Overview

Applications are open for FEM 3.0, a free international online programme for girls aged 13–18, run by the Kateryna Biloruska Foundation. The programme is designed to help participants build confidence, communication, leadership, AI and digital skills, creativity, personal branding, and financial literacy.

The FEM – Future Empowered Minds initiative is a leadership programme for teenage girls, providing a safe and inspiring space to develop leadership qualities, connect with peers and become active participants in society.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Benefits

FEM 3.0 will combine online learning, mentor support and practical project work. Participants will develop their own projects with mentor support and present them at the final FEM Summit 3.0. The programme focuses on skills that go beyond the classroom, including confidence, communication, leadership, AI and digital skills, creativity, personal branding and financial literacy.

The FEM programme page also highlights training in public speaking, problem-solving, storytelling, conflict resolution, digital literacy, AI tools, and project management, alongside teamwork, peer connection, and participation in social, environmental and volunteer projects.

Participants will also gain access to an international community, mentors and experts, and will receive FEM gifts and a certificate.

Who Can Apply

The programme is aimed at girls aged 13–18. The FEM page describes the initiative as designed for teenage girls in Cyprus, including Cypriot girls from low-income or single-parent families, as well as talented young women from other countries with strong motivation and a desire to grow.

Applicants should have a strong motivation to grow, a willingness to learn, and fluency in English.

How To Apply

Applications close on 5 September, and FEM 3.0 starts on 21 September.

Applicants should apply through this link.

About The Kateryna Biloruska Foundation

The Kateryna Biloruska Foundation runs programmes designed to support young people, leadership development and social impact. Its FEM initiative focuses on helping teenage girls gain the skills, confidence and support network needed to unlock their potential.

Overview

The Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) has opened a call for expressions of interest to select up to 15 Cypriot startups to participate in Slush 2026, which will take place in Helsinki on 18–19 November 2026.

Slush attracts more than 6,000 startups annually and offers opportunities for visibility, customer acquisition and networking with more than 3,500 investors and other companies. Cyprus’ participation is part of RIF’s initiative to promote the local innovation ecosystem and support domestic startups, particularly those previously funded through RIF innovation programmes. The initiative falls under the activities of Enterprise Europe Network Cyprus, in which RIF participates as a partner.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Benefits

RIF will cover the entry ticket, valued at €395 including VAT, and provide a €300 subsidy per person for participation expenses. The total support will not exceed €695 per person and will be provided as indirect state aid under the EU De Minimis regulation.

Participants must cover their own travel and accommodation costs. For current RIF-funded projects, these costs may be eligible under the funded project, provided they are related to the project.

Selected companies may also take part in parallel activities organised as part of Slush 2026, including Founders Day and Slush Week Side Events, subject to the relevant participation conditions and timely registration.

Who Can Apply

The call is open to Cypriot companies from all technology areas that carry out economic activity in areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus. Eligible applicants include companies that have received RIF funding as Host Organisations under programmes including Pre-Seed, Seed, Innovate, Disrupt, STEP, FTI and BOOST.

Companies may also apply if they had submitted proposals as Host Organisations and were invited to the second evaluation phase under Pre-Seed, Seed, Innovate or Disrupt, or if they had submitted proposals under FTI or BOOST. The call is also open to startups and to companies that have obtained an Innovative Enterprise Certificate from the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy.

For the purposes of the call, startups are defined as technology-oriented companies with high-growth potential, established to develop a product or service intended for international markets. Applicants must also meet the startup criteria set by Slush.

Companies may participate through representatives who are either founders of the company or hold a formal position within the company.

Criteria

Expressions of interest will undergo eligibility and evaluation checks. RIF will assess whether all required information has been submitted, whether the applicant meets the minimum eligibility conditions, and whether the company justifies the purpose of its participation at Slush, including proposed visibility and networking activities.

A maximum of 15 companies will be selected, provided they are deemed eligible. Priority will be given first to companies that have signed a project contract with RIF as Host Organisations under the listed programmes, followed by companies invited to second-phase evaluation under the relevant programmes, companies that submitted proposals under FTI and BOOST, startups, and companies with an Innovative Enterprise Certificate.

How To Apply

Each company must submit an expression of interest through the online form. The deadline is 14 September 2026 at 13:00.

For more information, applicants can contact the RIF Support Service by email or by telephone at +357 22 205000.

About The Initiative

Cyprus’ participation in Slush 2026 forms part of RIF’s efforts to promote the country’s innovation ecosystem internationally and support domestic startups seeking access to investors, customers and international business networks. The initiative is carried out through Enterprise Europe Network Cyprus, where RIF participates as a partner.

Overview

Applications are open for the European AI Hackathon, a hands-on event running from the 6th to 29th October 2026 for teams building AI-driven products and services. The hackathon targets SMEs, startups, industry practitioners and researchers across Europe, giving teams expert support to develop, optimise and scale AI workloads.

The Cyprus connection comes through AI Factory Antenna Cyprus Pharos-CY, coordinated by The Cyprus Institute. Pharos-CY is part of the wider European AI Factory and EuroHPC ecosystem, and is designed to connect local stakeholders, including startups, SMEs, public institutions and researchers, with advanced AI tools, curated datasets and high-performance computing resources.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Benefits

Participants will work with dedicated mentors to accelerate, optimise and scale their AI applications. The hackathon is designed to help teams identify and address data-loading bottlenecks, parallelise training and optimise AI pipelines for faster experimentation and performance gains.

Teams will also gain access to leadership-class compute resources, allowing them to test and improve AI workloads with expert guidance. The event is listed as free of charge for eligible participants.

Who Can Apply

The hackathon is aimed at SMEs, startups, industry practitioners, and researchers developing AI-driven products and services.

The opportunity is particularly relevant for teams that already have an AI project or workload and want to improve performance, scalability, and technical readiness with mentor support.

Criteria

Teams are expected to bring a project they know well and are ready to develop further during the hackathon. Projects brought to the event must have a licence attached and described in the application. The organisers state that permissive open-source licences, including BSD, MIT or Apache 2.0, are preferred because they make it easier to match teams with mentors.

How To Apply

Applications should be submitted through the Open Hackathons platform using an official email address to prove affiliation. The event language is English.

The registration deadline is 31 August 2026 at 23:59. The hackathon schedule includes Day 0 on 6 October, Day 1 on 13 October, and hybrid programme days from 27 to 29 October 2026.

About Pharos-CY

This hackathon is co-organized by Austrian Scientific Computing (ASC), the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ), the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (HLRS), the Academic Computer Centre Cyfronet AGH (Cyfronet), OpenACC organization, and NVIDIA for AI Factory Austria AI:AT, HammerHAI, Gaia AI Factory and AI Factory Antenna Cyprus Pharos-CY.

Pharos-CY is the AI Factory Antenna of Cyprus, coordinated by The Cyprus Institute. It aims to accelerate the development and adoption of trustworthy, high-impact AI solutions in Cyprus, with focus areas including health, sustainability, and culture and language.

The initiative is also intended to establish a national AI training hub, offering tailored programmes, workshops and hackathons, while helping local stakeholders access AI tools, curated datasets and high-performance computing resources.

EIT RawMaterials has opened its Call for RIS Innovation Projects, offering up to €1 million per project to support innovation across Europe’s raw materials value chain.

The call is aimed at projects developing new technologies, products, services or business models in areas including sustainable mining, processing, exploration, circularity, recycling and material substitution. Projects are expected to run for one to two years.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Funding And Support

Selected projects can receive funding covering up to 70% of eligible project costs, with the required co-funding depending on the project type and Technology Readiness Level.

Innovation projects can receive between €800,000 and €1 million. Selected applicants will also have access to proposal guidance, matchmaking support and EIT RawMaterials’ European network for raw materials innovation.

Who Can Apply

The call is open to startups, SMEs, large companies, universities, research centres, NGOs, government agencies and public institutions in RIS-eligible countries, including Cyprus.

Applications must be submitted by consortia meeting the call’s eligibility requirements. Each consortium must include at least two organisations from different RIS-eligible countries and represent at least two sides of the knowledge triangle: education, research and business.

The lead partner must be based in a RIS-eligible country. Organisations that are not yet partners can contact their regional innovation and knowledge centre for support.

The EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) supports countries and regions with lower innovation performance by providing funding, expertise and networks to strengthen local innovation ecosystems, develop skills and bring new products, services and business models to market.

How To Apply

Applicants should download the call documents, including project templates and evaluation criteria, and prepare a proposal outlining the project’s objectives, expected impact and work plan.

Applications must be submitted through SeedBook. The deadline is Friday, October 16, 2026, at 13:00 CET.

About EIT RawMaterials

EIT RawMaterials supports Europe’s transition towards a green, circular and digital economy by promoting innovation, education and strategic cooperation across the raw materials sector.

Its work focuses on securing raw materials supply, closing material loops and developing new materials solutions.

Overview

Applications are open for Brainforest’s Venture Program #8, a 10-week programme running between October and December 2026 for early-stage ventures building biodiversity solutions. The programme supports startups across four focus areas: Nature Intelligence & Measurement, Regenerative Food Systems, Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital, and Market and Value Chain Transformation.

The programme offers hands-on support, expert sessions and mentoring, whilst connecting local knowledge with global investment.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Benefits

Selected ventures will receive equity-free $2,000 support, paid in two phases and intended to be used where it matters most for the venture. Participants will also receive dedicated one-to-one founder coaching from the Brainforest team.

The programme includes hands-on support across business model development, user validation, financial data room setup, impact management and strategy. Participants will also access expert sessions and targeted mentorship with 20 experienced mentors and up to 10 expert-led live sessions.

Additional benefits include peer learning sessions with a close cohort of founders, access to Brainforest’s biodiversity innovation ecosystem, lifetime access to the Brainforest Alumni Network, and opportunities to pitch to investors through Brainforest’s demo and pitch formats.

During the programme, selected teams will be invited to pitch to the Brainforest Investment Committee in Zürich. Up to two ventures may receive $125,000 in equity funding.

Who Can Apply

The programme is aimed at early-stage ventures working on biodiversity solutions. Brainforest says applicants should generally be at pre-seed or seed stage, with a first product, prototype or pilot already in the world, and a team ready to invest ten intensive weeks into sharpening its strategy, business model and pitch.

Applicants can be headquartered anywhere in the world, provided their product or service can be deployed in a biodiversity hotspot or a region where nature and ecosystems are under threat.

The programme is particularly relevant for ventures where biodiversity sits at the core of the business model, with revenue and impact designed to grow together.

Criteria

Applicants should be building ventures in one of Brainforest’s four focus areas:

• Nature Intelligence & Measurement
• Regenerative Food Systems
• Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital
• Market and Value Chain Transformation

Brainforest’s programme page describes these areas as covering solutions such as regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, soil health, MRV, remote sensing, AI, data infrastructure, biodiversity and natural capital business models, and infrastructure, software, finance or business models that help regenerative products and ecosystem services reach markets at scale.

How To Apply

Applications are open through Brainforest’s Venture Program page. The application deadline is 17th August 2026.

About Brainforest

Brainforest works with founders building ventures centred around biodiversity, nature and forests. Its Venture Program combines founder coaching, expert mentoring, ecosystem access and investor exposure to help early-stage teams refine their strategy, business model, impact approach and fundraising readiness.

Overview

Applications are now open for the second edition of Ground2Scale+, under the EIT Food Challenge Lab designed to support agrifood innovators in Europe. SocialTech Lab delivers the Cyprusprogramme in its role as EIT Food Country Representative for Cyprus. The eight-week programme is aimed at entrepreneurs, researchers, startups, SMEs, research spin-offs and multidisciplinary teams developing solutions for the future of food. EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.

The programme is designed to help participants turn promising ideas, technologies and research into stronger, market-ready and investment-ready ventures. Through practical learning, expert guidance and personalised support, participants will work on customer validation, value propositions, business models, commercialisation and go-to-market strategies.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Benefits

The programme will begin on Saturday, 12 September 2026, with an intensive, in-person Challenge Lab Day in Nicosia. Participants will take part in challenge-based workshops covering food-systems thinking, venture strategy, customer discovery, market validation, Product-Market-System Fit, impact assessment and pitch development.

The Challenge Lab Day will be followed by expert-led masterclasses on areas including investment and funding readiness, commercialisation, financial planning, international growth and scaling beyond Cyprus.

Each participating team or individual will receive at least eight dedicated mentoring hours from experienced mentors and the SocialTech Lab team. The mentoring process will be tailored to the needs and development stage of each venture, helping participants test assumptions, strengthen go-to-market strategies, improve investment readiness and prepare their final pitches.

The programme will conclude with a Demo Day and awards ceremony in early November 2026, where participants will present their ventures and progress to investors, industry representatives, researchers, mentors and other agrifood ecosystem stakeholders.

A total cash prize pool of €2,000 will be awarded to the two highest-performing teams. The first- and second-place teams will each receive a €1,000 cash sub-grant. The first-place team will also receive automatic entry into SocialTech Lab’s 2027 Venture Builder under the agrifood theme, providing access to further training and potential funding opportunities.

Participants who successfully complete the programme will receive an official EIT Food certificate, recognising the entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and competencies developed through Ground2Scale+.

Who Can Apply

The programme is aimed at entrepreneurs, researchers, startups, SMEs, research spin-offs, innovators and multidisciplinary teams developing solutions for the future of food, with a focus on Cyprus’ agrifood ecosystem.

It is particularly relevant for early-stage teams looking to validate agrifood innovations, strengthen investment readiness and accelerate growth. The programme will be delivered in English, and participation is free of charge.

Criteria

The press release does not list formal selection criteria, evaluation rules or a fixed number of available places.

It states that Ground2Scale+ is designed for participants developing solutions for the future of food and seeking to strengthen the commercial and investment readiness of their ventures. The programme responds to priorities identified through SocialTech Lab’s long-term engagement with Cyprus’ agrifood ecosystem, including research commercialisation, access to funding, digital innovation, sustainability, climate resilience and support for ventures scaling beyond the local market.

How To Apply

Applications close at 23:59 on Wednesday, 26 August 2026. Interested entrepreneurs, researchers, startups, SMEs and innovators can learn more and apply at agrifood.socialtechlab.org/g2s.

About Ground2Scale+

Ground2Scale+ is delivered under the EIT Food Challenge Labs. It combines challenge-based entrepreneurship education, expert-led learning, personalised mentoring and ecosystem collaboration to strengthen the pipeline of commercially viable, scalable and impact-driven agrifood ventures emerging from Cyprus.

EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, a body of the European Union. It works to grow Europe’s food innovation ecosystem and build a healthy, sustainable and resilient food system by supporting innovators, entrepreneurs, ideas and talent across the food sector.

SocialTech Lab is a Cyprus-based non-profit working at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship and innovation. Its focus areas include sustainable agriculture, social cohesion, urban innovation, culture and creativity, and health and wellbeing.

Alpha Bank has opened applications for FinQuest 2026, its flagship innovation competition designed to identify startups, fintech companies and scale-ups developing technologies that can reshape banking. Applications remain open until September 20, with the programme now positioned around a broader European mandate.

A European Search For Banking Innovation

This year’s edition is explicitly focused on solutions emerging across the continent. Alpha Bank is inviting companies operating in different European markets to bring forward ideas that address some of the sector’s most pressing challenges, from operational efficiency and fraud prevention to customer experience and new digital business models.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

At the centre of the competition is artificial intelligence, which will serve as the foundation for proposals across four thematic areas.

Four Priority Areas For Applicants

AI First Banking & Value Transformation is aimed at solutions that use artificial intelligence, automation and advanced analytics to improve productivity, strengthen decision-making and generate measurable business value across banking operations.

Fraud Zero & Digital Trust focuses on technologies that enhance fraud prevention, cybersecurity, digital identity and trust within the digital banking ecosystem, while preserving a seamless customer experience.

Next Generation Customer Experience seeks ideas that redefine how customers interact with banks through personalised, simple and integrated services across physical and digital channels. Technologies such as conversational AI, hyper-personalisation and digital onboarding are central to this track.

Open Innovation & Emerging Technologies is designed for breakthrough technologies that can create new opportunities for financial services, unlock additional sources of value and accelerate the next phase of banking innovation.

What The Winning Teams Receive

The overall winner will be offered the chance to develop a pilot project with Alpha Bank, working alongside the bank’s business and technology teams to test the solution in a live banking environment. The winning team will also gain access to key business stakeholders and the opportunity to explore a broader commercial partnership with the group.

Alpha Bank will award the top team a cash prize of €15,000 to support further development of the solution.

After applications close, a specialist evaluation committee will review all submissions and select six proposals to move forward. Those shortlisted teams will then enter a two-month accelerator programme in October and November 2026, which will include mentoring, workshops, networking opportunities and ongoing support.

The finalists will present their solutions at a dedicated innovation event, where the judging panel will select the three winning teams.

Why The Programme Matters Beyond The Prize

Alpha Bank said the benefits extend well beyond the final ranking. Finalist teams will have direct access to executives actively searching for innovative technologies and may, regardless of placement, be selected for pilot projects or future commercial discussions.

The bank described the programme as an opportunity for participating teams to engage directly with one of the largest banking groups in Southeast Europe, gaining access to decision-makers and business stakeholders inside the organisation.

Participants will also receive feedback from experienced bank executives, expand their networks across the banking and fintech ecosystem and work on real-world business needs and current use cases.

Overview

RESIST II Eurocluster has opened its Process Innovation Open Call, offering cascade funding to SMEs in the Mobility, Transport and Automotive ecosystem. The call supports companies seeking to improve their manufacturing or industrial processes by making their current operations more digital, greener and more resilient.

The call sits under RESIST II’s wider €1.6 million funding package for SMEs developing innovation projects linked to net-zero technologies and critical raw materials. The Process Innovation call itself has a budget of €800,000.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Benefits

Selected SMEs can receive lump-sum grants of:

• Up to €20,000 for individual SME projects
• Up to €30,000 per SME for consortium projects
• Up to €60,000 per SME across RESIST II open calls

Beneficiaries will also have access to a pool of experts, coaching and mentoring, international market opportunities, online training for upskilling and reskilling, and technical support provided by CTAG.

Projects require 10% private co-financing from the beneficiary SMEs. Across the two cut-offs, RESIST II expects to support around 15 to 20 projects and fund around 25 to 30 SMEs.

Who Can Apply

The call is open to SMEs established in an EU Member State or a country participating in the Single Market Programme.

Applicants must be active in the ecosystem, either by working in sectors such as automotive, rail, waterborne and cycling, or by being a member of a cluster linked to the Mobility, Transport and Automotive ecosystem.

Criteria

Projects may be submitted by a single SME or by a consortium of two or three SMEs. Consortium projects must involve SMEs from different NUTS2 regions.

Submitted projects should address one or more of RESIST II’s four innovation pillars:

• Net-Zero Manufacturing & Industrial Decarbonisation
• Circular Critical Raw Materials & Resource Efficiency
• Digital Mobility & Smart Industrial Systems
• Resilient Mobility Value Chains

Projects funded under the first cut-off are expected to run for up to nine months, from October 2026 to June 2027.

How To Apply

Applications must be submitted electronically through the RESIST II platform. The first cut-off opened on 13 May 2026 and closes on 13 July 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. A second cut-off is planned for May 2027.

About RESIST II

RESIST II Eurocluster supports European SMEs working in the Mobility, Transport and Automotive ecosystem, helping them advance their twin transition and strengthen resilience against market shifts and unexpected disruptions.

Overview

RESIST II Eurocluster has opened its Product Innovation Open Call, offering cascade funding to SMEs working in the Mobility, Transport and Automotive ecosystem. The call supports companies developing new or significantly improved products and services that can improve environmental performance, reduce carbon emissions, increase resource efficiency and reduce dependence on critical raw materials across the mobility value chain.

The call is part of RESIST II’s wider €1.6 million funding package for SMEs developing innovation projects in mobility, transport and automotive, focused on net-zero technologies and critical raw materials. The Product Innovation call itself has a budget of €800,000.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Benefits

Selected SMEs can receive financial support through lump-sum grants:

• Up to €20,000 for individual SME projects
• Up to €30,000 per SME for collaborative projects
• A maximum of €60,000 per SME across RESIST II open calls
• Technical services, mentoring, internationalisation support, and training opportunities

Projects must include at least 10% co-financing from the beneficiary SMEs. Across the two Product Innovation cut-offs, RESIST II expects to support around 15 to 20 projects and fund around 25 to 30 SMEs.

Who Can Apply

The call is open to SMEs established in an EU Member State or a country participating in the Single Market Programme / COSME strand.

Applicants must be active, directly or indirectly, in the Mobility, Transport and Automotive ecosystem. Startups and micro-enterprises may also apply if they meet the SME definition and operate in the sectors addressed by the call.

Criteria

Projects may be submitted by a single SME or by a consortium of two to three SMEs. Collaborative projects must involve SMEs from different NUTS2 regions. Other organisations, such as research centres, universities or technology providers, may support projects as subcontractors, but direct financial support under the call is reserved for SMEs.

Submitted projects should address one or more of RESIST II’s four innovation pillars:

• Net-Zero Manufacturing & Industrial Decarbonisation
• Circular Critical Raw Materials & Resource Efficiency
• Digital Mobility & Smart Industrial Systems
• Resilient Mobility Value Chains

Projects funded under the first cut-off are expected to run for up to nine months, from October 2026 to June 2027.

How To Apply

Applications must be submitted online through the RESIST II submission platform. The first cut-off opened on 13 May 2026 and closes on 13 July 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time.

Applications must be completed in English. Incomplete applications, late applications or applications submitted outside the designated platform may be rejected without evaluation.

About RESIST II

RESIST II is a European initiative funded under the Single Market Programme Euroclusters call. It supports SMEs in the mobility, transport, and automotive ecosystem by funding product and process innovation projects that strengthen resilience, sustainability, and innovation capacity across European value chains.

Overview

MAT4EU has opened its first Advanced Materials Innovation Open Call, offering financial and support services to European manufacturing SMEs developing or adopting advanced materials solutions. The call focuses on four material groups, metals, polymers, ceramics and composites, with applications across aerospace and defence, agri-food, including packaging, renewable energy, construction, health and mobility.

The call is part of the MAT4EU Euroclusters project, which aims to strengthen Europe’s advanced materials ecosystem, support SME innovation and internationalisation, and help companies develop sustainable solutions across European industrial value chains.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Benefits

The first open call has a total budget of €1,207,500, divided across two funding strands:

• Strand 1: Product Innovations Supporting European Autonomy
  Supports the development, testing and validation of innovative advanced materials solutions. MAT4EU aims to support at least 10 SME projects, with a fixed grant of €60,000 per project. Projects must have a minimum total budget of €80,000.
• Strand 2: Mastering Green and Digital Transformation
  Supports the uptake, scale-up, and integration of advanced materials solutions into industrial environments and value chains. MAT4EU aims to support at least 19 SME projects, with a fixed grant of €33,750 per project. Projects must have a minimum total budget of €45,000.

Funding covers up to 75% of eligible costs, meaning SMEs must provide at least 25% private co-financing through their own resources or private debt financing. In-kind contributions and other public funding cannot be used to cover the co-financing requirement.

Selected SMEs will also receive support services, including mentoring, training, capacity-building, internationalisation support, matchmaking, and ecosystem integration opportunities.

Who Can Apply

The call is open to manufacturing SMEs located in an EU Member State or another country participating in the Single Market Programme/COSME strand. This makes Cypriot manufacturing SMEs eligible, provided they meet the programme’s criteria.

Applicants must work with at least one of the four target material groups, metals, polymers, ceramics or composites, and their product or application must target at least one of the six strategic sectors: aerospace and defence, agri-food including packaging, renewable energy, construction, health or mobility.

Criteria

Applications must be submitted by a single manufacturing SME. Other organisations, such as companies, universities or technical centres, may be involved only as service providers or subcontractors, where relevant. Consortia applications are not part of this call.

Each SME may submit only one application and must choose either Strand 1 or Strand 2. Submitting applications to both strands will make the applicant ineligible. Supported projects will run for 12 months, from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027.

Applications are assessed on criteria including business potential, innovation potential, scalability and economic impact, scientific and technical quality, organisational capacity, contribution to European industrial competitiveness, and the proposed networking and dissemination plan.

How To Apply

Applications must be submitted in English through the MAT4EU Grant Platform. The call opened on 6 May 2026 and closes on 6 July 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Applicants must submit the required supporting documents, including a screenshot of their SME self-assessment, a screenshot of the completed financial capacity self-check, and the completed Annex Budget.

Evaluation will take place after the deadline, with notification letters expected between 22 and 29 July 2026. Contracting and eligibility checks are scheduled from 29 July to 28 August 2026, before selected projects begin on 1 September 2026.

About MAT4EU

MAT4EU brings together European cluster partners to support SMEs working with advanced materials. The project combines direct financial support with training, mentoring, internationalisation services and networking to help SMEs build more sustainable, competitive and globally connected advanced materials value chains.