Open Call 4bis for the selection of EEN organisations delivering Investment Readiness Services (IRS) and Follow-up Support – EEN2EIC

Open Call 4bis (EEN2EIC, Horizon Europe GA No.101075818) provides cascade funding to select Enterprise Europe Network organisations to deliver Investment Readiness Services and follow-up support to SMEs. Only additional EEN partner organisations not previously selected under Call 4 are eligible to apply. Each selected organisation receives an €8,000 voucher per activity package and the call forms part of an FSTP budget with €3,671,480 allocated to this call and an award cap of €60,000 per third party across the project. Applications are submitted via the online form on a rolling basis until budget exhaustion or 30 June 2027 and inquiries can be directed to een2eic@apre.it.

What it funds

Scope summary

Grants to Enterprise Europe Network organisations to deliver Investment Readiness Services (IRS) and follow-up support for SMEs, including information sessions, coaching on access to finance, fundraising readiness and scale-up support.

Who can apply:Only additional EEN organisations as defined in the call documentation may submit applications via the online form. Applications are evaluated by the EEN2EIC Evaluation Committee.

1. 1Applications submitted via the specified online form (Microsoft Forms link provided by the project)
2. 2Call open on a rolling basis until 30 June 2027 17:00 CET or until budget is exhausted

Applications must be submitted only by eligible EEN organisations via the call application form. The call operates on a rolling basis; eligible proposals will be assessed until the available budget is allocated.

Further details, guidance and the application form are available from the project website EEN2EIC official website and by contacting the consortium at een2eic@apre.it ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Call page and application form: ec.europa.eu. Project site: een2eic.eu

Administrative and programme facts

Call reference and programme:Identifier HORIZON-EIC. Project acronym: EEN2EIC. Project name: Support to EIC Accelerator by the Enterprise Europe Network. Framework programme: Horizon Europe (2021-2027) programme period. Total budget allocated to this Open Call series (as displayed): €3,671,480. Application deadline and modality: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until 30 June 2027, 17:00 CET (Brussels time), or until the available budget has been fully allocated. Deadline model: single-stage. Opportunity type on the portal: Multi-Topic Call.

Primary objective:Select additional Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) organisations to deliver Investment Readiness Services (IRS) and follow-up support to SMEs to increase their ability to access finance, fundraising and scale-up opportunities and to feed suitable candidates to the EIC Accelerator support pipeline.

Who can apply and applicant eligibility

Eligible applicants:Additional Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) organisations only. The call text explicitly states that applications must be submitted only by additional EEN organisations (see Section 4.2 of the call documentation). The call targets organisations already part of, or formally associated with, the Enterprise Europe Network structure. This excludes applicants that are not EEN organisations. The portal entry requires applicants to use the dedicated online application form. Applications will be evaluated by the EEN2EIC Evaluation Committee, composed of representatives of the EEN2EIC consortium.

Eligible applicant types (detailed):Primary: national/regional public or private organisations that are members of the Enterprise Europe Network. Typical legal forms within EEN: SMEs intermediary organisations, chambers of commerce, regional development agencies, innovation support organisations, research and technology organisations acting as EEN partners. The call does not accept applications from individual natural persons, unaffiliated companies or organisations that are not part of EEN.

Funding modality and amount

Funding type:the call is presented on the Funding & Tenders Portal under Calls for proposals and is implemented by the EEN2EIC consortium to select EEN organisations to deliver services. The mechanism is grant-based selection of EEN partner organisations to be financed under the project budget to deliver Investment Readiness Services and follow-up support. The call may operate through sub-grants or service agreements within the EEN2EIC project framework (financial contributions awarded to selected EEN organisations to deliver contracted tasks).

Total budget and financial scale:The call listing shows a budget figure of €3,671,480 for the EEN2EIC activity area. The available budget for this specific Open Call 4bis is part of that allocation. The portal does not publish a per-beneficiary ceiling or indicative funding per award in the scraped content; applicants should assume individual award sizes and exact funding conditions will be clarified in call guidance and contract documents.

Call mechanics and application process

Application channel and form:Applications must be submitted via the online Microsoft Forms application form provided for EEN2EIC call 4bis. The form collects information about the applicant organisation and its capacity to deliver Investment Readiness Services, information sessions and follow-up support. The call operates on a rolling basis: eligible applications may be submitted at any time until the deadline or until budget exhaustion. Applications received will be evaluated by the EEN2EIC Evaluation Committee.

Application deadline and timing:Final cut-off: 30 June 2027 at 17:00 CET. Because the call is rolling, applicants are encouraged to apply early since funding will be allocated until the budget is fully used.

Consortium and partnership requirements

Consortium requirement:single EEN organisation applicant. The call text states applications must be submitted by additional EEN organisations; it does not require a consortium of multiple applicants. The selected organisation will be contracted or granted to deliver IRS and follow-up services within its national/regional remit and in coordination with the EEN2EIC consortium.

Geographic eligibility and beneficiary scope

Beneficiary scope:Enterprise Europe Network organisations. While the scraped text does not list country-by-country eligibility, EEN membership typically covers EU Member States and Horizon associate countries. Applicants must be EEN organisations as defined in the call documentation (see Section 4.2). For confirmation on country eligibility applicants should consult the call guidance or contact the call helpdesk.

Target sectors and activities supported

Primary sectoral focus:access to finance, investment readiness, fundraising, scale-up support and innovation/commercialisation support for SMEs. Activities expected from selected organisations: deliver Investment Readiness Services (IRS) to SMEs, host and deliver information sessions about EIC/EIC Accelerator, provide follow-up mentoring and support to help SMEs progress towards investment or EIC Accelerator readiness, identify and refer promising candidates to the EIC Accelerator pipeline.

Project maturity and expected deliverables

Project stage expected from applicants:operational/delivery stage. Organisations must be ready to implement service delivery (information sessions, workshops, coaching/mentoring, follow-up and referrals). The call is not aimed at early-stage idea research. Instead it targets delivery-ready EEN partners with demonstrated capacity to provide IRS and post-session follow-up to SMEs.

Application content, templates and evaluation

Application form structure:The Microsoft Forms application requests descriptive inputs about the applying EEN organisation. Based on the scraped form content the submission requires at least the following information: organisation identity (name, contact person, affiliation to EEN), description of the organisation's expertise in SME support specifically in investment readiness, access to finance, fundraising and scale-up services, description of the organisation's capacity and experience to deliver information sessions and follow-up support, any past results or KPIs related to investment readiness activities, and likely practical details on staffing, planned outreach and target SME profiles. Applicants should not include sensitive personal data beyond what is requested. A dedicated application form link is provided by the project. ¹

Suggested application outline (based on form fields):1. Organisation identification and EEN membership statement. 2. Summary of relevant experience in investment readiness and access to finance. 3. Description of proposed activities: information sessions, mentoring, follow-up support and referral mechanisms. 4. Capacity statement: staff, expertise, planned resources and geographic reach. 5. Expected outputs and KPIs (e.g. number of SMEs supported, investor introductions, follow-ups). 6. Any previous collaboration with EIC Accelerator pipeline or similar initiatives.

Evaluation process and selection

Evaluation body:EEN2EIC Evaluation Committee composed of representatives of the EEN2EIC consortium. Eligible applications will be evaluated upon submission. Because the call runs on a rolling basis, applications are evaluated in the order they are received until the budget is allocated. The portal content does not provide the exact scoring criteria or weightings in the scraped extract; applicants should consult the call documentation on the official website or contact the call helpdesk for the evaluation grid and scoring methodology.

Nature of support and contractual relationship

Nature of support:selected organisations will be appointed to deliver services under the EEN2EIC project and will receive financial contribution to cover the delivery of the agreed services (i.e., monetary funding). They will also provide non-monetary services to SMEs (information sessions, mentoring). The exact contractual modality (sub-grant agreement, service contract, or other) and payment conditions will be defined in the award documentation and contract.

Co-funding and financial obligations

Co-funding requirement:not explicitly stated in the scraped content. The portal entry does not indicate a mandatory co-funding share from applicants. Applicants should verify whether co-financing, in-kind contributions or absorption of certain costs by the applicant are required by consulting the call guidance and contract terms on the official project web pages or by contacting the project email.

Application stages and success rate

Application stages:single-stage submission (applicants submit one application form which is evaluated by the EEN2EIC Evaluation Committee). The call listing indicates the deadline model is single-stage. Success rates: not provided in the scraped content. Because the call is rolling until budget exhaustion, success depends on application quality relative to budget remaining at the time of evaluation. No historical acceptance rate is published in the supplied materials.

How to get more information and contact

Official project website:een2eic.eu. Contact email for queries: een2eic@apre.it. The Funding & Tenders Portal call pages and the dedicated application form contain the official call documentation and application link. Applicants should consult the official call documentation for Section 4.2 and other sections for full eligibility and contractual details.

1. 1Apply only if you are an Enterprise Europe Network organisation (see call Section 4.2).
2. 2Submit the online Microsoft Forms application; provide clear descriptions of experience in investment readiness, access to finance, fundraising and scale-up services.
3. 3Explain capacity to deliver information sessions and follow-up support with staff, processes and KPIs.
4. 4Submit early because the call runs on a rolling basis until 30 June 2027 or until budget exhaustion.
5. 5Consult the official call documentation on the project website and contact een2eic@apre.it for clarifications.

Mentioned countries and geographic references:The scraped content does not enumerate individual countries. The call is targeted at Enterprise Europe Network organisations, which operate across EU Member States and associated countries. Therefore geographic eligibility is aligned with EEN membership (EU and EEA/Horizon associate contexts). Applicants should consult Section 4.2 of the call documentation to confirm country eligibility.

Key uncertainties and recommended actions:The scraped content does not publish per-beneficiary funding amounts, scoring details, full eligibility rules or co-funding rules. Applicants must: 1) review the full call documentation (Section 4.2 and related sections) on the official project website or Funding & Tenders Portal; 2) use the listed Microsoft Forms application; 3) contact een2eic@apre.it for clarifications; and 4) apply early because the call is rolling until budget exhaustion.

Summary:This Open Call 4bis seeks to select Enterprise Europe Network partner organisations to deliver Investment Readiness Services and follow-up support to help SMEs access finance, prepare for fundraising and scale-up, and to channel suitable candidates to the EIC Accelerator support pipeline. The call is run by the EEN2EIC consortium under Horizon Europe. Eligible applicants are additional EEN organisations only. Submissions are made via an online Microsoft Forms application and the call operates on a rolling basis until 30 June 2027 or the exhaustion of budget. The portal entry lists a total budget of €3,671,480 for the relevant EEN2EIC activities, but the per-award amounts and detailed contractual conditions are not provided in the scraped content; applicants must consult the official call documentation and contact the project helpdesk for full details.

Footnotes

1. 1The application form referenced in the call materials is provided via Microsoft Forms: EEN2EIC call 4bis - Application form. Applicants should use the official link and follow guidance on that form. The form requests descriptions of organisational expertise in SME support related to investment readiness, access to finance, fundraising and scale-up services, and capacity to deliver information sessions and follow-up support.

Opportunity Overview

Open Call 4bis is a cascade funding opportunity under the EEN2EIC project (Horizon Europe GA No. 101075818) designed to select Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) organisations to deliver Investment Readiness Services (IRS) and follow-up support to innovative SMEs ¹. The call aims to strengthen the uptake of the harmonised IRS Toolkit across Europe and Associated Countries, specifically improving EEN members' capacity to guide SMEs toward the EIC Accelerator and other innovation instruments ².

Key Eligibility Criteria

Only additional EEN partner organisations that were not previously selected under Call 4 are eligible to submit applications for this specific call ³. Applicants must demonstrate proven expertise in SME support, particularly in investment readiness, access to finance, fundraising, and scale-up services ⁴. Organisations already validated under Call 4 cannot apply again for Call 4bis ⁵.

Funding Amount per Package:Each selected organisation receives an €8,000 voucher for one activity package, which includes one IRS information session and follow-up support using the EEN2EIC IRS Toolkit ⁶.

Maximum Award Cap:The total Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) cap remains €60,000 per third party across the entire EEN2EIC project duration ⁷.

Application Requirements & Process

Applications must be submitted via the dedicated online form, requiring a description of the organisation's expertise in investment readiness and its capacity to deliver information sessions and follow-up support ⁸. The call is implemented on a rolling basis, meaning applications are evaluated as they are received until the budget is fully allocated or the deadline is reached ⁹.

1. 1Submit application via the online form before 30 June 2027 at 17:00 CET (Brussels time)
2. 2Ensure the organisation is an additional EEN partner not selected under Call 4
3. 3Demonstrate experience in supporting SMEs with access to finance and investment readiness
4. 4Commit to delivering at least one IRS information session and follow-up support
5. 5Collect and report SME feedback to the EEN2EIC consortium

Deadlines & Budget Details

The total FSTP budget for the EEN2EIC project is €4,413,480, with €3,671,480 specifically allocated for this Open Call 4bis ¹⁰. Applications can be submitted at any time until the deadline or until the available budget is fully allocated ¹¹. For further information, applicants can visit the official project website at EEN2EIC Project Site or contact the coordination office directly ¹².

Footnotes

1. 1Official Call Description: Open Call 4bis
2. 2Project Purpose: EEN2EIC Overview
3. 3Eligibility Restriction: Development Aid Grant Listing
4. 4Expertise Requirements: EEN2EIC Call 4 Page
5. 5Call 4 vs 4bis Restriction: Development Aid Grant Listing
6. 6Package Value: EEN2EIC Call 4 Page
7. 7FSTP Cap: Call 4 PDF Document
8. 8Application Form Fields: Microsoft Forms Application
9. 9Rolling Basis Implementation: Call 4 PDF Document
10. 10Total Budget: Call 4 PDF Document
11. 11Submission Window: Call 4 PDF Document
12. 12Contact Information: EEN2EIC Call 4 Page