European Partnership on Innovative SMEs

The Horizon Europe call, HORIZON-EIE-2025-01-INNOVSMES-01, aims to continue the support of the European Partnership of Innovative SMEs. As a Horizon COFUND action, it provides a total budget of €108 million allocated over three years: €40 million for 2025 and 2026, and €28 million for 2027. The expected outcome of funded projects includes improved collaboration between SMEs and research entities, facilitating access to finance, international markets, and increased public funding for innovation.

The application process is a single-stage submission due by June 19, 2025. Projects require a consortium led by a previous grant recipient under HORIZON-EIE-2021-INNOVSMES-01 and HORIZON-EIE-2023-INNOVSMES-01. Geographic coverage includes EU member states, associated countries, and third countries, promoting broader international collaboration.

Funding supports research and innovation aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs. The funding rate is 30% of eligible costs, with a maximum of €25 million available for third parties. The call encourages synergies with other European initiatives and programs, strengthening the innovation ecosystem across Europe.

The initiative specifically emphasizes collaborative research addressing societal and technological challenges and supports additional activities such as market-led innovation and fostering international partnerships. Proposals must ensure alignment with previous grant scopes while incorporating lessons learned to enhance project effectiveness.

Overall, this call seeks to stimulate economic growth and job creation through enhanced innovation capacity among SMEs, ensuring a significant contribution to the European economy and society.

The HORIZON-EIE-2025-01-INNOVSMES-01 call, under the Horizon Europe Programme, aims to continue support for the European Partnership of Innovative SMEs. This is a HORIZON-COFUND action, specifically a HORIZON Programme Cofund Action, with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] model grant agreement. The call employs a single-stage submission process. The opening date is May 6, 2025, and the deadline for submission is June 19, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The total budget allocated is 108,000,001 EUR, with approximately 1 grant expected. The budget is distributed across the years 2025, 2026 and 2027 with 40,000,000 EUR, 40,000,000 EUR and 28,000,000 EUR respectively.

The expected outcomes of projects funded under this call include: Improved knowledge transfer in the European innovative SME ecosystem through increased collaboration between SMEs, public research partners, and academia; Mitigation of difficulties in access to finance for European innovative SMEs, contributing to their growth and expansion; Improved access for European innovative SMEs to new international markets and value chains, leading to increased market share, sales, and employment capacity; Increased public research and innovation funding for European innovative SMEs, spurring high-quality collaborations and innovative solutions; Pooling national efforts to promote internationalization and collaboration in European innovative SMEs, avoiding duplication and simplifying the offer to beneficiaries, achieving balanced geographic participation, ensuring complementarity, and improving innovation ecosystems across Europe; Identifying and exploiting opportunities in global markets and establishing win-win international innovation partnerships, such as networks of incubators and accelerators, with support from instruments like Innowwide.

The scope of this call is to continue support for the European Partnership of Innovative SMEs, as identified in the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021-2024. The focus is on funding additional activities, potentially involving new partners, in line with Article 24(2) of the Horizon Europe Regulation. The consortium that previously received funding under the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs topic is uniquely positioned to submit a proposal. This consortium has expertise in the Partnership's objectives and activities, and another consortium would likely face significant disruption in continuing the ongoing activities. The proposal should cover additional activities not included in the existing grant agreement, addressing time, resources, and activities based on previous activities. These activities mainly involve additional calls for proposals for Eurostars and INNOWWIDE projects from 2025 to 2027, resulting in international collaborative research and innovation projects. The proposal should also include lessons learned and analyze results from Eurostars calls (2021-2024) and Eureka-INNOWWIDE calls to improve future activities and further develop the Eureka-INNOWWIDE scheme. Coordination and support activities, creating synergies between national programs, and enhancing cooperation and knowledge exchange among national intermediaries should continue through new or repeated activities and additional events. Collaborative research and innovation activities, with a strong focus on supporting the internationalization of European innovative SMEs, should drive the additional activities and calls for proposals from 2025 to 2027.

Specific activities that can be implemented include: Supporting transnational near-market collaborative research and innovation addressing technological and societal challenges; Enhancing SME readiness (absorption capacities in all participating countries); Attracting a wide range of beneficiaries by country and SME type and age; Creating synergies among national programs by streamlining their implementation; Enhancing cooperation and knowledge exchange at the level of national intermediaries; Incorporating lessons learned from proposals and project implementations for future improvements.

The initiative aims to help innovative SMEs increase their research and innovation capacities, shorten time to market, and embed themselves in global value chains and new markets. This will be achieved through funding market-led, cross-border research and innovation collaborative projects and providing accompanying measures. The initiative addresses collaboration in Europe and beyond, and the commercialization of new knowledge to public and private sector markets, strengthening the resilience of the European innovation ecosystem. The overall objective is to implement a co-funded European Partnership for Innovative SMEs to stimulate economic growth and job creation by enhancing the competitiveness of innovative SMEs and contributing to positive economic, societal, and environmental impacts. The initiative should enable innovative SMEs to develop all forms of innovation, foster their internationalization, and connect national programs to unlock the potential of all partners.

The award of a grant to continue the Partnership will be based on a proposal submitted by the coordinator of the consortium funded under the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs. The evaluation of additional activities will consider the existing context, the scope of the initial evaluation, and related obligations in the grant agreement. The proposal should include an annex detailing the additional activities and partners to be covered by amendments to the grant agreement.

A main activity is running calls for proposals, organizing the evaluation process, and enabling collaborative cross-border research and innovation projects. Calls should promote the program in underrepresented Member States through dissemination events, mutual learning seminars, and roadshows. Accompanying measures like INNOWWIDE should be included.

The private sector and research actors should mainly come from national and regional funding organizations. A dedicated implementation structure may support them through organizing calls, managing funding, monitoring payments and projects, and implementing dissemination events. The initiative should have extended geographical coverage beyond Member States and Associated Countries, potentially evolving into a global program. Third countries are welcome to participate, promoting projects involving partners beyond geographical proximity and utilizing the extended Eureka network.

Proposals should mobilize financial resources from participating national and regional research programs to implement joint calls for transnational proposals, resulting in grants to third parties. Member States are encouraged to maximize financial support to innovative SMEs through increased national funding. Proposals should focus on supporting international projects led by innovative SMEs, enabling international cooperation and knowledge sharing. Projects involving one legal entity in a Member State or Associated Country and one in a non-associated third country may be supported similarly to Eurostars 2. At least two-thirds (67%) of supported projects must involve at least two beneficiaries from Member States or Associated Countries.

The Partnership is expected to collaborate with other relevant European Partnerships, missions, and the European Innovation Council to ensure coherence and complementarity. Proposals must describe the methodology for collaboration and its aims. Collaboration with Regional Innovation Valleys, EIT, and KICs is encouraged, exploring synergies along SME innovation and development pathways, with EEN supporting info-days and partner-finding.

Admissibility conditions include proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for funding participants from certain non-EU/non-Associated Countries. The proposal must be submitted by the coordinator of the consortium funded under HORIZON-EIE-2021-INNOVSMES-01-01 and HORIZON-EIE-2023-INNOVSMES-01, with the possibility to include additional partners, subject to restrictions for protecting European communication networks.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. If successful, the next stage involves grant agreement amendment preparations. The coordinator of the consortium will be invited to submit an amendment to the grant agreement on behalf of the beneficiaries. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also described in Annex F.

This action will be implemented through an amendment of the grant agreement funded under HORIZON-EIE-2021-INNOVSMES-01-01 and HORIZON-EIE-2023-INNOVSMES-01. For additional activities, beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) in the form of grants. The maximum FSTP amount per third party is EUR 25,000,000, justified by the primary activity of enabling innovation and internationalization of SMEs. At least two-thirds (67%) of projects supported through FSTP must involve at least two beneficiaries from Member States or Associated Countries. The funding rate is 30% of eligible costs. The starting date of grants may be retroactive, requiring justification in the application.

Additional conditions are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific conditions described in the relevant topic of the Work Programme. Application form templates are available in the Submission System, and evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations.

The budget overview indicates 28,000,000 EUR for 2027, 40,000,000 EUR for 2026, and 40,000,000 EUR for 2025. The call is a single-stage process, opening on May 6, 2025, and closing on June 19, 2025, with approximately 1 grant expected.

There are 13 partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

The Electronic Submission Service can be accessed via the submission button, selecting the appropriate action type and model grant agreement. Existing draft proposals can be accessed by logging into the Funding & Tenders Portal and selecting the My Proposals page.

The Online Manual provides guidance on procedures from proposal submission to grant management. The Horizon Europe Programme Guide details the structure, budget, and political priorities of Horizon Europe. The Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ answers common questions on proposal submission, evaluation, and grant management. The Research Enquiry Service can answer questions about European research and EU Research Framework Programmes. National Contact Points (NCPs) offer guidance and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe, including in non-EU and non-associated countries. The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) provides advice to businesses, especially SMEs, on EU research funding. The IT Helpdesk addresses technical questions about the Funding & Tenders Portal. The European IPR Helpdesk assists with intellectual property issues. CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks advise on standardization in project proposals. The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment outline principles and requirements for researchers, employers, and funders. Partner Search helps find partner organizations for proposals.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to continue supporting innovative SMEs through a co-funded European Partnership. It focuses on funding additional activities, particularly collaborative research and innovation projects, and promoting the internationalization of SMEs. The call is open to a specific consortium with proven expertise, and it encourages collaboration with various stakeholders, including national programs, research organizations, and third countries. The initiative seeks to stimulate economic growth, job creation, and positive societal and environmental impacts by enhancing the competitiveness of European SMEs.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant is primarily the coordinator of the consortium that has already received funding under the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs (HORIZON-EIE-2021-INNOVSMES-01-01 and HORIZON-EIE-2023-INNOVSMES-01). However, the inclusion of additional partners is possible and encouraged. The private sector and research actors would need to be mainly drawn from the activities of the national and/or regional funding organisations. National administrations and National Funding Bodies (NFBs) are also mentioned.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON-COFUND action, which is a Horizon Europe Programme Cofund Action. This involves co-funding from national or regional research programs. The type of MGA (Model Grant Agreement) is a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP). The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium, although the application must be submitted by the coordinator of the existing consortium funded under HORIZON-EIE-2021-INNOVSMES-01-01 and HORIZON-EIE-2023-INNOVSMES-01. Additional partners can be included.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility extends beyond Member States and Associated Countries. Third countries are welcome to participate in the Partnership in line with the standard criteria related to co-funded Partnerships in Horizon Europe. The initiative should promote the ambition towards more projects involving other partners than those in geographical proximity and the sufficient utilisation of the potential of the extended Eureka network.

Target Sector: The program targets innovative SMEs across all sectors, with a focus on enhancing their competitiveness, supporting research and innovation, and fostering internationalization. It aims to stimulate economic growth and job creation. The thematic or industry sectors include research and innovation, support to the internationalisation of European innovative SMEs, economic growth and job creation, positive economic, societal and environmental impact in Europe and beyond.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions Member States, Associated Countries, and non-EU/non-Associated Countries (third countries).

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily focused on the continuation and expansion of existing activities. This includes building on previous work, analyzing lessons learned, and implementing additional calls for proposals. The project stage is near-market collaborative research and innovation addressing technological and societal challenges.

Funding Amount: The total budget is 108,000,000 EUR, with 40,000,000 EUR allocated for 2025, 40,000,000 EUR for 2026, and 28,000,000 EUR for 2027. The maximum amount of Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) to be granted to an individual third party is EUR 25,000,000. The funding rate is 30% of the eligible costs. The indicative number of grants is around 1.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage submission. The call is open for submission.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants. Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is a primary activity, with a maximum of EUR 25,000,000 per third party.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is around 1, suggesting a very low success rate.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is required, as the action is a HORIZON-COFUND action. Proposals should mobilise the necessary financial resources from participating national (or regional) research programmes with a view to implementing joint calls for transnational proposals resulting in grants to third parties. Member States are invited to maximise the financial support provided to innovative SMEs through increased national funding during the selection process.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call (HORIZON-EIE-2025-01-INNOVSMES-01) aims to provide continued support to the European Partnership of Innovative SMEs. It seeks to fund additional activities that enhance the competitiveness and internationalization of innovative SMEs, stimulate economic growth, and create jobs. The call is structured as a co-funded action, requiring the mobilization of financial resources from national or regional research programs. The primary applicant is expected to be the coordinator of the consortium already funded under previous iterations of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs, although additional partners can join. The main activities involve running calls for proposals, organizing evaluations, and enabling collaborative cross-border research and innovation projects. The geographic scope extends beyond EU Member States and Associated Countries, welcoming participation from third countries. The funding will be distributed in the form of grants, with a significant portion allocated as financial support to third parties (SMEs). The call emphasizes the importance of synergies with other European Partnerships and initiatives, such as Regional Innovation Valleys and the European Innovation Council. The application process is a single-stage submission, with a deadline of June 19, 2025.