IF26 SME Call

Objective

The Innovation Fund is planning a new funding call designed specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with smaller projects. The aim is simple: make it easier for SMEs to apply for Innovation Fund funding, without needing previous experience with EU grant applications.

The call will support SMEs running "small-scale projects" with capital expenditures between €2.5 million and €20 million. If you apply as a consortium, all consortium members have to be SMEs. Larger companies with small-scale projects can apply for the other calls under the Innovation Fund. SMEs are defined according to an EU definition based on staff numbers and turnover (set out in EU Recommendation 2003/361).

The total budget is planned to be €200 million.

Design

• Less paperwork: fewer documents and less information when applying
• A simpler way to calculate climate benefits: a semi-automated tool to calculate greenhouse gas avoidance
• Simpler reporting and monitoring
• Two opportunities to apply in the year: if applicants are not ready to apply for the first application round, they can apply in the next one. The end of each round will be marked by two “cut-off” dates (for more details, please consult the timeline below).
• Support for projects that may carry more risk than projects supported through other Innovation Fund calls.