Expanding Investment Ecosystems

The "Expanding Investment Ecosystems" grant under Horizon Europe aims to enhance cross-border innovation ecosystems, particularly by linking less-developed regions with stronger innovation hubs. Eligible applicants include business acceleration service providers, investor networks, innovation hubs, and government innovation agencies, requiring a consortium of at least three independent entities from different EU Member States or Associated Countries. The funding type is a lump sum grant as part of a Coordination and Support Action (CSA), with a total budget of €5 million, anticipating five grants at approximately €1 million each.

The program targets EU Member States and Associated Countries, emphasizing collaborations between 'emerging' or 'moderate' innovator regions and 'strong' or 'innovation leader' regions. It covers several sectors, including clean energy, digital transformation, healthcare, circular economy, and food security, addressing five critical challenges identified in the New European Innovation Agenda.

Projects must support scaling up and market expansion activities for startups, and the expected outcomes include increased foreign venture investments, greater local deal awareness for investors, and improved knowledge of regulatory frameworks. The project activities should aim to facilitate connections between local startups and foreign investors through initiatives like market orientation programs, investor roadshows, and repositories of best practices.

The application process is a single-stage call, with a submission deadline of January 20, 2026. There is no co-funding requirement, and the funding is structured as lump-sum payments without requiring an equity stake from grant recipients. Success rates are not explicitly detailed but are estimated to range from 10-39%, based on the expected competitiveness of the grant applications.

In summary, this grant initiative seeks to bridge innovation gaps across Europe by fostering collaboration and investment in less developed regions while supporting local startups and addressing significant societal challenges through targeted innovative programs.

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals under the Interconnected Innovation Ecosystems (2026.1) initiative, specifically targeting the expansion of investment ecosystems. The call, identified as HORIZON-EIE-2026-01-CONNECT-02, aims to address the lack of later-stage funding and partners that hinders the growth of startups, particularly those in less developed innovation ecosystems. The call seeks to facilitate the entry of foreign funders into these ecosystems, fostering connections between 'emerging' or 'moderate' innovator regions and 'strong' or 'innovation leader' regions.

The expected outcomes of successful projects include increased foreign venture investments, greater awareness and access to local deals for foreign investors, improved knowledge of regulatory frameworks, and increased venture capital availability in less connected ecosystems.

The scope of the call involves supporting co-designed programs of activities, lasting at least two years, proposed by business acceleration service providers, investor networks, and innovation hubs. These programs should facilitate the entry of foreign funders into less developed innovation ecosystems through activities such as: market orientation programs for foreign investors and local startups, assistance to foreign investors, roadshows, business forums, cooperation with public and private buyers, peer-matching of investors, and repositories of best practices and recommendations for local authorities.

All activities must target one or more of the five burning challenges of the New European Innovation Agenda: reducing reliance on fossil fuels, increasing global food security, mastering the digital transformation (including cybersecurity), improving healthcare, and achieving circularity.

The call encourages collaboration with innovation agencies, government organizations, and initiatives like the Enterprise Europe Network.

The call falls under the CONNECT - Interconnected Innovation Ecosystems (2025) destination, which aims to foster enabling innovation ecosystems across the EU through a systemic, inclusive, and collaborative approach. This includes strengthening innovation ecosystems, ensuring the inclusion of key innovation players, mobilizing policies and funding instruments, improving public and private buyers' capacity, promoting interregional collaboration, and ensuring openness and cross-fertilization of the innovation ecosystem.

Eligible applicants must involve at least three independent legal entities from three different Member States or Associated Countries, with representation from both 'moderate' or 'emerging' innovator regions and 'strong' or 'innovation leader' innovator regions. The Regional Innovation Scoreboard and European Innovation Scoreboard are used as references for determining innovator status.

The budget for this specific topic (HORIZON-EIE-2026-01-CONNECT-02) is 5,000,000 EUR, and it is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) with a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date is 10 September 2025, and the deadline for submission is 20 January 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. Approximately 5 grants are expected to be awarded. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

The call provides access to various application forms, evaluation templates, guidance documents, and additional resources, including the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements, and information on financial support and clinical studies.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to boost innovation and investment in less developed regions by fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange between different innovation ecosystems within the EU and associated countries. It seeks to attract foreign investors, support local startups, and address key societal challenges through targeted programs and activities. The call is structured to promote inclusivity, diversity, and synergy with other EU initiatives, ultimately contributing to a more competitive, sustainable, and resilient European economy.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include business acceleration service providers, investor networks and clubs, and innovation hubs. Innovation hubs encompass a wide range of stakeholders, including entities from both the private and public sectors, as well as incubators and accelerators. The consortium must include at least three independent legal entities from different Member States or Associated Countries. One entity must be from a 'moderate' or 'emerging' innovator region, and another from a 'strong' or 'innovation leader' region.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. The actions are HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA).

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of multiple applicants is required. The consortium must consist of at least three independent legal entities from three different Member States or Associated Countries.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated Countries. The consortium must include entities from both 'moderate' or 'emerging' innovator regions and 'strong' or 'innovation leader' regions.

Target Sector: The program targets several thematic sectors, including innovation ecosystems, deep tech, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, increasing global food security, mastering the digital transformation (including cybersecurity), improving healthcare, and achieving circularity.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions EU Member States, Associated Countries, Western Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on scaling up businesses, particularly startups, and expanding their access to foreign markets. It supports later-stage growth and venture investments.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic:
HORIZON-EIE-2026-01-CONNECT-01: approximately €4,500,000
HORIZON-EIE-2026-01-CONNECT-02: approximately €1,000,000 (with 5 grants)
HORIZON-EIE-2026-01-CONNECT-03: approximately €5,000,000

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of lump sum contributions.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential competitiveness.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement. However, applicants are encouraged to seek synergies with other EU, national, and regional innovation programs, as well as public and private funds, which may imply a need for leveraging additional resources.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, part of the Interconnected Innovation Ecosystems initiative, aims to strengthen innovation ecosystems across the EU and Associated Countries by fostering connections between different regions and innovation actors. The call seeks to address the lack of later-stage funding and partners for startups, particularly those in less developed innovation ecosystems. It supports co-designed programs of activities proposed by business acceleration service providers, investor networks, and innovation hubs. These programs should facilitate the entry of foreign funders into less developed innovation ecosystems and target the five burning challenges of the New European Innovation Agenda: reducing reliance on fossil fuels, increasing global food security, mastering digital transformation, improving healthcare, and achieving circularity. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, and consortia must include at least three independent legal entities from different Member States or Associated Countries, representing both 'moderate'/'emerging' and 'strong'/'innovation leader' regions. The call encourages synergies with other funding sources and initiatives to maximize impact and promote the scalability of businesses, including those in the deep tech sector. The submission deadline is January 20, 2026.