IH MIE - Open Call

The IH-MIE Open Call is a cascade funding opportunity for SME-led hydrogen mobility projects that demonstrate a credible pathway from TRL 6 to TRL 9 within a 12-month implementation period. The call has a total budget of €1.8 million, offers up to €60,000 per SME (maximum €180,000 for teams of three SMEs) as 100 percent lump-sum grants and is expected to support up to 30 projects. Eligible applicants are single SMEs or teams of up to three SMEs legally established in an EU Member State or an EEA country, with at least €800,000 reserved for SMEs in Less Developed Regions. Applications must be submitted in English via the IH-MIE submission portal (ihmie.submit.com) in a single-stage procedure by 25 September 2026 at 17:00 CEST, and selected SMEs will receive non-financial support such as mentoring, technical assistance and business training.

What it funds

Scope

Cascade lump-sum grants for SME-led projects tackling one or more hydrogen mobility challenges (fuel cell cost and durability, refuelling infrastructure, supply chain and logistics, integration with other mobility solutions, on-board hydrogen storage, hydrogen distribution). Projects must demonstrate a clear pathway from TRL 6 towards TRL 9 within the 12-month implementation window.

Funding available:Total call budget €1.8 million; up to 30 SMEs supported; maximum €60,000 funding per SME. At least €800,000 reserved for SMEs established in Less Developed Regions ¹.

1. 1Eligible applicants: single SMEs or teams of up to three SMEs established in EU Member States or EEA countries (other organisations allowed only as non-funded associated partners).
2. 2Project duration: 12 months, implementation period 01/01/2027 to 31/12/2027.
3. 3Funding form: lump-sum sub-grants paid in instalments linked to milestones (pre-financing 40%, interim 25%, final 35%).
4. 4TRL requirement: start at TRL 6 and progress towards up to TRL 9 during the project.
5. 5Application route: submit in English via the IH-MIE submission portal (ihmie.submit.com) by 25 September 2026, 17:00 UTC.

Selection:eligibility check, remote evaluation by two independent experts (excellence, implementation, impact), then Jury Day for top-ranked proposals; up to 30 projects selected. Use of the IH-MIE matchmaking hub is optional but provides an evaluation bonus for published collaborative ideas.

Non-financial support:Selected SMEs receive tailored technical coaching, business mentoring, training, regulatory guidance, investment-readiness services and matchmaking within the European hydrogen mobility ecosystem.

Footnotes

1. 1Guide for Applicants and full call details are published by IH-MIE; downloadable materials and helpdesk information are available via the project pages and the submission portal IH-MIE Guide for Applicants.

Key facts

Call title:IH MIE - Open Call. Identifier: I3-2024-INV1. Programme: Interregional Innovation Investments Strand 1 (IH-MIE). Grant Agreement / Project: Developing an Interregional Hydrogen Mobility Initiative for Europe (Project Id 101228317). Total budget for this Open Call: €1,800,000. Expected number of funded SME-led projects: up to 30. Maximum funding per SME: up to €60,000. Call opens: 03 July 2026. Call deadline (submission): 25 September 2026 at 17:00 UTC. Project duration: 12 months (eligible period 01/01/2027 – 31/12/2027). Implementation TRL target: projects must start at TRL 6 and demonstrate clear progression up to TRL 9 during the 12-month project.

Purpose and scope

The IH-MIE Open Call seeks SME-led innovation projects addressing one or more of six strategic hydrogen mobility challenges: fuel cell cost and durability, refuelling infrastructure, supply chain and logistics, integration with other mobility solutions, on-board hydrogen storage, and hydrogen distribution. The call is technology neutral but requires applicants to demonstrate TRL 6 maturity at application time and a credible pathway to reach higher TRLs up to TRL 9 by project end. The initiative combines lump-sum financial support with tailored non-financial services (technical coaching, business mentoring, training, investment-readiness services, regulatory guidance, and matchmaking).

Funding range per beneficiary:Single SME: up to €60,000. Team of SMEs: up to €60,000 per participating SME (maximum three SMEs per team; maximum project total €180,000). Funding modality: lump-sum sub-grant payments linked to deliverables/milestones. Payments schedule: Pre-financing 40% upon signature, Interim 25% after successful interim review (June 2027), Final 35% after final report (submission by 15/11/2027) and approval. ¹

Eligibility and Applicant Requirements

Eligible applicants:Only Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) as defined in Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC. Applicants must be established in an EU Member State or an EEA country. Teams: allowed up to three SMEs; proposals may be single-SME or SME team. Associated partners (universities, RTOs, public bodies, large companies) may participate as non-funded associated partners but cannot receive IH-MIE financial support. Each SME may submit only one proposal (if multiple submissions occur only the last will be considered). Projects must start at TRL 6 at application and present a credible progression to higher TRLs during the 12-month implementation period.

Geographic eligibility and prioritisation:Open to SMEs established in EU Member States and EEA countries. At least €800,000 of the Open Call budget must be allocated to SMEs established in Less Developed Regions (LDRs). Proposals involving SMEs from LDRs receive additional prioritisation and scoring incentives.

Evaluation, Selection and Timeline

Submission must be made in English via the IH-MIE submission portal (ihmie.submit.com) by the deadline. Admissible proposals pass an eligibility and admissibility check. Eligible proposals are remote-evaluated by two independent external experts against the evaluation framework: Excellence (innovation, technical soundness, TRL and development pathway, programme alignment), Implementation quality (work plan, milestone logic, risk management, team capacity, gender balance, female-led SME), and Impact (economic/environmental/market impact, territorial/social/inclusiveness impact, budget coherence). Projects scoring above 60/100 are invited to a Jury Day (pitch + Q&A). Final selection is made by the Open Call Management Team using a voting procedure to create a provisional list of up to 30 funded SMEs. Provisional ranking publication: 04/11/2026. Notification to selected applicants and invitation to sign Sub-Grant Agreements: 19/11/2026. SGA signature must be completed by 18/12/2026.

1. 1Stage 1: Eligibility and admissibility check by OC Management Team.
2. 2Stage 2: Remote external evaluation by two independent experts (scoring dimensions as described).
3. 3Stage 3: Jury Day invitation for projects >60/100 (top-ranked up to 30 + tie-window). Final selection and provisional list published.

Funding mechanisms, eligible costs and obligations

Primary funding mechanism:cascade lump-sum sub-grants (Financial Support to Third Parties). Funding rate: 100% of the approved lump-sum amount. Eligible cost categories for budget estimation (applicants must justify sums though no actual cost reporting is required under lump sum): Personnel costs; Subcontracting (limited to max 30% of total project budget); Direct purchase costs (travel & subsistence, equipment on depreciation basis for project duration, other goods/works/services); Indirect costs: flat rate 7% of eligible direct costs (A-C). Subcontracting must be justified and core activities should remain with the SME(s). Projects cannot receive other EU funding for the same activities.

Payment and deliverable rules:Payments are milestone/deliverable-linked. Payment #1 pre-financing 40% within 45 days of SGA signature; Payment #2 interim 25% after successful interim review (June 2027) and approval of interim report; Final payment 35% after final report (submitted by 15/11/2027) and approval. Mandatory mid-term milestone at month 6 with associated deliverable and payment trigger. Deliverables and evidence must be uploaded to SUBMIT platform and are subject to mentor validation and formal interim/final reviews.

Non-financial support and services provided

Selected SMEs will receive tailored non-financial support alongside the lump-sum funding, including: one-to-one technical coaching from RTOs and partners (test planning, HIL simulation, lab access, engineering integration), business mentoring (go-to-market, investor pitches, business model refinement), training modules (pre-industrialisation, validation & certification, regulation, funding navigation), investment assessment and funding strategy (Investment Memo, investor one-pager, Investor Day), regulatory alignment support, and matchmaking via the IH-MIE digital hub (b2match). Attendance at a major hydrogen event (e.g., European Hydrogen Week expected Q4 2027) is recommended/expected for investment and visibility activities.

Evaluation incentives and scoring bonuses

Scoring incentives include bonus points for SMEs established in LDRs, female-led SMEs, gender-balanced teams, and applicants who publish a collaborative project idea on the IH-MIE matchmaking platform during proposal preparation. Projects with published cooperative ideas on the IH-MIE digital hub receive a specific bonus (verification via B2Match marketplace URL). Territorial and inclusiveness impact scoring is applied automatically when thresholds (e.g., single SME established in LDR or team with >=50% SMEs in LDRs) are met.

Application form structure and templates

Submission is via the SUBMIT portal (ihmie.submit.com). The application package must be in English and contains structured sections. Annex 2 of the Guide for Applicants specifies mandatory submission sections and required content. Applicants must upload a Summary PDF that will be used if invited to the Jury Day. The application form covers administrative details, project type (single SME or SMEs Team), project staff and C-level details, challenge selection, project summary, innovation and state-of-the-art, TRL and development pathway, programme alignment, work plan with milestone logic (including mandatory mid-term deliverable at month 6), risk management, budget estimation (lump sum categories), expected economic/environmental/market impact, desired training and coaching areas, and optional supporting information.

1. 1Essential attachments: Summary PDF (structured), Declaration of Honour, SME Declaration, registration certificate, VAT, financial capacity self-assessment, holder bank account certification (these are required at contracting stage).
2. 2Submission language: English only.
3. 3Single-entry portal: ihmie.submit.com; submissions by other means are not accepted.

Monitoring, reporting and audit

Monitoring is managed through the SUBMIT platform. Each project is assigned a dedicated mentor responsible for progress oversight, TRL progression verification, and monitoring reports. Mandatory reporting and evidence submissions include an Interim Progress Report (D1, June 2027) and Final Report (D2). Deliverables, KPI evidence, technical documentation and other proof must be stored in SUBMIT. Timesheets are not required. Beneficiaries must retain documentation for at least five years after final payment and make it available for audits. Non-compliance or failure to meet milestones may lead to payment reduction, suspension or termination of the Sub-Grant Agreement.

Eligibility summary mapped to requested categorisation questions

Below are explicit structured answers to the categorisation questions derived from the call details.

Eligible Applicant Types:Primary eligible applicant types: SME, small company, medium enterprise. Allowed participants as associated partners (non-funded): universities, research institutes, public administrations, large enterprises, non-profits or NGOs (only as associated partners; they cannot receive funding). Individuals are not eligible. Consortium type permitted: single SME or a team of up to three SMEs. Investor entities may participate in coaching/matchmaking activities but not as funded beneficiaries.

Funding Type:Primary financial mechanism: grant delivered as cascade lump-sum sub-grants (Financial Support to Third Parties). Non-financial support (services) is also provided (technical coaching, business mentoring, training, regulatory guidance, matchmaking).

Consortium Requirement:Either single SME or a consortium formed by up to three SMEs (team). No minimum consortium size is mandated beyond one SME. Associated partners may be included but cannot be funded.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Geographic eligibility: SMEs established in EU Member States and EEA countries. Additional prioritisation for SMEs from Less Developed Regions (LDRs) as defined by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1130. The programme aims for interregional balance and will allocate at least €800,000 to SMEs from LDRs.

Target Sector:Primary thematic sector: hydrogen mobility and transport decarbonisation. Relevant technical/industry sectors: energy (hydrogen production and distribution), transport (heavy-duty, maritime, rail, automotive), cleantech, hydrogen fuel cell systems (components and systems), storage technologies (on-board and infrastructure), logistics and supply chain, integration with EV and other mobility solutions, testing, certification and regulatory compliance, hydrogen refuelling station design and operations, digital platforms for interoperability and operation.

Mentioned Countries:The call text explicitly references EU Member States and EEA countries as eligible locations. Annex 1 lists Less Developed Regions across many EU Member States; countries referenced in the Annex include (non-exhaustive list drawn from the Guide): Belgium, France, Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia (via country codes/regions where applicable). The consortium coordinator CTAG (Spain) is identified as lead. The Guide references Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1130 for LDR lists which include many additional Member States and regions. For application eligibility, applicants must be established in any EU Member State or EEA country.

Project Stage:Expected maturity: demonstration / validation progressing from TRL 6 (system demonstrated in relevant environment) to TRL 9 (pre-commercial/operational maturity) within the 12-month project. Projects must already be at TRL 6 at submission.

Funding Amount:Overall Open Call budget: €1,800,000. Per-beneficiary ceiling: up to €60,000 per SME. Up to 30 SMEs to be funded. Minimum allocation to LDR SMEs: at least €800,000. Maximum single-team budget: €180,000 (three SMEs at €60,000 each).

Application Type:Open competitive call with single-stage submission through an online open call (open call). Submission portal: ihmie.submit.com. Use of the IH-MIE matchmaking hub (b2match) is optional but provides scoring incentives if applicants publish collaborative ideas there during preparation.

Nature of Support:Beneficiaries receive both monetary support (lump-sum grants) and substantial non-monetary services (tailored technical coaching, business mentoring, training modules, regulatory guidance, investment-readiness services and matchmaking).

Application Stages:Three main selection stages: 1) Eligibility and admissibility check; 2) External remote evaluation by two independent experts; 3) Jury Day presentation and consensus selection by the OC Management Team leading to final ranking and award. Additional administrative contracting stage follows selection.

Success Rates:Top-level estimate: up to 30 SMEs funded from the full application pool. Exact success rate depends on total number of valid submissions; the Guide does not specify historical application numbers. Applicants should assume competitive selection with likely single-digit to low double-digit percent success rates if demand is strong.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding required. Funding rate is 100% of the approved lump-sum amount. Applicants must ensure activities are not funded by other EU sources and must justify budgets for lump-sum amounts. Subcontracting limited to 30% of total project budget.

Templates and Application Form Outline

Annex 2 of the Guide for Applicants provides the required submission sections and expected structure. Below is a reproduction/outline of the application sections to help applicants prepare.

1. 1Project type selection: Single SME or SMEs Team (up to 3 SMEs).
2. 2Administrative data: legal name, contact person email, website, phone number, registration/VAT details (registration certification to be provided at contracting), bank account holder certification (at contracting).
3. 3Project team composition: project staff, C-level management, roles and responsibilities.
4. 4Selected IH-MIE Challenge(s): choose at least one among the six challenges (Fuel cell cost and durability; Refuelling Infrastructure; Supply Chain and Logistics; Integration with other mobility solutions; On-board hydrogen storage; Hydrogen distribution).
5. 5Project summary: concise overview for pitch and summary PDF (used in Jury Day).
6. 6Innovation, State-of-the-art & Technical Soundness: detailed description of innovation, evidence of TRL 6 baseline, differentiation from existing solutions.
7. 7TRL and Development Pathway: clear stepwise plan from TRL 6 to higher TRLs, validation and demonstration activities, test plans.
8. 8Programme alignment & Relevance: explicit statement of contribution to IH-MIE priorities and, if applicable, the seven Use Cases.
9. 9Work Plan & Milestone Logic: tasks, schedule, deliverables, mandatory mid-term milestone at month 6 tied to payment trigger, measurability and verification means for deliverables.
10. 10Risk Management: identified technical, operational and commercial risks, mitigation strategies and contingency plans.
11. 11Expected Economic, Environmental and Market Impact: market potential, business model, environmental benefits and KPIs.
12. 12Budget Estimation (lump-sum justification): breakdown by personnel, subcontracting (max 30%), travel, equipment (depreciation basis), other direct costs, indirect costs (7% flat rate).
13. 13Desired training and coaching: selection of training modules and support areas (Design for Manufacturing, Prototyping, Supply-chain readiness, Safety standards, Validation & Certification, Go-to-market, IP management, EU funding navigation, etc.).
14. 14Summary PDF upload: structured single PDF used for Jury Day presentations (5-minute pitch).
15. 15Optional supporting information: additional evidence, videos, datasets, links to published idea on IH-MIE digital hub (b2match) to claim collaboration bonus.

Obligations, IPR and Compliance

Beneficiaries retain ownership of their background IP and results. Jointly generated results require joint ownership agreements. The granting authority retains royalty-free access rights for non-commercial uses (monitoring, evaluation, dissemination). Projects must comply with EU and national legal and regulatory frameworks including hydrogen handling standards, transport of dangerous goods, occupational health & safety, environmental regulations, certifications (relevant ISO/EN/IEC standards) and GDPR for personal data. Documentation must be retained for at least five years after final payment and be audit-ready. Visibility obligations: beneficiaries must acknowledge IH-MIE and EU funding and adhere to visibility guidelines in the Sub-Grant Agreement.

Use of the IH-MIE digital hub (b2match) is strongly recommended:it supports matchmaking, publishing cooperative ideas (which yields evaluation bonuses), partner search, and event registration. The portal information and helpdesk contacts are provided in the Guide. The IH-MIE Helpdesk email: info@ihmie.eu.

How to apply and contact points

Submit the application in English via the single-entry online portal:ihmie.submit.com. Ensure the Summary PDF and all required sections from Annex 2 are complete. Use the IH-MIE digital hub for matchmaking: b2match.com. Questions and procedural complaints (procedural errors only) should be addressed to info@ihmie.eu. Questions will be accepted until two business days before the call deadline; answers may be published anonymised in a public Q&A.

Summary:The IH-MIE Open Call is a competitive, single-stage, lump-sum cascade funding opportunity targeted at European SMEs (and teams of up to three SMEs) developing hydrogen mobility solutions at demonstration maturity (TRL 6) that can progress to TRL 9 within a 12-month programme. It combines up to €60,000 per SME with tailored coaching, technical and business support, training and investor-readiness activities. The call prioritises territorial cohesion by allocating a significant portion of funds to Less Developed Regions, encourages gender balance and female-led SMEs, and incentivises early collaboration via a matchmaking hub. Applicants must apply through the SUBMIT portal in English, comply with the eligibility rules, and prepare a detailed, milestone-driven project plan with verifiable deliverables to trigger lump-sum payments.

Footnotes

1. 1Guide for Applicants and the full Open Call details are available in the official IH-MIE Guide for Applicants (VDEF) and via the EU Funding & Tenders portal. See the call page and full guide: IH-MIE Guide for Applicants and the portal listing IH-MIE Open Call.

The IH-MIE Open Call is a cascade funding opportunity for SME-led hydrogen mobility innovation projects that aim to move solutions from TRL 6 to TRL 9 and strengthen Europe’s hydrogen mobility value chain.[1][5][6][10][14] The call is technology neutral and bottom up, and it focuses on six strategic challenge areas across the hydrogen mobility ecosystem.[1][10][14]

Funding details

Grant form:The support is provided as lump-sum sub-grants at a 100 percent funding rate.[1][3][6][9]

Project size:Single-SME projects can receive up to €60,000, and team projects of up to three SMEs can receive up to €60,000 per SME.[1][2][5][6][9]

Total project ceiling:A three-SME team can reach a maximum total grant of €180,000.[1][2][5][6][9]

Who can apply

The call is open only to small and medium-sized enterprises under EU Recommendation 2003/361/EC, and the SME must be legally established in an EU Member State or an EEA country.[3][4][5] Available sources also indicate that applicants may apply alone or as a team of up to three SMEs, with one SME acting as the project leader in team applications.[1][5][9]

• A single SME may apply on its own.[5][10]
• A team of up to three SMEs may apply together.[1][5][9][10]
• The submitting SME acts as project leader in consortium applications.[1][5][9]
• Each applicant may submit only one proposal.[5]

What the projects must address

Applicants must address at least one of the six hydrogen mobility challenges and show a credible development pathway from TRL 6 to TRL 9 by the end of the project.[1][5][6][10][14] The six challenge areas are the following.[1][10][14]

• Fuel cell cost and durability.[1][10][14]
• Refuelling infrastructure.[1][10][14]
• Supply chain and logistics.[1][10][14]
• Integration with other mobility solutions.[1][10][14]
• On-board hydrogen storage.[1][10][14]
• Hydrogen distribution.[1][10][14]

How to apply

Applications are submitted online in English through the dedicated IH-MIE submission platform, and late or incomplete submissions are inadmissible.[1][5][7] The call is described as single-stage in secondary guidance material.[9]

The application window is reported to open on 3 July 2026 and close on 25 September 2026 at 17:00 CEST in the project-facing materials.[2][5][6][7][8] One secondary source gives 29 September 2026, but that date conflicts with the rest of the available materials and should be treated with caution.[14]

What selected SMEs can expect

Beyond funding, selected SMEs are reported to receive mentoring, technical assistance, training, and business support to help with validation, integration, scaling, and market preparation.[5][6][7][10][17] Several sources also highlight access to the wider hydrogen innovation ecosystem and matchmaking activities.[5][6][7]