OPEN: Brazil

The OPEN: Brazil 2025 program is an initiative designed to support European Startup Programme Managers and their portfolio startups in expanding into the Brazilian market, which is recognized as the largest innovation hub in Latin America. This grant opportunity is part of the EIT Cross-KIC Strategic Outreach and focuses on providing both financial support and various non-monetary services aimed at facilitating market entry.

Eligible applicants include European Startup Programme Managers who must nominate 1 to 3 startups from their portfolios. These startups should be at a maturity level from late seed to post-Series A, having already secured at least one round of funding and developed a prototype product. The program emphasizes engagement with Brazilian venture capitalists, corporations, innovation hubs, and public institutions.

The total funding available for this program is €34,000, which is intended to cover costs associated with participation, including a LATAM Market Readiness Bootcamp and a 5-day Immersion Lab in São Paulo. The Immersion Lab enables startups to engage directly with the local ecosystem through matchmaking, networking, and site visits.

The application process is an open call with a single-stage submission due by July 28, 2025. The evaluation criteria focus on both the Startup Programme Manager’s impact on the European innovation ecosystem and the quality, maturity, and differentiation of the recommended startups. Additional points can be awarded for involving underrepresented groups.

Overall, the OPEN: Brazil 2025 program aims to empower European startups to achieve strategic internationalization and sustainable growth within the Brazilian market, leveraging both financial resources and valuable local connections.

The OPEN: Brazil 2025 program is a hybrid initiative designed to assist European Startup Programme Managers and their portfolio startups in exploring and expanding into the Brazilian market, which is the largest innovation market in Latin America. The program includes a 5-day Immersion Lab in São Paulo, Brazil, to facilitate engagement with Brazilian VCs, corporations, innovation hubs, and public institutions through matchmaking, site visits, and roundtable discussions. The in-market experience is complemented by a LATAM Market Readiness Bootcamp for strategic preparation and tailored follow-up activities to foster long-term partnerships.

The opening date for submissions is May 25, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is July 28, 2025, at 23:59 (Brussels time). The expected duration of participation is 2.5 months. The total funding available is 34,000.00 €. The project acronym is XKIC SO, and the full name of the EU funded project is Cross-KIC Global Outreach. The grant agreement number is 101113201. The topic is HORIZON-EIT-2023-25-Cross-KIC-Strategic-Outreach - EIT Cross-KIC Strategic Outreach.

The evaluation process involves reviewing and ranking applications based on specific criteria for both Startup Programme Managers and Startups participating in the Immersion Lab.

For Startup Programme Managers, the criteria are:

Impact of the organization and program on the European Innovation ecosystem (number of startups met weekly) – 30% of the score.
Excellence of the Startup Programme Manager and the startups being recommended: Professional role and seniority level – 30% of the score.
Maturity level of the suggested 1-3 startups from the participant’s portfolio – 20% of the score. The startups should range from late seed to post-Series A, having secured at least one round of funding, developed at least a prototype product, and demonstrated readiness to scale in the Brazilian market.
Quality and efficiency of implementation (including motivation and added value to the program) – 20% of the score.
An additional 5 points can be awarded for underrepresented groups.

For Startups participating in the Immersion Lab, the assessment process considers:

Excellence, differentiation of the technology, and product maturity (30 points).
Market and Impact (30 points).
Quality and efficiency of the implementation (20 points).
Motivation and Bootcamp fit (20 points).
An additional 5 points can be awarded for underrepresented groups.

All information about the startups will be gathered by the Startup Programme Managers and included in their application to the program.

Further information can be found at https://go-eit.eu/open-brazil/.

In summary, OPEN: Brazil 2025 is a program designed to help European startups expand into the Brazilian market. It offers a combination of preparatory activities, including a LATAM Market Readiness Bootcamp, and an immersive experience in São Paulo, where startups can network with key players in the Brazilian innovation ecosystem. The program is targeted at Startup Programme Managers who can nominate startups from their portfolio to participate. The selection process considers the impact of the Startup Programme Manager's organization, the maturity and potential of the startups, and the overall quality and efficiency of the proposed implementation. The program aims to be a launchpad for strategic internationalization and sustainable growth for European startups in Latin America.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are primarily European Startup Programme Managers and their portfolio startups. The Startup Programme Managers must be based in Europe. The startups they recommend should be at a maturity level ranging from late seed to post-Series A.

Funding Type: The funding type appears to be a grant, as indicated by "GrantCascade funding" and "Total funding available."

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a Startup Programme Manager to apply with a portfolio of 1-3 startups. Therefore, it can be considered a consortium, although the application is submitted by the Startup Programme Manager.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility is for European entities, specifically European Startup Programme Managers. The program focuses on expanding into the Brazilian market, but the applicants must be European.

Target Sector: The target sectors are broad, encompassing innovation, startups, and international expansion. The program does not specify particular industries, but rather focuses on supporting startups ready to scale in the Brazilian market, implying a technology or innovation focus.

Mentioned Countries: Brazil, European countries (generally, as the program targets European Startup Programme Managers).

Project Stage: The startups participating in the Immersion Lab should have a maturity level ranging from late seed to post-Series A. This indicates a project stage of development, validation, and early commercialization. Startups should have secured at least one round of funding and developed at least a prototype product.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is €34,000. This amount is likely intended to cover the costs associated with participation in the program, such as travel and accommodation for the Immersion Lab in São Paulo.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by "Open For Submission." The deadline model is single-stage.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive both money and non-monetary services. The €34,000 funding is money. The non-monetary services include the LATAM Market Readiness Bootcamp, tailored follow-up activities, and the 5-day Immersion Lab in São Paulo, which provides access to networking, matchmaking, and site visits.

Application Stages: The application process appears to be single-stage, as indicated by "Deadline model single-stage."

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

The OPEN: Brazil 2025 program is a European initiative designed to help European startups expand into the Brazilian market. The program is targeted at European Startup Programme Managers who can nominate 1-3 startups from their portfolio to participate. The selected startups should be at a late seed to post-Series A stage, with at least one round of funding secured and a prototype product developed. The program includes a LATAM Market Readiness Bootcamp, a 5-day Immersion Lab in São Paulo, and tailored follow-up activities. The Immersion Lab facilitates engagement with Brazilian VCs, corporates, innovation hubs, and public institutions through matchmaking, site visits, and roundtable discussions. The total funding available is €34,000, which is likely intended to support participation costs. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of July 28, 2025. The program aims to provide both financial support and non-monetary services to help startups achieve strategic internationalization and sustainable growth in the Brazilian market. The assessment criteria for Startup Programme Managers include the impact of their organization on the European innovation ecosystem, the excellence and maturity of the startups they recommend, and the quality and efficiency of implementation. For startups, the assessment criteria include excellence, differentiation of the technology, product maturity, market and impact, quality and efficiency of implementation, and motivation and Bootcamp fit. Additional points are awarded for underrepresented groups. The program is funded under the HORIZON-EIT-2023-25-Cross-KIC-Strategic-Outreach topic.