RESIST II PROCESS INNOVATION OPEN CALL

The RESIST II Process Innovation Open Call, co-funded by the European Commission's Single Market Programme (SMP COSME), provides competitive grants to support European SMEs in the Mobility, Transport and Automotive (MTA) ecosystem to develop or significantly improve manufacturing and industrial processes. Eligible applicants are SMEs (single or consortia of 2–3 SMEs from different NUTS2 regions) proposing 9-month projects focused on digitalisation, decarbonisation, resource efficiency, circularity and value-chain resilience. The call has an overall allocation of approximately €800,000, offers up to €20,000 for individual projects or up to €30,000 per SME in consortium projects, and finances up to 90% of eligible costs. Applications are submitted electronically via the RESIST II open calls portal with cut-offs including 13 July 2026 and an expected 13 July 2027 deadline.

What it funds

Scope and priorities

Grants for short (9 months) process innovation projects by SMEs in the Mobility, Transport and Automotive ecosystem to improve environmental and digital performance, resource efficiency, decarbonisation and resilience across value chains.

Priority areas:Net-zero manufacturing and industrial decarbonisation; circular critical raw materials and resource efficiency; digital mobility and smart industrial systems; resilient mobility value chains.

Who can apply

Eligibility highlights

Eligible applicants are SMEs established in EU Member States or COSME/Horizon-associated countries. Applications may be submitted by a single SME or by a consortium of 2–3 SMEs from different NUTS2 regions.

Budget and grant size

Financial details

Maximum support:up to €20,000 for individual projects; up to €30,000 per SME for collaborative projects. Co-financing rate: 90% of project costs. Total call budget reported: €800,000.

1. 1Typical eligible costs: external services and procurement, equipment and consumables, personnel directly involved, prototype development and pilot testing.
2. 2Project duration: 9 months.
3. 3Applicants must submit the application form and required annexes (resilience check and declaration of honour) via the online submission platform.

Selection:three-stage evaluation including admissibility check, independent expert scoring against published criteria, ranking and partner review. Selected projects also receive complementary services (technical assistance, expert pool access, training and internationalisation support).

Apply electronically through the RESIST II open call submission page; applicants must upload the application form and annexes. Contact/helpdesk: info@resisteucluster.eu. For official call details and application portal see the Funding & Tenders Portal RESIST II Call Page. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal call page and RESIST II open call material (call identifier SMP-COSME).

Overview and Purpose

The RESIST II Process Innovation Open Call is a competitive open call launched under the RESIST II Eurocluster initiative (Joint Cluster Initiatives / EUROCLUSTERS) to support European Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) operating in the Mobility, Transport and Automotive (MTA) ecosystem. The call finances time-limited projects (typical implementation period: 9 months) that propose new or significantly improved manufacturing or industrial processes, operational methods, production systems, and pilot/prototype activities directed at improving environmental performance, digitalisation and resilience across the mobility value chain.

Key objectives:Support SMEs to (1) reduce carbon emissions and energy use in manufacturing, (2) improve resource and critical raw material efficiency and circularity, (3) adopt digital and smart industrial systems and (4) strengthen resilience of mobility value chains through process innovation and operational improvement ¹.

Priority thematic pillars

1. 1Net-Zero Manufacturing and Industrial Decarbonisation (examples: electric drivetrain component manufacturing improvements, hydrogen mobility production processes, smart charging systems integration, energy-efficient subsystems).
2. 2Circular Critical Raw Materials and Resource Efficiency (examples: CRM-efficient electric motors, design-for-recycling components, second-life battery business models, circular mobility services).
3. 3Digital Mobility and Smart Industrial Systems (examples: digital fleet management, predictive maintenance, digital product passports, mobility data analytics tools).
4. 4Resilient Mobility Value Chains (examples: CRM traceability, supply-chain monitoring and alerts, component marketplaces, adaptive logistics solutions).

Eligibility and Applicant Types

Eligible applicants and format:The open call is addressed to SMEs located in EU Member States or SMP associated countries. SMEs may apply individually (single applicant) or in collaborative projects (consortia of 2 to 3 SMEs from different NUTS2 regions).

Eligible Applicant Types:Primary: SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises). Secondary: collaborative consortia formed exclusively by SMEs (2-3 SMEs from different NUTS2 regions). Other entity types such as large enterprises, universities, research institutes, NGOs or individuals are not indicated as eligible in the open call description.

Geographic and Beneficiary Scope

Geographic eligibility:SMEs must be located in EU Member States or SMP associated countries as specified in the call text. The call targets European applicants; it does not state eligibility for non-associated third countries or global applicants.

Funding, Budget and Financial Conditions

Total programme budget and per-project support:The dataset lists an overall budget reference of €800,000 for the instrument. Individual awards: up to €20,000 for single-SME projects; up to €30,000 per SME for collaborative projects (note: collaborative projects typically mean each participating SME could receive up to €30,000 subject to the project structure). The grant finances up to 90% of eligible project costs, implying a 10% co-financing requirement by the beneficiary(ies).

Funding Type:Grant funding (competitive open call) with a co-financing model: 90% funded by the action, 10% co-funded by applicant(s).

Eligible Project Cost Categories

• External services and procurement (testing, certification, consulting, specialised technical services).
• Equipment, components and consumables required for the project.
• Personnel costs of staff directly involved in the project.
• Prototype development, pilot testing and validation activities.

Project Characteristics and Stage

Expected project maturity:Projects should focus on development, demonstration/validation and piloting of process innovations and operational improvements. Projects must produce measurable results within a 9-month implementation period; therefore, proposals should be at a maturity where pilot testing, prototyping or process deployment at demonstrator scale is feasible within nine months.

Application Process and Deadlines

Open-call model with multiple cut-offs:The call is split into at least two cut-offs/application periods. The first cut-off opened on 13 May 2026 and ran for two months. A second cut-off is expected to launch in May 2027. Applicants must submit electronically via the RESIST II online application platform (submit-your-proposal button on the call page). Required uploads include the completed application form and annexes (resilience check and declaration of honour). Contact/helpdesk email: info@resisteucluster.eu.

Submission and Templates

How to submit:Applicants must apply online via the RESIST II application page and use the 'Submit your proposal' electronic submission. Two mandatory annexes must be uploaded: a resilience check and a declaration of honour. The call refers to an application form and downloadable annex templates which applicants must complete and attach. The Guide for Applicants (call documentation) includes the full set of application questions, evaluation criteria and tie-breaking rules; applicants should consult the Guide and the downloadable application pack available on the call web page.

Application Template and Structure (high-level outline):Typical application form sections referenced by the call and Guide for Applicants: 1) Administrative data and legal identifiers, 2) Project summary and objectives, 3) Description of the innovation in processes/operations, 4) Technical workplan and milestones (9-month timeline), 5) Deliverables, KPIs and measurable results, 6) Budget breakdown aligned with eligible cost categories, 7) Team and expertise, 8) Market and impact / scalability plan, 9) Risk assessment and mitigation, 10) Annexes: resilience check, declaration of honour, and any supporting documents (quotes, CVs, technical diagrams). Applicants must follow the downloadable application form fields exactly and attach the required annexes prior to submission.

Evaluation, Selection and Support

Evaluation process:The assessment is organised in three stages: (1) verification of admissibility and eligibility checks; (2) expert evaluation of eligible proposals by at least three independent experts, scoring proposals against four evaluation criteria defined in the Guide for Applicants; proposals are then ranked in descending score order with pre-established tie-breaking rules; (3) review and validation of the resulting ranking list by the consortium partners for final selection.

Number of application stages:Three distinct stages: admissibility/eligibility check, external expert scoring and ranking, consortium validation of the ranking list.

Post-selection support and services

Selected SMEs will receive grant funding and a complementary package of non-financial support during project implementation. Services include technical assistance, access to a pool of experts, training courses, and internationalisation opportunities (access to third markets). These supporting services are provided in addition to the monetary grant.

Detailed Answers to Categorisation Questions

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: SMEs (primary); SMEs may apply individually or in small consortia (2-3 SMEs from different NUTS2 regions). The call text does not indicate eligibility of startups specifically as a different category, nor explicit eligibility for large enterprises, universities, research institutes, NGOs or individuals.
2. 2Funding Type: Grant (competitive open call) with a 90% financing rate of eligible costs.
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Other — both single applicants (individual SME projects) and small consortia (2-3 SMEs from different NUTS2 regions) are allowed. Collaborative projects are encouraged and receive higher per-SME funding ceilings.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): EU Member States and SMP associated countries (SME must be located in these territories).
5. 5Target Sector: Mobility, Transport and Automotive ecosystem; thematic focus on manufacturing/process innovation, industrial decarbonisation, circular critical raw materials, digital mobility systems and resilient mobility value chains.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: The call text does not list specific countries beyond 'EU Member States' and 'SMP associated countries'. No individual country names were provided in the scraped text.
7. 7Project Stage: Development / validation / demonstration and piloting of improved processes and prototypes feasible within a 9-month implementation window.
8. 8Funding Amount: Per project support up to €20,000 for individual projects; up to €30,000 per SME in collaborative projects. Overall budget reference €800,000 for the instrument. Co-financing rate: 90% funded by the programme (10% co-funded by beneficiaries).
9. 9Application Type: Open call with multiple cut-offs (first cut-off defined; second cut-off expected May 2027). Submission is electronic via the RESIST II application portal.
10. 10Nature of Support: Mixed — Monetary grant funding (direct financial support) plus non-monetary services (technical assistance, expert access, training, internationalisation services).
11. 11Application Stages: Three (admissibility/eligibility check; expert evaluation with scoring by at least 3 independent experts and ranking; consortium partners' validation of ranking list).
12. 12Success Rates: Not specified in the call documentation. No explicit success rate, expected number of awards or selection ratio is provided in the scraped content.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: Yes — the grant covers 90% of eligible costs, therefore applicants must provide remaining 10% co-financing. This is an applicant-level co-funding requirement (own resources or third-party contributions to reach total project budget).

Selection Criteria and Scoring (summary)

The Guide for Applicants defines four evaluation criteria used by independent experts. While the detailed wording and score thresholds are contained in the Guide, the general expectation is that proposals will be evaluated for excellence/innovation, impact (environmental, resource and supply chain resilience gains), quality and efficiency of implementation (workplan, budget, team) and possibly sustainability/replicability. Each proposal will be scored by at least three independent experts and ranked; tie-breaking rules apply as specified in the Guide.

Practical Advice for Applicants

1. 1Ensure the applicant is an SME registered and operating in an EU Member State or an SMP associated country and that the proposal fits one of the call priority pillars.
2. 2Use the downloadable application form and annex templates; complete the resilience check and declaration of honour and upload them with the application.
3. 3Prepare a concise 9-month workplan with clear deliverables, success metrics and a realistic budget aligned to the eligible cost categories.
4. 4If applying as a consortium, confirm partners are from different NUTS2 regions and prepare letters of commitment or equivalent supporting documents.
5. 5Factor the 10% co-financing requirement into the budget and ensure justification of costs per the category definitions.
6. 6Consult the Guide for Applicants for detailed evaluation criteria, scoring rules and tie-break mechanisms and use the contact helpdesk if clarification is required: info@resisteucluster.eu.

Contact, Further Information and Source

Primary call page and submission portal are provided on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the RESIST II open calls pages. Contact the RESIST II helpdesk at info@resisteucluster.eu for call-specific questions. The official call page contains the application form, annex templates and the Guide for Applicants that detail scoring and procedural rules RESIST II Call page. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Full call documentation, application form and Guide for Applicants are available at the call web page linked above. Consult the Guide for Applicants for exact scoring rubric, the four evaluation criteria and tie-break rules.

The RESIST II Process Innovation Open Call is part of the RESIST II Eurocluster initiative, co-funded by the European Commission's Single Market Programme (SMP COSME). It supports European SMEs in the Mobility, Transport, and Automotive (MTA) ecosystem to develop or significantly improve manufacturing or industrial processes. The focus is on enhancing digital and environmental performance to increase resilience, competitiveness, lower carbon emissions, boost resource efficiency, and reduce dependencies on critical raw materials. The project runs from October 2025 to September 2028, with Grant Agreement 101236714 and a total budget of 2,163,589 euros. This specific open call has a budget of 800,000 euros allocated for process innovations.

Key Dates

• 1st Cut-off: Opened 13 May 2026 at 10:00 UTC / 13:00 Europe/Bucharest, closes 13 July 2026 at 15:00 UTC / 18:00 Europe/Bucharest
• 2nd Cut-off: Expected to open in May 2027, closing 13 July 2027

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants are SMEs (including start-ups and very small businesses) operating in the MTA ecosystem, located in EU Member States or countries associated to the SMP. Applications can be submitted individually or in consortia of 2-3 SMEs from different NUTS2 regions. Associate partners such as large enterprises or universities may join consortia but cannot receive funding. Mid-cap companies may also be eligible in some contexts.

Funding Details

Funding Amounts:Up to 20,000 euros for individual projects; up to 30,000 euros per SME for consortium projects. Co-financing rate: 90% of eligible costs.

Eligible Costs:External services and procurement (testing, certification, consulting, specialised technical services); equipment, components, and consumables; personnel costs for staff directly involved; prototype development, pilot testing, and validation activities.

Project Duration:9 months implementation period, with measurable results expected.

Priority Topics and Focus Areas

• Net-Zero Manufacturing & Industrial Decarbonisation (e.g., electric drivetrain components, hydrogen mobility technologies, smart charging systems, energy-efficient vehicle subsystems)
• Circular Critical Raw Materials & Resource Efficiency (e.g., CRM-efficient electric motors, design-for-recycling vehicle components, second-life battery products, circular mobility services)
• Digital Mobility & Smart Industrial Systems (e.g., digital fleet management platforms, predictive maintenance services, digital product passports, mobility data analytics tools)
• Resilient Mobility Value Chains (e.g., CRM traceability platforms, supply-chain monitoring solutions, mobility component marketplaces, adaptive logistics services)

Application and Evaluation Process

1. 1Complete the resilience check and declaration of honour annexes.
2. 2Submit electronically via the WIIN.io platform: RESIST II Process Innovation Open Call Application or RESIST II website open calls section.
3. 3Evaluation in three stages: (1) Admissibility and eligibility verification; (2) Scoring by at least 3 independent experts on criteria including innovation of the idea, soundness/feasibility of concept/methodology, fit with RESIST priorities, and implementation capacity (0-5 scale per criterion); (3) Ranking and validation by consortium partners.
4. 4Selected applicants receive funding plus complementary services: technical support, access to experts, training, and internationalisation opportunities.

Additional Support and Resources

RESIST II builds on the previous RESIST project (Grant Agreement 101074204, 2022-2025), enhancing support with pre-application resilience checks, roadmaps, and post-selection monitoring. Coordinator: CEAGA (Spain). Partners include Autoklastr (Czech Republic), Pôle Véhicule du Futur (France), iDiA and CEAGA (Spain), Biz-up (Austria). Contact helpdesk: info@resisteucluster.eu. Official EU portal reference: EU Funding & Tenders Portal; RESIST II website: RESIST II Open Calls.

Evaluation Criteria Summary

Footnotes

1. 1Detailed Guide for Applicants available via RESIST II website or WIIN.io platform, including full evaluation marks and tie-breaking rules.