Call for Competition: Financial Support for SMEs under the PHOENIX 4.0 Alliance

The PHOENIX 4.0 Alliance is initiating a funding opportunity aimed at small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector. This initiative, formally titled "Resilient Ecosystem for Empowering Tourism SMEs," seeks to rejuvenate European tourism by enhancing the resilience and sustainability of SMEs. The call for applications opened on January 15, 2026, and will close on March 18, 2026, at 17:00 CET. The total funding available is €1,065,000, with individual grants expected to range from €50,000 to €200,000, depending on project scope and the number of successful applications.

Eligible applicants must be SMEs actively involved in tourism-related activities and are encouraged to collaborate in consortia, as the call emphasizes projects that illustrate partnership potential. Each application must identify a Lead Applicant and submit a Draft Partnership Agreement.

The program aims to address seven major thematic challenge areas within tourism, focusing on topics such as enhancing resilience, fostering sustainable tourism practices, managing visitor flows through digital tools, and creating inclusive and accessible tourism services. It supports projects at various maturity levels, from capacity building to implementation and commercialization.

The application process consists of two stages: administrative verification to ensure compliance and eligibility, followed by an evaluation process involving independent evaluators. Applications will be assessed based on criteria such as feasibility, innovation, efficiency, collaboration potential, and contribution to sustainability and transition pathways in tourism.

Although a co-funding requirement is not explicitly stated, efficiency and cost-effectiveness will be weighted in evaluations, possibly favoring projects that provide clear value for money. Historical success rates for similar programs suggest that competition may be considerable, as funding will go to the highest-ranked proposals until the total budget is allocated.

Overall, this opportunity represents a strategic initiative to empower tourism SMEs across Europe, encouraging innovative and collaborative projects to enhance industry resilience and sustainability in response to contemporary challenges in tourism.

The PHOENIX 4.0 Alliance is offering financial support for SMEs through a Call for Competition. The full name of the EU funded project is Resilient Ecosystem for Empowering Tourism SMEs. The grant agreement number is 101181258. The topic is SMP-COSME-2023-TOURSME-01, focusing on transitioning to a more sustainable and resilient ecosystem and empowering tourism SMEs.

The call opens on 15 January 2026, and the deadline for submissions is 18 March 2026 at 17:00 CET (Brussels time). The expected duration of participation is 9 months. The total funding available is 1,065,000.00 EUR. The project acronym is PHOENIX 4.0. The deadline model is single-stage.

Applicants must consult the Guidelines for Applicants available on the PHOENIX 4.0 website. Applications must be submitted through the online application form and include all required supporting documents, using the official templates provided. The application consists of Administrative Information, Technical Description, and mandatory attachments: Annex F Estimated Budget (Excel format), an official document confirming the legal status of the Lead Applicant, proof of identity of the Lead Applicant’s legal representative (ID or Passport), and a Draft Partnership Agreement (Annex G). Templates are available for download on the PHOENIX 4.0 website.

The evaluation process is a competitive selection procedure in two stages:

1. Admission and eligibility check: Applications undergo administrative verification to assess compliance with eligibility and admissibility criteria. Only applications submitted on time, via the online platform, and including all required documentation will be considered admissible.

2. Evaluation and award procedure: Each eligible application is assessed by two independent evaluators appointed by the PHOENIX 4.0 project partners, acting independently and without conflict of interest. Evaluations are carried out at the national or regional level, following a common methodology agreed by a European evaluation panel to ensure consistency, fairness, and equal treatment.

Applications are evaluated against the following award criteria:

Feasibility (10%)
Innovation and Creativity (20%)
Replicability and Transferability (10%)
Collaboration and Partnership Potential (20%)
Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness (10%)
Resilience and Sustainability Potential (20%)
Contribution to the Transition Pathway for Tourism and SMP objectives (10%)

Additional bonus points may be awarded for transnational partnerships and project pitch evaluation. Funding will be awarded to the highest-ranked proposals until the available budget is exhausted, in line with the indicative regional and national allocations defined in the Call.

Applicants are encouraged to consult the Guidelines for Applicants and the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) published on the PHOENIX 4.0 website for further guidance.

The Alliance Initiatives Programme aims to fund collaborative projects that address one or more of the following thematic topics, each linked to specific challenges to be tackled through innovation, cooperation, and capacity building:

Educate, plan and manage risks to enhance the resilience of tourism SMEs.
Bridging the gap between theory and practice in sustainable tourism.
Activating territorial resilience through storytelling, local cooperation and heritage-based experiences.
Improving energy efficiency and circular practices in tourism SMEs.
Using data to anticipate risks and understand visitors.
Human resources and financial preparedness.
Shape tourism offerings by considering factors such as seasonality, social impact and challenges to promote responsible and diversified tourism while mitigating the effects of overtourism.
Developing flexible and sustainable offers to reduce seasonality.
Ensuring stability and sustainable living conditions for the seasonal workforce.
Human-centred approaches to managing overtourism.
Collaboration and shared value creation between all tourism actors and across sectors.
Develop tools and methodologies to improve the management of tourism offerings and visitor flows.
Optimizing visitor flows through data and digital solutions.
Digital literacy and skills for smart tourism management.
Improving digital connections and integration for tourism SMEs.
Reducing the carbon footprint of visitor mobility.
Strengthen knowledge, awareness and skills related to resilience and sustainability among mid-and top-level management in tourism SMEs.
Practical sustainability training and mindset shift.
Formalizing sustainability practices and certifications.
Digital monitoring for resource efficiency and resilience.
Cybersecurity and risk management.
Design effective campaigns to raise awareness on key issues such as heritage preservation and climate action.
Credible, transparent and actionable sustainability communication.
Motivating responsible visitor behaviour.
Designing targeted campaigns to promote off-peak visitation and responsible tourism.
Fostering social sustainability and hospitality.
Create accessible tourism services to ensure inclusivity for all visitors.
Clear and consistent communication of accessibility.
Training and mindset shift for accessible tourism.
Formalizing accessibility strategies, plans and assessments.

In summary, this opportunity, under the PHOENIX 4.0 project, provides financial support to SMEs in the tourism sector to foster a more sustainable and resilient ecosystem. The funding aims to address various challenges through collaborative projects focusing on innovation, cooperation, and capacity building. The application process involves a two-stage evaluation, considering factors like feasibility, innovation, replicability, collaboration, efficiency, resilience, and contribution to tourism objectives. The call encourages projects that tackle issues such as risk management, sustainable tourism practices, energy efficiency, data utilization, workforce stability, overtourism, digital literacy, carbon footprint reduction, sustainability training, cybersecurity, awareness campaigns, and accessible tourism. The goal is to empower tourism SMEs to transition towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call explicitly targets SMEs, specifically tourism SMEs. The requirement for a "Lead Applicant" and a "Draft Partnership Agreement" suggests that while SMEs are the target, collaborative projects are encouraged, implying that consortia including SMEs are eligible.

Funding Type: The opportunity is described as "Financial Support," indicating a grant or cascade funding mechanism. The term "Funding will be awarded" further supports this conclusion.

Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly mandatory, the mention of a "Draft Partnership Agreement" and additional bonus points for "transnational partnerships" strongly suggests that consortia are preferred and potentially advantageous. Therefore, it is likely that either a single applicant or a consortium is acceptable, but a consortium is preferred.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The evaluation process is carried out at "national or regional level," and the call mentions "indicative regional and national allocations," suggesting that the geographic eligibility is likely within the EU or regions participating in the PHOENIX 4.0 project. The project is funded by the EU (Grant agreement number 101181258), so it is highly likely that the beneficiary scope is EU member states.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is tourism, specifically tourism SMEs. The call focuses on "Transitioning to a more sustainable and resilient ecosystem – empowering tourism SMEs." The thematic topics listed in the task description further emphasize this focus, covering areas like resilience, sustainability, digital transformation, and accessibility within the tourism sector.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the evaluation is carried out at the "national or regional level," implying that the call is open to multiple countries and regions. The funding is likely targeted at EU member states, given the grant agreement number and the nature of EU funding.

Project Stage: The call aims to fund "collaborative projects" that address specific challenges. The challenges listed in the task description suggest that the projects should be at a development, validation, or demonstration stage, focusing on implementing solutions and building capacity within tourism SMEs. The focus on practical training, formalizing sustainability practices, and designing campaigns suggests a move beyond the initial research phase.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is €1,065,000.00. The distribution of this funding among individual projects is not specified, but it is likely variable depending on the project scope and regional/national allocations. Therefore, the funding amount is variable.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by the phrases "Call for Competition" and "Call opens on 15 January 2026." The deadline model is single-stage.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money, as the call mentions "Financial Support for SMEs" and "Funding will be awarded."

Application Stages: The application process consists of two stages: 1. Admission and eligibility check and 2. Evaluation and award procedure.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned. However, the call states that "Funding will be awarded to the highest-ranked proposals until the available budget is exhausted," suggesting that the success rate will depend on the number and quality of applications received and the specific regional/national allocations. Therefore, the success rate is other.

Co-funding Requirement: The document does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity, under the PHOENIX 4.0 Alliance Initiatives Programme, offers financial support to tourism SMEs through collaborative projects. The program aims to address various challenges within the tourism sector, focusing on resilience, sustainability, digital transformation, and accessibility. The call encourages projects that develop and implement practical solutions, build capacity, and promote innovation within tourism SMEs. The application process involves a two-stage evaluation, with funding awarded to the highest-ranked proposals based on criteria such as feasibility, innovation, replicability, collaboration, efficiency, resilience, and contribution to tourism objectives. While consortia are not strictly required, they are encouraged through bonus points for transnational partnerships. The total funding available is €1,065,000.00, to be distributed among selected projects. The call is likely open to tourism SMEs located in EU member states or regions participating in the PHOENIX 4.0 project. The deadline for applications is March 18, 2026.