Agri-food Biotech Scaling-up

Agri-food Biotech Scaling-up SMP-COSME is a Single Market Programme call to support cross-border biotech cluster consortia to scale advanced fermentation-based agri-food and feed innovations from laboratory to pilot and commercial stage while providing regulatory guidance. The call total budget is €3,000,000 with an expected two grants of around €1,500,000 each, a funding rate of 90% and a typical project duration of 36 months. Eligible applicants are consortia of at least three legal entities from at least two eligible countries including at least two cluster organisations from different EU Member States registered or pending registration on the ECCP, and projects must deliver specified entry-level, one-to-one scale-up and regulatory support to a minimum number of SMEs. The single-stage electronic submission deadline is 2 June 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time and proposals are evaluated on relevance, quality and impact with an overall threshold of 70/100.

Agri-food Biotech Scaling-up

What it funds

Scope summary

Grants to consortia that strengthen cross-border biotech cluster collaboration focused on advanced fermentation for food and feed. Projects must deliver a partnership strategy, network activities, tailored SME scale-up (pilot/demonstration) and regulatory support to enable SME market entry and industrial deployment.

Budget and projects:Total indicative call budget €3,000,000; the Agency expects to fund 2 projects. Project duration typically 36 months. Individual projects are expected to request around €1,500,000 but other amounts may be considered ¹.

1. 1Eligible applicants: consortia of at least three legal entities from at least two eligible countries, including at least two cluster organisations/networks from two different EU Member States (registered or pending registration on ECCP) with a 3-year track record supporting biotech SMEs in food/feed
2. 2Mandatory results: develop a partnership strategy; organise minimum 3 in-person knowledge-exchange events and reach 60+ participants; provide entry-level support to 30+ SMEs and one-on-one advanced support to at least 10 SMEs (including at least 3 scale-up and 3 regulatory supports)
3. 3Activities eligible: strategy development, network building, SME selection and engagement, technical scale-up support including access to pilot/demo facilities, regulatory dossier support, communication and dissemination

Apply via the Funding & Tenders Portal using the SMP Project Grants (SMP-PJG) model; follow the Application Form Part A and Part B templates and upload Annex 5 (eligibility checklist). Proposals limited to 50 pages (Part B). See call page and call document for admissibility, eligibility, evaluation criteria, and required annexes.

Footnotes

1. 1Call document and official topic page: EU Funding & Tenders Portal - SMP-COSME-2026-BIOAGRIFOOD.

Agri-food Biotech Scaling-up (SMP-COSME-2026-BIOAGRIFOOD) — Opportunity Overview

Summary and Context

Call title: Agri-food Biotech Scaling-up SMP-COSME. Programme: Single Market Programme (SMP) COSME strand. Managing body: European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Opening date: 25 March 2026. Deadline: 2 June 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Type of action: SMP Project Grants (SMP-PJG) under an SMP Action Grant Budget-Based Model Grant Agreement (SMP-AG). Call budget: €3,000,000 (estimated). Indicative number of grants expected: 2. Typical project duration: 36 months (projects should normally last 36 months). Application model: single-stage, electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Further reference and full call document available online Call document and call page Call fiche PDF Info webinar registration and recording ¹

Scope, Objectives and Expected Outcomes

Primary scope: support projects in the bioeconomy with special focus on biotechnology applied to the food sector. Core technical focus: advanced fermentation technologies relevant to agri-food and feed, including biomass fermentation and precision fermentation. Objectives: build cross-border structured collaboration between biotech clusters; create critical mass to compete globally; provide tailored scale-up support to SMEs (from applied R&D to piloting and demonstration); deliver regulatory support and guidance to help SMEs navigate market entry; strengthen strategic autonomy, sustainability, resilience and food security; consider industrial symbiosis, biomass hubs and biomass flows in line with the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and the Horizon Europe work programme 2026-2027. Expected outputs: strategies for partnership operation, networking and knowledge-exchange activities, targeted SME support (entry-level advisory and at least 10 SMEs receiving one-to-one assistance), pilot/demonstration access where appropriate, regulatory dossier support and dissemination materials and toolkits. Indicative impact metrics: number of collaboration activities, number of collaborating participants, number of SMEs receiving entry-level and advanced support, scale-up achievements (volume/process improvements), business partnerships concluded, and related SMP indicators.

Mandatory Activities and Minimum Requirements

1. 1Mandatory activity 1: Develop a comprehensive partnership strategy including marketing identity, roadmap for structured collaboration beyond the project period, market analysis including at least two non-EU international markets with rationale, needs analysis to enable EU-based production (infrastructure, regulatory, skills, finance) and concrete proposals for investments enabling EU production.
2. 2Mandatory activity 2: Foster network collaboration and identify SMEs: Sub-activity 2.1 build a network and engage external collaborators across SMP participating countries; Sub-activity 2.2 identify and select SMEs using open, transparent methods and cooperate with EEN and ECCP; Sub-activity 2.3 organise collaboration activities including at least three in-person networking/knowledge-exchange events; Sub-activity 2.4 provide entry-level support including at least one individual advisory meeting per SME and follow-up.
3. 3Mandatory activity 3: Provide one-on-one support to a minimum of 10 SMEs (in-kind support) including at least three SMEs receiving scale-up support (sub-activity 3.1) and at least three SMEs receiving regulatory support (sub-activity 3.2). Scale-up support should include process development, techno-economic assessment and, where appropriate, access to pilot/demonstration facilities. Regulatory support should include regulatory pathway mapping, guidance on study design and dossier preparation, and early scientific guidance in line with the upcoming EU Biotech Act I directions.
4. 4Mandatory activity 4: Communication and dissemination: implement a communication strategy, produce dissemination materials and toolkits, publish success stories and ensure visibility through ECCP and other channels.

Eligibility and Consortium Rules

General applicant eligibility: legal entities (public or private bodies) established in eligible countries: EU Member States (including OCTs) and non-EU countries listed as EEA or countries associated to the Single Market Programme (consult call document for the precise participating countries and list of associations). Natural persons are not eligible except self-employed sole traders (where the company has no separate legal personality). International organisations and entities without legal personality may participate in specific conditions. Entities subject to EU restrictive or conditionality measures are not eligible.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium required: minimum three beneficiaries from at least two different eligible countries. Mandatory inclusion: at least two cluster organisations or cluster networks from two different EU Member States which are registered or have a pending registration on the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) by submission deadline and have at least three years track record supporting biotech SMEs in food and/or feed. Other relevant organisations should be included to implement the project.

Non-concurrent participation:Each legal entity (beneficiary or affiliated entity) can participate in only one proposal under this call; multiple participations will lead to rejection of the duplicate applicant and possible ineligibility of consortia if minimum conditions are no longer met.

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicant types (explicitly required or implied in the call): cluster organisations and cluster networks, SMEs, research organisations, universities, regional development agencies, business support organisations, industry associations, public bodies (national, regional, local), non-profit organisations, international organisations (subject to conditions). Associated partners, subcontractors and third parties giving in-kind contributions may participate in non-funded roles.

Funding Type, Amount and Financial Rules

Funding Type:EU grant — SMP Project Grant; form: budget-based mixed actual cost grant (actual eligible costs with unit cost and flat-rate elements allowed).

Indicative Funding Amount per Project:Typical requested amounts are expected around €1,500,000 per project (the call total budget is €3,000,000 and the agency expects to fund two projects). Awarded grants may be lower than requested and the agency reserves the right not to award all funds.

Funding rate and form:Funding rate: 90% of eligible costs (to be fixed in the Grant Agreement). Form: budget-based reimbursement of eligible costs; indirect costs reimbursed as a flat-rate (7% of eligible direct costs unless otherwise specified in the detailed Grant Agreement). VAT treatment: non-deductible/non-refundable VAT eligible unless national rules say otherwise (see call document and SMA MGA).

Geographic and Beneficiary Scope

Beneficiary geographic eligibility: entities established in EU Member States (including OCTs) and countries associated to the Single Market Programme (EEA and other associated countries listed in the call documentation). The project activities must take place in eligible countries. Exceptional participation: entities from other countries may be included only if considered essential by the granting authority. Projects are encouraged to extend geographic coverage and include under-represented regions where possible.

Target Sectors and Technology Focus

Primary target sectors: agri-food, food processing, feed ingredients, bioeconomy and biotechnology clusters. Technology focus: advanced fermentation technologies including biomass fermentation and precision fermentation, downstream processing, bioprocess scale-up and piloting capabilities, fermentation-based production of protein-rich foods and critical feed ingredients (e.g. vitamins, amino acids). Cross-sector potential in life sciences and industrial biotech is encouraged.

Project Stage and Expected Maturity

Target maturity: projects are expected to support SMEs at stages from applied R&D and co-innovation, through pilot/demonstration and validation, to first commercial production and early commercialization/scale-up. The call explicitly targets overcoming the 'valleys of death' between demonstration and industrial production and supports scale-up and regulatory readiness.

Application and Submission

Application type: open single-stage call; proposals submitted electronically only via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Required submission documents: Application Form Part A (administrative) completed online; Application Form Part B (technical description) uploaded as PDF using the template from the Submission System (maximum 50 pages for Part B); mandatory annexes including detailed budget table and Annex 5 to Part B - Eligibility checklist (must be uploaded under 'Other annexes'). Proposals must be complete at submission and within page and format limits. Paper submissions are not accepted. Applicants must register organisations in the Participant Register (PIC) prior to submission and validate via REA Central Validation Service.

Application Stages and Process:Single-stage submission followed by eligibility/admissibility check and expert evaluation. Evaluation periods: June–July 2026; information to applicants in August 2026; grant agreement signature expected November 2026; estimated project start December 2026. Grant preparation includes legal entity validation, financial capacity checks and possible negotiation of conditions and annexes prior to signature.

Evaluation, Award Criteria and Success Likelihood

Evaluation is performed by an evaluation committee supported by independent experts. Admissibility and eligibility are checked first. Award criteria are Relevance (30 points), Quality (Project design & implementation 30 points and Project team & cooperation arrangements 30 points) and Impact (10 points). Individual thresholds: 16/30 for Relevance; 16/30 for Quality design; 16/30 for Quality team; 6/10 for Impact. Overall pass threshold: 70/100. Proposals passing thresholds and ranked highest within budget constraints will be invited to grant preparation. Priority among tied scores is given by scores in Relevance, then Impact, then Quality; further prioritisation may consider portfolio balance and synergies. Reserve list maintained. No guarantee of award until legal checks are completed and grant signed.

Success Rates:Not published explicitly in the call; indicative success rate depends on number and quality of applications. The call budget (€3,000,000) and expectation to fund 2 projects suggests an expected selectivity. Applicants should assume low-to-moderate overall success probability and ensure proposals achieve high scores on all award criteria.

Eligibility and Capacity Checks, Exclusion and Financial Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate legal status, operational capacity (relevant experience, staff and resources) and financial capacity (based on last closed accounts). Public bodies and organizations requesting less than €60,000 usually exempt from financial capacity checks; otherwise financial capacity checks may be performed. Exclusion criteria include bankruptcy, grave professional misconduct, fraud, tax or social security breaches, EU restrictive or conditionality measures, and other situations listed in the call. Entities under EU restrictive measures or certain conditionality measures cannot participate. Certificates and supporting documentation (legal entity validation, financial statements, audit reports if requested) will be required during grant preparation.

Budget, Eligible Costs and Financial Modalities

Budget categories: A Personnel costs (employees, natural persons under contract, seconded persons, SME owners/natural person beneficiaries via unit costs where applicable); B Subcontracting; C Purchase costs (travel & subsistence, equipment, other goods works and services); E Indirect costs at a flat-rate (typically 7% of eligible direct costs A-D except certain exclusions). Financial support to third parties is not allowed for this call (financial support to third parties is explicitly NOT allowed in this topic). Unit cost decisions for travel and personnel (SME owners) are governed by Commission Decisions C(2021)35 and C(2020)7115 where applicable. Equipment costs typically eligible as depreciation (or full cost in exceptional cases if allowed and specified). VAT: non-deductible/non-refundable VAT eligible unless national law indicates otherwise.

Co-funding and Income

Co-funding: The grant funds up to the funding rate (90%) of eligible costs; other costs must be covered by beneficiaries’ own resources, contributions or other funding. Applicants must ensure balanced project budget and sufficient resources to implement the project. Grants may not generate profit (surplus of revenues + EU grant over costs must be zero; for-profit organisations must declare revenues and surplus will be deducted). Double funding is prohibited; applicants must declare any other EU funding for the same activities.

Form and Structure of the Application Templates

Application is composed of Application Form Part A (administrative data entered online in the Portal) and Application Form Part B (technical description) uploaded as PDF based on the SMP COSME standard template available in the Submission System. Mandatory annexes: Detailed budget table (template in Submission System) and Annex 5 to Part B - Eligibility checklist (mandatory, to be signed and uploaded). Part B is limited to 50 pages. Part B template structure: cover page, project summary, 1. Relevance (background, needs analysis, complementarity), 2. Quality (concept & methodology, consortium set-up, project teams, management, quality assurance, financial management, risk management), 3. Impact (impact and ambition, dissemination and communication, sustainability), 4. Work plan and work packages (detailed WPs, tasks, deliverables, milestones, timing), 5. Other (ethics/security) and 6. Declarations. The detailed budget table must reconcile with online summarised budget; in case of discrepancy the online summary prevails.

Application Preparation Practicalities

1. 1Register in the EU Participant Register and obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC) before submission; legal entity validation performed by REA central validation.
2. 2Complete Part A online and prepare Part B using the official SMP COSME template from the Submission System; attach mandatory annexes including detailed budget and Annex 5 to Part B - Eligibility checklist.
3. 3Respect formatting (A4, Arial >=9, margins >=15 mm) and page limits (Part B maximum 50 pages).
4. 4Submit well before the deadline to avoid IT or congestion issues; submissions after the deadline cannot be accepted.
5. 5All communications during submission and evaluation are via the Funding & Tenders Portal; applicants must accept Portal Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement.

Monitoring, Reporting, Deliverables and Payments

Grant management will use the Portal Grant Management System. Mandatory deliverables include periodic progress reports (every 9 months for performance indicators), a comprehensive strategy document, stakeholder and SME selection reports, collaboration activities report, records of individual SME support and communication and dissemination materials. Reporting and payments: prefinancing normally provided after grant signature (typically 50% of the maximum grant amount unless otherwise specified), interim payment and final payment following periodic reporting, with deadlines and detailed arrangements fixed in the Grant Agreement. Certificates (CFS) may be required if requested EU contribution per beneficiary reaches thresholds defined in Data Sheet. Prefinancing guarantees may be requested and are normally provided by the coordinator. Payments distributed to beneficiaries by the coordinator without unjustified delay; coordinator cannot subcontract coordination payment distribution tasks except in strict cases defined in the Grant Agreement.

Evaluation and Award Timetable

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Impact Metrics (mandatory)

1. 1Number of collaboration activities (minimum 3).
2. 2Number of participants in collaboration activities (minimum 60 total).
3. 3Number of SMEs receiving entry-level support (minimum 30 SMEs).
4. 4Number of SMEs receiving scale-up support (minimum 3 SMEs).
5. 5Number of SMEs receiving regulatory support (minimum 3 SMEs).
6. 6Number of SMEs supported under mandatory activity 3 overall (minimum 10 SMEs).
7. 7Overarching SMP programme indicators: number of SMEs/clusters/business support organisations receiving support; number of business partnerships concluded; number of entrepreneurs benefitting from mentoring and mobility (including specific target groups).

Evaluation Criteria and Scoring

1. 1Relevance: 30 points (minimum 16) — alignment with call objectives, EU strategic context, trans-national added value and ability to develop cross-border cooperation.
2. 2Quality: 60 points total, split as (a) Project design and implementation 30 points (min 16) covering methodology, work plan, feasibility, SME support logic and cost-effectiveness; (b) Project team and cooperation arrangements 30 points (min 16) covering consortium quality, roles, capacity and management procedures.
3. 3Impact: 10 points (minimum 6) — credibility and ambition of the impact, measurable indicators, dissemination and sustainability.

Risks, Compliance and Exclusion

Main risks: insufficient cross-border cluster representation, weak SME selection methodology, inadequate access to pilot/demonstration facilities, poor regulatory advisory capacity, unrealistic budgets or staff effort. Compliance risks: failure to meet consortium composition (minimum two cluster organisations in different EU Member States), failure to submit mandatory annexes (Annex 5 eligibility checklist), double participation, non-compliance with ethics, data protection or security rules. Exclusion risks: entities subject to EU restrictive or conditionality measures, bankruptcy, fraud, grave misconduct, unresolved tax/social security obligations, or prior involvement in call preparation causing conflict of interest.

Templates and Application Structure Guidance

Use the Application Form SMP COSME standard templates available in the Submission System. Part A: online administrative data (consortium participants, roles, budget summary). Part B: technical description in the official Part B template. Mandatory annexes: detailed budget table (template in Submission System), list of previous projects (last 4 years), Annex 5 to Part B - Eligibility checklist (cluster registration proof or declaration and ECCP profile pending proof). Part B structure: executive summary; 1. Relevance (background, needs analysis, objectives, indicators); 2. Quality (concept & methodology, consortium set-up, staff profiles, management, QA, financial management, risk); 3. Impact (targets, dissemination, exploitation and sustainability); 4. Work plan and WPs with tasks, deliverables, milestones, timetable and resource allocation; 5. Other (ethics/security); 6. Declarations. Part B page limit: maximum 50 pages. Detailed budget must match figures entered online; online summarised budget prevails in case of discrepancy.

Co-funding Requirement and Financial Contributions

Co-funding is required implicitly because the funding rate does not cover 100% of eligible costs and beneficiaries must ensure the remaining share is funded from own resources, generated income or third-party contributions. No financial support to third parties is allowed in this call. Costs must be eligible, substantiated and recorded in beneficiaries' accounts. Grants may not produce profit; if revenues generated by the project produce a surplus, it will be deducted from the final grant amount.

Nature of Support Provided to Beneficiaries

Beneficiaries and targeted SMEs will receive monetary support to cover project implementation costs via the grant paid to beneficiaries (who in turn provide in-kind services to SMEs). SMEs themselves receive predominantly non-monetary in-kind support from project partners: technical scale-up services, access to pilot/demonstration facilities, regulatory advisory services, mentoring, training, matchmaking and networking. The grant funds consortium activities that provide those services; direct financial support to third parties (SMEs) is not permitted under this call.

Number of Application Stages

Single-stage submission for proposals (one formal submission). Evaluation consists of admissibility & eligibility checks followed by expert evaluation and selection. Grant award follows an invitation to grant preparation and legal/financial checks. In terms of procedural stages: 1. Registration and submission; 2. Eligibility & admissibility check; 3. Evaluation by experts; 4. Selection and invitation to grant preparation; 5. Grant preparation (legal & financial checks) and signature. Applicants therefore pass through 4–5 administrative stages from submission to grant signature.

Success Rate and Competition

No explicit historical success rate is published for this specific call. Given the call budget (€3,000,000) and the expectation to fund two projects, competition is expected to be strong and applicants should aim for high-quality, well-justified proposals that score highly across Relevance, Quality and Impact criteria to be selected.

Key Contact and Support

For non-IT questions contact: EISMEA-SMP-COSME-ENQUIRIES@ec.europa.eu (submit at least 5 working days before deadline). For IT issues use the IT Helpdesk webform available via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Consult the Portal Online Manual and the Funding & Tenders Portal Reference Documents and Model Grant Agreement for templates and further legal/financial guidance.

Mentioned Countries

Explicit country list for eligibility is not reproduced verbatim in the topic summary on the Portal; eligible countries are EU Member States (including OCTs) and non-EU countries that are EEA or associated to the Single Market Programme as specified in the call document. Applicants must consult the call document for the precise list of participating countries and for rules on negotiations of association status.

Project Stage Targeted

The call targets projects that move SMEs from laboratory and proof-of-concept levels through pilot and demonstration to first commercial production and early scale-up; thus the expected maturity supported is development, validation, demonstration and commercialization/scale-up.

Templates: Application Form Structure and Key Attachments

Use the SMP COSME Application Form templates in the Submission System. Key attachments and templates to prepare and upload: Standard proposal template (Part B SMP COSME), Detailed budget template (SMP COSME GFS 90), Annex 5 to Part B - Eligibility checklist, List of previous projects (last 4 years), CVs of key staff (if requested). Part B must follow the provided tagged template structure (cover, summary, relevance, quality, impact, work plan, ethics/security, declarations and annex list). Part B page limit: 50 pages. Detailed budget template is mandatory and must match online summarised budget entries. The Submission System provides specific upload slots for each annex and template.

Coaching, Webinars and Info Sessions

EISMEA organised an online info session on 15 April 2026 covering background, policy context, general call information, validation requirements and financial provisions. Webinar recording and materials are available via the EISMEA events page and the Topic page on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Concluding Summary

This call funds multi-country consortium projects that build cross-border collaboration between biotech clusters to accelerate agri-food biotech SMEs using advanced fermentation technologies to scale from lab to pilot and first commercial production. The action emphasises technical scale-up support, access to demonstration infrastructure, and regulatory support to improve SME readiness for market entry. Minimum consortium composition requires at least three beneficiaries from at least two eligible countries, including at least two cluster organisations from different EU Member States with ECCP registration or pending registration and with at least three years’ track record supporting biotech SMEs in food/feed. Projects must deliver a partnership strategy, networking and knowledge exchange events, entry-level and intensive one-to-one SME support (minimum 10 SMEs; at least 3 for scale-up and 3 for regulatory support), and communication/dissemination of results. Eligible applicants are legal entities established in eligible countries. The grant is a budget-based SMP Project Grant with expected funding around €1.5 million per project, funding rate up to 90% of eligible costs, and project duration typically 36 months. Applications are single-stage, submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal using prescribed SMP COSME templates and mandatory annexes. Evaluation is competitive and scored on relevance, quality and impact with strict thresholds; successful projects proceed to grant preparation and legal/financial validation prior to signature. The call forms part of EU efforts to implement the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, Life Sciences Strategy and Startup and Scaleup Strategy by strengthening cluster collaboration, improving access to scale-up infrastructure and regulatory support, and fostering the emergence of European fermentation-based value chains for food and feed.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call documentation and the official call fiche are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu and the call fiche PDF: ec.europa.eu

Agri-food Biotech Scaling-up (SMP-COSME-2026-BIOAGRIFOOD)

This call for proposals under the Single Market Programme (SMP) Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs strand funds projects to boost collaboration between biotech clusters in the agri-food sector, focusing on advanced fermentation technologies for food and feed applications. It supports SMEs in scaling innovative bio-based products from laboratory to pilot and commercial scale, while providing regulatory guidance for market entry.

Objectives and Scope

Projects must create partnerships of biotech clusters, SMEs and stakeholders to achieve critical mass and compete globally. They contribute to EU priorities including strategic autonomy, sustainability, resilience and food security. Key focus areas include biomass and precision fermentation to enhance food sustainability, security, rural economic opportunities and reshoring of critical feed ingredients.

Mandatory Priorities:

• Establish coherent strategic direction
• Facilitate knowledge exchange and networking
• Provide scale-up support using equipped facilities
• Offer targeted regulatory dossier advice

Expected Outcomes and Impact

Indicative project duration is 36 months. Key performance indicators include number of collaboration activities (minimum 3), participants (minimum 60), SMEs receiving entry-level support (minimum 30), scale-up support (minimum 3 SMEs), regulatory support (minimum 3 SMEs), and overall SME support (minimum 10 SMEs). Additional SMP indicators cover SMEs/clusters supported, business partnerships concluded, and entrepreneurs benefiting from mentoring.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Applicants

Legal entities (public or private) established in EU Member States (including OCTs) or associated countries (EEA countries associated to SMP). Consortia must include at least three applicants from two different eligible countries, with at least two cluster organisations or networks from two different EU Member States. Clusters must be registered (or pending) in the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) and have three years proven track record supporting biotech SMEs in food/feed sectors. Other relevant organisations may join.

Eligible Activities

1. 1Develop comprehensive partnership strategy including vision, synergies, market analysis, needs assessment and sustainability roadmap
2. 2Foster network collaboration: engage external collaborators, identify/select SMEs (commit to minimum numbers), organise at least three in-person networking activities, provide entry-level advisory to minimum 30 SMEs
3. 3Support minimum 10 SMEs with intensive one-on-one assistance: minimum 3 for scale-up (process development, piloting) and 3 for regulatory guidance
4. 4Implement communication/dissemination strategy including success stories, guides and promotion via ECCP

Funding Details

Budget:€3,000,000 total available. Expected to fund 2 projects, each around €1,500,000.

Funding Rate:90% of eligible costs.

Project Budget:Expected around €1,500,000 per project. Budget-based mixed actual cost grant (actual costs, unit costs, flat-rates). Categories: personnel, subcontracting, purchase costs (travel/subsistence, equipment, other goods/services), indirect costs (7% flat-rate). No financial support to third parties.

Timeline

Info session: 15 April 2026 (online, register via EISMEA). Recording available post-event.

Evaluation and Award

Single-stage submission. Award criteria: Relevance (30 points, threshold 16), Quality - Project design/implementation (30 points, threshold 16), Quality - Project team/cooperation (30 points, threshold 16), Impact (10 points, threshold 6). Overall threshold: 70/100 points.

Submission Requirements

• Electronic submission via Funding & Tenders Portal
• Part A: administrative data (online)
• Part B: technical description (max 50 pages)
• Mandatory annexes: detailed budget table, list of previous projects (last 4 years), Annex 5 Eligibility checklist (signed)
• Register in Participant Register before submission

Contact: EISMEA-SMP-COSME-ENQUIRIES@ec.europa.eu. Full details and documents: EU Funding Portal. Call fiche: Call Document.

Policy Context

Aligns with EU Biotech Act I, Bioeconomy Strategy, Life Sciences Strategy, EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, Vision for Agriculture and Food. Pilots regulatory guidance ahead of Biotech Act implementation and addresses valleys of death in bioeconomy scale-up.

Footnotes

1. 1All information sourced from official EU Funding & Tenders Portal call page and call fiche. Detailed conditions (admissibility, eligibility, financial capacity, exclusion) described therein.