: step-by-step guide

Get a 9-digit PIC for EU funding: EU Login, search the Participant Register, register your organisation, then validation and LEAR appointment.

To get a PIC number for EU funding, create an EU Login account, check the Participant Register on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal to confirm your organisation is not already listed, then register it through the online wizard. The Portal issues a 9-digit Participant Identification Code (PIC) straight away; formal validation by the Central Validation Service only follows if your proposal is selected for funding.

The steps below follow the Commission's Online Manual page on registering and validating an organisation, as of October 2026. Menu names on the Portal change from time to time, so treat them as signposts rather than exact labels.

What a PIC is and who needs one

The PIC is the identifier the European Commission and its agencies use for every organisation that takes part in EU grants and tenders. You enter it in application forms and quote it in correspondence with EU services. Every organisation listed in a proposal submitted through the Portal needs one before the proposal goes in, which covers Horizon Europe calls, the EIC Accelerator and many other programmes.

One organisation should have one PIC. Departments, faculties or subsidiaries of the same legal entity should reuse the existing code rather than create their own.

Before you start: what to prepare

Registration itself takes little time if the paperwork is ready. Gather the following first:

  • An EU Login account for the person who will register the organisation (this person becomes the "self-registrant").
  • The exact legal name and legal form as they appear in the official company or trade register.
  • The registration number and the VAT number, if the organisation has one.
  • The legal address and a main contact person with email and phone.
  • Information on whether the organisation is public or private and profit or non-profit.
  • Supporting documents such as a register extract, a VAT document and the statutes. You do not upload them at this stage, but the data you declare will later be checked against them.

Step-by-step: how to get a PIC number

1. Create an EU Login account

EU Login is the Commission's single sign-on system. If you do not have an account, create one with a work email address before opening the registration wizard. Use an address that will stay valid: until a legal representative for EU purposes (the LEAR) is appointed, the self-registrant is the organisation's main contact on the Portal, including for validation requests.

2. Search the Participant Register for an existing PIC

Open the Participant Register on the Funding & Tenders Portal and use the "Search a PIC" option. Search by legal name, registration number, VAT number or country, and try several spellings, abbreviations and language versions. The manual is explicit that you should check variants before concluding there is no entry. If your organisation already has a PIC, ask whoever manages it internally (often a grants office or the LEAR) to give you access rather than registering again.

3. Start the registration wizard

If no PIC exists, choose "Register your organisation" in the Participant Register and log in with EU Login. The wizard asks for basic administrative and legal information, broadly grouped as:

  1. Organisation identity: legal name, legal form and country of establishment.
  2. Registration details: the official registration number and, where applicable, the VAT number.
  3. Legal status: public or private body, profit or non-profit, and similar questions some programmes use for eligibility.
  4. Address and contact details for the organisation and the contact person.

You can save a partial registration and return later through "My Organisations", where an option to continue the registration appears. Drafts that are not completed are deleted automatically after one year.

4. Receive your 9-digit PIC

When you submit the wizard, the system generates the PIC. At this point its status is declared, meaning it is provisional and not yet validated. A declared PIC is enough to be listed in a proposal and to submit it. According to the manual, you do not need to do anything further until the Central Validation Service contacts you.

5. Add SME data if your call needs it

If SME status affects eligibility or the funding rate in your call, the submission system will prompt you to complete an SME self-assessment when no assessment from the last two years exists. You will need financial figures from the last approved accounting period, including those of any linked or partner enterprises. Otherwise SME status is simply declared in the legal information section.

When and how PIC validation happens

Validation is the step that confirms your declared data against official documents. As of October 2026, the manual says it starts only when a proposal is successful, and it is required for beneficiaries and affiliated entities in grants and for contractors in procurement. Associated partners and subcontractors generally do not need a validated PIC.

The process works as follows:

  • The Central Validation Service, which handles validation for all EU services using the Portal, sends a request to the self-registrant through the Participant Register.
  • You upload the requested documents under "My Organisations". These typically include a legal entity identification form, an official VAT document, a register extract and the statutes or act of establishment.
  • The service checks legal personality and any special legal status the programme relies on, such as non-profit or public body status.
  • Once complete, the PIC becomes validated and you receive confirmation.

All exchanges with the validation service must go through the Participant Register's messaging. The manual states that emails and other channels are not accepted. Once validated, the PIC and its data are reused for later EU grants and contracts, so keep them current.

Some programmes run by intermediaries may ask for a validated PIC, or equivalent registry documents, earlier in their own process. Always read the call guidance; for example, check the forms described in our Women TechEU application guide.

Appointing the LEAR

After validation, the organisation must appoint a Legal Entity Appointed Representative (LEAR). The LEAR appointment page sets out the procedure as of October 2026:

  1. The self-registrant enters the LEAR and the appointing legal representative in the organisation's details in the Participant Register. The system generates an appointment letter.
  2. A legal representative with authority to commit the organisation, such as the CEO, dates and signs the letter, either in blue ink or with a qualified electronic signature under eIDAS.
  3. You upload the signed letter, copies of the ID documents of the legal representative and the LEAR, and a document proving the representative's authority.
  4. The Central Validation Service validates the appointment and the LEAR activates the account using emailed instructions, plus an SMS PIN if a mobile number was given.

Any member of staff can be the LEAR. The role manages the organisation's legal and financial data on the Portal, controls organisation-level access and appoints the people who sign grant agreements and financial statements. Without a LEAR, legal entity data cannot be updated and contracts cannot be signed electronically. Keep the signed originals: the manual says they must be kept for as long as the organisation uses the Portal.

Registering as a natural person

Individuals can also obtain a PIC when a programme allows them to apply in their own name. The register is built for organisations, so some labels do not fit: enter your country of residence where it asks for country of registration, and a passport or ID number where it asks for a registration number. Individuals do not need to prove LEAR capacity but still provide LEAR data and supporting documents if validation is triggered.

Keeping your PIC data up to date

Changes such as a new address, legal name or legal form are requested under "My Organisations", in the organisation's details. Who can do this depends on status:

  • Not yet validated: the self-registrant requests updates.
  • Validated: only the LEAR or an account administrator can request changes.

If a duplicate PIC was created by mistake, the LEAR or an account administrator should message the validation service, which moves the information to the correct PIC and flags the duplicate. If the self-registrant has left and nobody can access a declared PIC, the manual's recovery routes apply, so record who holds each role when staff change.

For founders building a grant strategy, our TRL explainer covers another term most EU calls use, and the Startups and Founders sections follow companies that have been through the process.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get a PIC number?

The PIC is generated as soon as you complete and submit the registration wizard, so you can have the number the same day. Validation takes longer and only starts if your proposal is selected; the Commission does not publish a fixed timeframe for it.

Is a PIC number free?

Yes. Creating an EU Login account and registering in the Participant Register on the Funding & Tenders Portal does not involve any fee.

Can I apply for EU funding with a non-validated PIC?

For proposals submitted through the Portal, a declared PIC is enough to apply, and validation is requested only for successful proposals. Some intermediary-run programmes set their own document requirements, so check the call guidance.

How do I find my organisation's PIC number?

Use the "Search a PIC" function in the Participant Register on the Funding & Tenders Portal and try several name variants, the registration number or the VAT number. Your organisation's grants office or LEAR can also confirm the code.

Who should be the LEAR in a small startup?

Any member of the organisation can be appointed, often a founder or operations lead, but the appointment letter must be signed by a legal representative with authority to commit the company, such as the CEO.