Excel4Pro Open Call

The Excel4Pro Open Call provides a grant opportunity totaling €360,000 aimed at startups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) located in Türkiye, Greece, or Ukraine. This funding is specifically targeted towards early-stage companies focusing on innovative technologies or solutions within the alternative plant-based protein sector for the agri-food industry. Applicants can receive a maximum of €40,000 each, with a minimum of nine projects to be funded.

This initiative functions on a deliverable-based funding model, which means that payments will be made upon the completion of specific milestones rather than being provided upfront. The projects will be implemented over a 15-month period, starting in November 2026, and will proceed through three distinct phases: Design, Development, and Validation.

The application process is single-stage, requiring digital submissions via the opencalls.fund platform. Proposals will undergo an eligibility check and subsequent evaluation by external reviewers based on criteria including alignment with the call's objectives, feasibility, impact, value for money, and team implementation capability. A minimum threshold of three points per evaluation category is required to qualify for funding, with a total score cutoff set at 15 points.

No co-funding is mandated, although it is not explicitly prohibited. This call is part of the broader Horizon Europe WIDERA program designed to enhance research and innovation capabilities in regions with less research intensity. The deadline for applications is April 27, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time.

The Excel4Pro Open Call will significantly contribute to strengthening the innovation ecosystem in the Mediterranean and Eastern European regions, particularly in sustainable food systems within the agri-food sector, focusing on alternative protein solutions.

The Excel4Pro Open Call is a funding opportunity aimed at strengthening the capacity of excellence hubs in Türkiye, Greece, and Ukraine to support the innovation ecosystem of novel foods based on plant proteins. The call falls under the HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-07-01 - Excellence Hubs topic. The project acronym is Excel4Pro, and the grant agreement number is 101186662.

The opening date for submissions was January 26, 2026, and the deadline for submission is April 27, 2026, at 17:00 (Brussels time). The call is currently open for submission. The expected duration of participation for sub-projects is 15 months, divided into three phases: Phase 1 Design (Months 1-4), Phase 2 Development (Months 5-9), and Phase 3 Validation (Months 10-15). A total funding of 360,000.00 EUR is available.

Submissions must be made digitally through the opencalls.fund platform at https://opencalls.fund/open-call/excel4pro. All necessary application documents (Excel4Pro Open Call Kit) can be found on the Excel4Pro website in the Open Call section (https://excel4pro.eu/open-call/). Applicants should consult the Excel4Pro website for updates and the FAQ section on the opencalls.fund platform (https://opencalls.fund/open-call/excel4pro/faq). Submissions through any other channel will be discarded. Documents required in subsequent phases will be submitted via dedicated channels (e.g., email or the opencalls.fund platform), as indicated by the Excel4Pro consortium during the contracting phase. If multiple versions of the same application are submitted, only the last version will be evaluated. The confidentiality of applicants' identities and proposal contents will be maintained throughout the process. By applying, consortia automatically accept the terms and conditions outlined in the Open Call Kit.

The evaluation process includes an eligibility check by the Excel4Pro Advisory Board, followed by a remote evaluation by external reviewers. Each proposal will be reviewed by two external evaluators with technical and/or business expertise relevant to the call's topics.

The evaluation criteria are:

Alignment: Relevance and Alignment with Excel4Pro Open Call Objectives.

Excellence: Feasibility of concept, Ethics and compliance, Gender and inclusivity.

Impact: Demonstration of impact on the Excel4Pro ecosystem, Impact and sustainability, Scalability and replicability, Dissemination and policy uptake, Community engagement.

Value: Budget allocation, Use of resources.

Implementation: Team expertise and roles, Quality of team as a whole, Risk management.

All award criteria have equal weight. Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5, with a threshold of 3 points in each category and a minimum total score of 15 points.

The Excel4Pro Open Call is open to start-ups or SMEs established in Türkiye, Greece, or Ukraine. These entities should specialize or intend to work on innovative technologies or solutions within the alternative plant-based protein area for the agri-food sector. Selected applicants will receive funding to innovate, test, validate, or implement breakthroughs within the Excel4Pro Focus Areas and integrate these innovations into the broader agri-food sector.

The Open Call aims to fund at least 9 projects, with a maximum of 40,000 EUR per project. A total budget of 360,000 EUR will be allocated as financial support to third parties.

Selected projects will launch in November 2026 and have an implementation timeframe of 15 months, concluding in December 2027. The implementation period is divided into three phases:

Phase 1 Design (November 2026 February 2027): Deliverable Activity plan; Payment of 30% of the total fund.

Phase 2 Development (March 2027 July 2027): Deliverable Report on Results/Outcomes; Payment of 50% of the total fund.

Phase 3 Validation (August 2027 January 2028): Deliverable Final report on community-associated activities; Payment of the final 20% of the total fund.

Payments are deliverable-based, meaning subgrantees must submit a specific report after each phase to receive payment. No pre-financing is provided.

In summary, the Excel4Pro Open Call is a funding opportunity for startups and SMEs in Türkiye, Greece, and Ukraine working on innovative plant-based protein solutions for the agri-food sector. The call aims to support projects that can contribute to the Excel4Pro ecosystem. Successful applicants will receive up to 40,000 EUR to implement their projects over 15 months, with payments tied to the completion of specific deliverables in each of the three project phases: Design, Development, and Validation. The application process is entirely digital, and proposals will be evaluated based on alignment with call objectives, excellence, impact, value, and implementation.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are startups and SMEs.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically cascade funding, which is financial support to third parties.

Consortium Requirement: A single applicant is required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is limited to startups and SMEs established in Türkiye, Greece, or Ukraine.

Target Sector: The target sector is the agri-food sector, specifically focusing on innovative technologies or solutions within the alternative plant-based protein area.

Mentioned Countries: Türkiye, Greece, Ukraine.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project includes innovation, testing, validation, or implementation of breakthroughs. This suggests projects in the development, validation, and demonstration stages.

Funding Amount: The funding range is up to €40k per project, with a total of €360k allocated across at least 9 projects.

Application Type: The application type is an open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money. Payments are deliverable based, meaning that the subgrantees have to deliver a specific report after the end of each phase in order to receive the payment (no pre-financing is foreseen).

Application Stages: Applicants have to pass through an eligibility check and a remote evaluation by external reviewers, suggesting at least 2 stages.

Success Rates: The success rate is not explicitly mentioned, but given that at least 9 projects will be funded out of all applications received, the success rate is likely to be below 10% depending on the number of applications.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is not explicitly mentioned, so it is likely not required.

Summary:

The Excel4Pro Open Call is a funding opportunity targeting startups and SMEs in Türkiye, Greece, and Ukraine that are working on innovative technologies or solutions in the alternative plant-based protein area for the agri-food sector. The call aims to strengthen the capacity of excellence hubs in these countries to support the innovation ecosystem of novel foods based on plant proteins. The funding is provided as cascade grants, with a maximum of €40k per project, and a total budget of €360k is available to fund at least 9 projects. The selected projects will be launched in November 2026 and will have a 15-month implementation timeframe, divided into three phases: Design, Development, and Validation. Payments are deliverable-based, meaning that grantees will receive payments after delivering specific reports at the end of each phase. The application process involves an eligibility check and a remote evaluation by external reviewers based on criteria such as alignment with the call objectives, excellence, impact, value, and implementation. The call is part of the HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-07-01 initiative, focusing on Excellence Hubs. The application deadline is April 27, 2026.