COPILOT Extra Call4Travel Vouchers - Open call 3 - Pitch Perfect 2

Pilots4U powered by COPILOT will award thirty travel vouchers of €500 each to start-ups and SMEs in the bioeconomy to cover travel and/or accommodation to attend and pitch at the Pitch Perfect and Boost the European Bioeconomy 2026 event in Brussels (30 Nov–2 Dec 2026). Eligible applicants are start-ups, spin-offs, scale-ups and SMEs located more than 300 km from Brussels with a submitted and confirmed pitch slot, and entities that received funding under specified previous COPILOT open calls are excluded. Applications must be submitted via the COPILOT open calls webpage between 1 July 2026 and 10 October 2026 and will undergo eligibility checks, evaluation and interviews with results announced on 20 October 2026. Selected beneficiaries must attend and pitch at the event, complete required communication actions including a LinkedIn post, submit a travel report within 10 working days after the event, and request payment following review.

What it funds

Summary

Provides travel vouchers to cover travel and/or accommodation for start-ups and SMEs to attend and pitch at the Pitch Perfect and Boost the European Bioeconomy 2026 event in Brussels.

Funding amount and volume:Thirty travel vouchers of €500 each (total budget €15,000). Payment issued after submission and review of travel report ¹.

1. 1Eligible applicants: bioeconomy innovators: start-ups, spin-offs, scale-ups and SMEs.
2. 2Geographic eligibility: only entities located more than 300 km from Brussels.
3. 3Other requirements: confirmed pitch slot at the event; applicants who previously received specified COPILOT open-call funding are ineligible; one voucher per applicant.

How to apply:submit the application form via the COPILOT open calls portal copilot-project.eu. Applications must be in English and complete to be considered.

Evaluation highlights:Selection is based on relevance of attending the event to the applicant and added value from Pilots4U; bonus points for Central and Eastern Europe location and for start-ups founded in 2020 or later ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Project: COPILOT (Grant agreement 101157279) — CO-creating the next generation platform of PILOT and demo infrastructures. Full call details and documents available on the COPILOT open calls webpage COPILOT Open Calls.

Opportunity summary

COPILOT Extra Call4Travel Vouchers Open Call 3 Pitch Perfect 2 offers 30 travel vouchers of €500 each to support start-ups and SMEs in the bioeconomy to travel to and pitch at the Pitch Perfect and Boost the European Bioeconomy 2026 event in Brussels. The vouchers may be used for travel and/or accommodation. The call is part of the COPILOT project, full name CO-creating the next generation platform of PILOT and demo infrastructures, unlocking faster innovation and EU bioeconomy growth, grant agreement 101157279, topic HORIZON-JU under the HORIZON programme. Applications open 1 July 2026 and close 10 October 2026 at 17:00 UTC. Applicants apply via the COPILOT webpage and must meet eligibility and application requirements described below.

Eligible Applicant Types:Primary eligible applicants are bioeconomy innovators: start-ups, spin-offs, scale-ups and small and medium sized enterprises. Natural persons or sole proprietors are not explicitly listed. Public bodies, universities, research institutes, large enterprises, investors, NGOs and individuals are not targeted by this call and are therefore not eligible unless they qualify as start-up, spin-off, scale-up or SME in the bioeconomy sector.

Funding Type:This is a grant in the form of a voucher scheme. The financial mechanism is a travel voucher award of a fixed value per beneficiary.

Consortium Requirement:Single beneficiary applications only. Each legal entity or natural person may submit only one application; if multiple applications are submitted only the first timestamped application will be evaluated.

Beneficiary Scope Geographic Eligibility:The opportunity targets entities located in Europe. Applicants must be located more than 300 km from Brussels to be eligible. Bonus scoring applies to applicants based in Central and Eastern Europe. The call is implemented under the Horizon programme and therefore primarily targets EU and associated countries, though the published criteria specify distance from Brussels and Central and Eastern Europe bonus rather than an explicit country list.

Target Sector:Bioeconomy sector and bio-based innovation. The activity focuses on start-ups, spin-offs, scale-ups and SMEs developing bio-based technologies, pilot and demo solutions, fermentation based proteins, and related bioeconomy innovations.

Mentioned Countries and Locations:Belgium is implicitly mentioned because the Pitch Perfect and Boost the European Bioeconomy 2026 event takes place at the Sheraton Brussels Airport in Brussels. Central and Eastern Europe is referenced for bonus scoring. No other specific countries are individually listed in the call text. The programme is Horizon 2021 2027, EU level. ¹

Project Stage:The call targets early commercialisation and scale readiness stages typical of start-up and SME pitching activities. Expected project maturity is demonstration, validation and early commercialisation or scale-up readiness rather than basic research.

Funding Amount:Thirty vouchers are available. Each voucher is worth €500. Total budget for the call is €15,000.

Application Type and Submission Method:Open competitive call with single-stage submission. Applications must be submitted through the COPILOT open calls webpage at copilot-project.eu. No other submission method will be accepted. Applications open on 1 July 2026 and close on 10 October 2026.

Nature of Support:Monetary support in the form of fixed value travel vouchers. Non monetary support includes visibility at the Pitch Perfect event, pitch slot and networking opportunities. Beneficiaries must also perform communication actions via LinkedIn with support of COPILOT.

Application Stages and Evaluation Process:The application process is single-stage submission followed by internal eligibility and technical checks, external evaluation and online interviews, and an onboarding phase for successful applicants. Timeline provided: applications accepted 1 July to 10 October 2026; internal eligibility and technical checks 12 October to 15 October 2026; evaluation and online interviews 16 October to 18 October 2026; results announcement and onboarding 20 October 2026. Overall this constitutes effectively three administrative stages: submission, eligibility check, evaluation including interviews, plus onboarding contracting.

Success Rates:Thirty vouchers will be awarded. The number of applicants is unknown. Therefore success rate is conditional on the number of qualifying applicants; with high competition typical of EU voucher calls the success rate may be low. No explicit historical success rate is provided in the call document.

Co-funding Requirement:No co funding is explicitly required for the travel voucher itself. Applicants must cover any costs beyond the €500 voucher and comply with eligibility and communication obligations. There is no mention of financial co contribution or matched funding required.

Mandatory tasks and obligations for voucher beneficiaries:Selected beneficiaries must attend and pitch at Pitch Perfect and Boost the European Bioeconomy 2026, participate in the feedback survey and evaluate the event, follow the Pilots4U powered by COPILOT LinkedIn page and create one LinkedIn post about their pitch with support of COPILOT funding, provide a travel report within 10 working days after the event using Annex 5 to the sub grant agreement, and submit a payment request (Annex 6) after successful review. Payment will be made within 5 working days after successful review of the travel report.

1. 1Mandatory action: Attend and pitch at Pitch Perfect and Boost the European Bioeconomy 2026 and participate in the feedback survey/evaluate the event
2. 2Mandatory action: Follow LinkedIn Pilots4U powered by COPILOT and create one LinkedIn post about your pitch with COPILOT support
3. 3Travel report: Submit Annex 5 to sub grant agreement Travel Report within 10 working days after the event
4. 4Payment: Submit Annex 6 Payment Request after successful review; payment issued within 5 working days

Eligibility details and exclusions:Eligible: start ups, spin offs, scale ups and SMEs in the bioeconomy that have a submitted and confirmed pitch slot at the Pitch Perfect event and are located more than 300 km from Brussels. Excluded: entities that already received funding under COPILOT through specified prior open calls, including Open Call 1 Call4BioPlants, Open Call 2 Call4BioInnovators, Open Call 3 Part 1 Call4TravelVouchers, Open Call 3 Pitch Perfect EXTRA Call4TravelVouchers prior parts, Open Call 3 PART 2 Call4TravelVouchers and Open Call 3 BIOKET EXTRA Call4TravelVouchers. OC2 and OC3 Part 1, OC3 BIOKET and OC3 PP 1 cannot apply to OC3 PP 2. Applicants can receive only one voucher. Only entities located more than 300 km from Brussels are eligible to apply.

Evaluation criteria and scoring:Applications are evaluated on the benefit to the organisation and technology of attending Pitch Perfect and Boost the European Bioeconomy 2026 and the added value of the Pilots4U powered by COPILOT platform and project activities for the applicant. Two bonus scoring criteria are applied: one bonus point if the applicant is based in Central and Eastern Europe, and one bonus point if the applicant represents a start up founded no later than 2020.

Application form and templates:Applications must be submitted via the COPILOT open calls webpage. The call requires a completed application form including mandatory questions and requested supporting documents. Applicants must accept terms and conditions, submit all materials in English in PDF format without printing restrictions unless otherwise agreed, and ensure the application is complete. Applicants are encouraged to review documents required in the contracting phase and the annexes referenced in the sub grant agreement such as Annex 5 Travel Report and Annex 6 Payment Request. A full list of applicants will be created for statistical and transparency purposes and shared with the European Commission.

Apply through the COPILOT open calls webpage and ensure you meet location, previous beneficiary exclusions, and pitch slot confirmation requirements. Late or incomplete submissions will be disqualified. Further documents and full terms are available on the COPILOT Open Call Documents section and the Pitch Perfect event pages.

Footnotes

1. 1Event website and organisers information can be found at pitchperfectbioeconomy.eu. The call is implemented under the COPILOT project, grant agreement number 101157279, topic HORIZON-JU.

What This Opportunity Offers

The Pilots4U powered by COPILOT project grants THIRTY (30) travel vouchers, each worth €500, to start-ups and SMEs to attend and pitch their technologies at the 'Pitch Perfect and Boost the European Bioeconomy 2026' event in Brussels ¹. The voucher can cover travel and/or accommodation costs for the event held from November 30 to December 2, 2026 at the Sheraton Brussels Airport ².

Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants are bioeconomy innovators including start-ups, spin-offs, scale-ups, and SMEs ³. Applicants must be located more than 300 km from Brussels and must have a submitted and confirmed pitch slot at the event ⁴. Entities that already received funding under previous COPILOT open calls (OC1, OC2, OC3 Part 1, OC3 BIOKET, OC3 PP 1) cannot apply for this specific call ⁵.

Key Eligibility Requirements:Only one voucher per entity; applicants based in Central and Eastern Europe receive a bonus point; start-ups founded in 2020 or later receive a bonus point ⁶.

Application Process & Timeline

Applications open on July 1, 2026 and close on October 10, 2026 at 17:00 CET ⁷. Applications must be submitted exclusively via the COPILOT webpage at copilot-project.eu ⁸. The evaluation process includes an internal eligibility check (October 12–15, 2026), scoring by an evaluation board, and online interviews for top-ranked projects (October 16–18, 2026) ⁹. Results are announced on October 20, 2026, followed by the onboarding phase ¹⁰.

1. 1Submit application form with all mandatory questions and documents in PDF format
2. 2Attend and pitch at the event, then complete the feedback survey
3. 3Follow the Pilots4U LinkedIn page and create one post about your pitch
4. 4Submit a travel report (Annex 5) within 10 working days after the event
5. 5Request payment (Annex 6) within 5 working days after travel report approval

Evaluation Criteria

Applications are scored based on the benefit of attending the event to the organization/technology and the added value of the Pilots4U powered by COPILOT platform ¹¹. Bonus points are awarded for applicants based in Central and Eastern Europe and for start-ups founded in 2020 or later ¹².

Event Details & Context

The 'Pitch Perfect and Boost the European Bioeconomy 2026' is a two-day cross-border pitching, matchmaking, and networking event linking industry to innovative bio-based technologies and innovators to investors ¹³. Organized by Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant with support from Pilots4U powered by COPILOT and The ProteInn Club, the event aims to create partnerships for future industrial value chains in the bioeconomy ¹⁴.

Footnotes

1. 1Official EU Funding Portal: ec.europa.eu
2. 2Event Website: pitchperfectbioeconomy.eu
3. 3Eligibility Guidelines: copilot-project.eu
4. 4Distance Requirement: Entities must be >300 km from Brussels
5. 5Previous Funding Exclusion: OC1, OC2, OC3 Part 1, OC3 BIOKET, OC3 PP 1
6. 6Bonus Points: Central/Eastern Europe + Start-ups founded 2020+
7. 7Deadline: October 10, 2026 at 17:00 CET
8. 8Submission Portal: copilot-project.eu
9. 9Evaluation Timeline: October 12–18, 2026
10. 10Results Announcement: October 20, 2026
11. 11Evaluation Criteria: Benefit of event + Added value of COPILOT
12. 12Bonus Points: Central/Eastern Europe + Start-ups founded 2020+
13. 13Event Purpose: Cross-border pitching, matchmaking, networking in bioeconomy
14. 14Organizers: Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, Pilots4U powered by COPILOT, The ProteInn Club