Scaleups Promotion Open Call

Scaleups Promotion Open Call (EITUM-BP26-28) is a cascade funding opportunity under the EIT Urban Mobility Business Plan 2026-2028 with total funding of €415,000 to support strategic positioning of European urban mobility scaleups, investor and corporate engagement, and access to EIC instruments. The call opens 27 March 2026 with a single-stage submission deadline on 27 May 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time and anticipated project implementation from July 2026 to December 2028. Eligible applicants are leading organisations with proven expertise in promoting and internationally positioning scaleups in mobility, climate tech and impact-driven innovation, and proposals should address activities for MOVE (London), Slush (Helsinki), Mobility Startup Nexus (Barcelona) and EIC support. Applications must be submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (PIC registration) and EIT Urban Mobility NetSuite, with call documents and KPIs available on the EIT Urban Mobility call page.

What it funds

Grants to organisations that will promote and internationally position European urban mobility scaleups (mobility, climate tech, impact-driven innovation) at major events, connect them with investors and corporates, and strengthen access to growth and EIC funding opportunities. Activities cover event positioning, investor engagement formats, visibility initiatives and structured support for EIC instruments.

Who can apply

Leading organisations with proven experience in scaleup promotion, international positioning and investor engagement in mobility and climate tech ecosystems (public or private organisations, event organisers, innovation intermediaries; applicants must register on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and EIT Urban Mobility NetSuite).

Key administrative facts

Call opens 27 March 2026. Single-stage deadline 27 May 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Projects run approximately July 2026 to December 2028. Total EIT funding available up to €415,000.

Main objectives:Strategic positioning and stakeholder engagement at MOVE (London) and Slush (Helsinki); organisation and delivery of Mobility Startup Nexus (Barcelona); support to EIC instruments and investor matchmaking.

1. 1Position scaleups at major mobility and innovation events
2. 2Facilitate measurable connections between scaleups and investors/corporates
3. 3Design investor-facing events and visibility campaigns
4. 4Provide structured support around EIC opportunities

How to apply

Register your organisation on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal to obtain a PIC, register in EIT Urban Mobility NetSuite, and submit via the EIT UM application tool following the Call Manual and Guidelines for Applicants EIT Urban Mobility call page ¹

Evaluation timetable:admissibility/eligibility check up to 1 week after deadline; panel invitations and hearings within ~3 weeks; results communicated June 2026; subgrant signature July 2026.

Contact

Questions on call content:impact.ventures@eiturbanmobility.eu. Legal, financial and administrative queries: pmo@eiturbanmobility.eu.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call documentation (Call Manual, KPIs, templates) and submission instructions are available on the EIT Urban Mobility call page: eiturbanmobility.eu.

Call snapshot and purpose

Call title:Scaleups Promotion Open Call (EITUM-BP26-28). The call is a cascade funding multi-topic open call managed under the EIT Urban Mobility Business Plan 2026-2028 (Grant Agreement 101269525). Opening date: 27 March 2026. Submission deadline: 27 May 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Total EIT funding available for this Call: up to €415,000. Expected implementation period for funded activities: July 2026 (tentative start) to December 2028 (tentative end).

Objective of the initiative:The Scaleup Promotion initiative seeks proposals from leading organisations aligned with the EIT Urban Mobility mission to accelerate the transition to sustainable urban mobility by strategically positioning European urban mobility scaleups at major events, connecting them with investors and corporates, and strengthening their access to growth and funding opportunities, including European Innovation Council instruments ¹.

Detailed eligibility and applicant requirements

Eligible applicants must be organisations with strong expertise and proven experience in promotion and international positioning of scaleups, with a particular focus on mobility, climate tech and impact-driven innovation. Applicants should demonstrate experience in designing and delivering high-level visibility initiatives, investor engagement formats, activating ecosystems and providing structured support related to EIC funding instruments. The call is presented as an open competitive call; applicants must register on the EU Funding & Tender Opportunities Portal to obtain a PIC number and register on the EIT Urban Mobility NetSuite application tool to submit proposals.

Eligible Applicant Types:Recommended and expected applicant types include: non-profit organisations and associations active in innovation promotion, business accelerators and incubators, innovation intermediaries, market-facing consultancies specialised in investor relations and international positioning, event organisers with track record in large mobility/innovation/investment events, research and technology organisations with commercialisation and scaleup support capacity, private sector organisations such as corporate innovation units provided they can demonstrate relevant experience, and public sector bodies (cities, regions) involved in ecosystem activation. SMEs and scaleup-focused intermediaries are explicitly targeted by the call description. Individual applicants are not the intended beneficiaries.

Consortium requirement:The call text does not explicitly mandate a multi-partner consortium; it solicits proposals from leading organisations. Applicants can be single legal entities or lead partners coordinating activities. However, consortia or partnerships with demonstrated complementary capabilities (event management, investor relations, EIC support) are likely advantageous to cover all tasks and objectives.

Funding Type:The primary financial mechanism is grant funding (cascade funding / sub-granting under the EIT Urban Mobility project).

Geographic eligibility / Beneficiary scope:This call is implemented by EIT Urban Mobility and targets organisations operating within the EU context. Eligible entities should be established and able to engage in activities across Europe and at international events referenced in the call (MOVE London, Slush Helsinki, Mobility Startup Nexus in Barcelona). The call is therefore primarily EU-focused; applicants from EEA or associated Horizon/EIT countries are commonly eligible under EIT calls, but applicants must verify eligibility per the call manual and EU portal registration requirements.

Topics to be addressed (scope of activities)

1. 1Strategic positioning and stakeholder engagement at MOVE (London).
2. 2Strategic positioning and investor engagement at Slush (Helsinki).
3. 3Organisation and delivery of Mobility Startup Nexus (Barcelona).
4. 4Support to European Innovation Council (EIC) instruments and opportunities for scaleups.

Proposals should include concrete plans to position EIT Urban Mobility and selected scaleups at these flagship events, deliver investor engagement formats, activate relevant ecosystems (corporates, VCs, public investors), and provide structured support enabling scaleups to access EIC funding instruments and other growth capital.

Expected tasks and required capabilities

1. 1Design and implement visibility strategies and high-level promotional activities for scaleups at major events.
2. 2Develop and operate investor engagement formats (pitching sessions, curated investor meetings, investor tours, demo days) with measurable outcomes.
3. 3Activate corporate partners and ecosystem stakeholders to create commercial and pilot opportunities for scaleups.
4. 4Deliver support services focused on EIC application readiness, coaching, review and matchmaking with EIC-relevant experts.
5. 5Report on KPIs and impact as per Call Manual Annexes and EIT Impact Framework; monitor progress and deliver required deliverables for subgrant agreements.

Required demonstrable experience:Proposers must demonstrate proven track record in the promotion and international positioning of scaleups (mobility, climate tech, impact-driven), experience delivering investor engagement formats and high visibility initiatives, and the capacity to engage ecosystems to maximise opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Funding, application process and timelines

Application type and submission:This is an open call. Applicants must: (1) ensure their organisation has a PIC on the EU portal, (2) register in NetSuite (EIT UM application tool), and (3) submit the proposal through the NetSuite calls interface following the Guidelines for Applicants and the Call Manual. The call provides a Call Manual, KPIs (Annex 1) and reference documents including Project Implementation Handbook, EIT Impact Framework, Financial Support Agreement template and the EIT Urban Mobility Strategic Agenda for guidance.

Evaluation and selection: application stages:The evaluation process comprises: (1) admissibility and eligibility check (up to 1 week post-deadline), (2) evaluation and invitation to panel hearings (up to 3 weeks post-deadline), (3) panel hearings and portfolio selection (approx. 2 weeks), and (4) communication of results (June 2026) followed by signature of the subgrant agreement (July 2026). In practice applicants will pass through 3 main selection stages. The call is single-stage in submission but includes panel hearings as part of the selection process.

Funding modalities, co-funding and nature of support

Nature of support:monetary grant funding (sub-grants from the EIT Urban Mobility project). The call refers to EIT funding allocated to the initiative; beneficiaries will receive financial support subject to subgrant agreements and EIT financial rules. The Call Manual and Financial Support Agreement template define eligible costs, reporting, payment modalities and compliance obligations.

Co-funding requirement:The published materials do not explicitly state a mandatory co-funding percentage in the scraped text; applicants must consult the Call Manual and Financial Support Agreement template for details on cost eligibility and any required co-financing or in-kind contribution. It is common in EIT cascade calls for beneficiaries to co-finance part of activities or provide in-kind contributions; therefore proposers should prepare a realistic budget and verify co-funding rules in the call documentation ¹.

Target sector, project stage and technologies

Target sector:urban mobility, with cross-cutting focus on climate tech and impact-driven innovation. The call is sector-oriented rather than technology-specific and expects activities supporting mobility scaleups (including software services, cleantech, transport innovation, hardware+services, digital mobility solutions).

Project stage:The initiative targets scaleups at growth and scale-up stages (commercialisation and scaling), seeking to improve their international positioning, investor readiness and access to funding instruments such as the EIC. Projects supported will typically operate at development, validation, demonstration and commercialisation/scale-up stages rather than early-stage research or ideation.

Mentioned countries and event locations:Explicit locations and events mentioned: United Kingdom (MOVE London), Finland (Slush Helsinki), Spain (Mobility Startup Nexus — Barcelona). The call is EU-focused and targets European scaleups and ecosystems.

Application forms, templates and required documents

Call documents listed:Call Manual (includes List of KPIs as Annex 1), Project Implementation Handbook, EIT Impact Framework (2022-2027), Financial Support Agreement (FSA) template, EIT Urban Mobility Strategic Agenda 2021-2027 and Horizon Europe Annotated Grant Agreement references. Applicants must follow the Guidelines for Applicants and Section 7: Proposal submission process described on the NetSuite platform.

1. 1Step 1: Register organisational PIC on the EU Funding & Tender Opportunities Portal.
2. 2Step 2: Register in EIT Urban Mobility NetSuite application tool.
3. 3Step 3: Access NetSuite Calls -> Open Calls and complete the application following the Call Manual and Guidelines for Applicants.
4. 4Mandatory attachments: call-specific forms (budget breakdown, workplan/timeline, KPIs alignment), annexes demonstrating track record, CVs of key personnel, legal and financial documentation per NetSuite requirements, and any declarations requested in the Call Manual.

Templates:The FSA template and Call Manual will provide the financial and contractual template under which subgrants will be signed. Applicants must prepare a budget consistent with EIT eligible cost categories; applicants should consult the Call Manual for exact budget table formats and KPI reporting templates.

Assessment of competitiveness and success rates

Success rates:The scraped material does not publish a target number of awards or historical success rates for this specific call. With an allocated budget of €415,000 and the scope of work across multiple flagship events and EIC support, competition is expected from experienced national and pan-European intermediaries and event organisers. Applicants should prepare high-quality, measurable proposals aligned with EIT impact indicators and event deliverables to increase competitiveness.

Application stages (summary):Applicants go through: single-stage submission, admissibility & eligibility check, remote evaluation and invitation to panel hearings, panel hearings and portfolio selection, communication of results, subgrant signature and project start. Overall, applicants should anticipate 3 to 4 selection steps including hearings.

Contact points and additional support

Contact points provided in call information:impact.ventures@eiturbanmobility.eu for call content and topic questions; pmo@eiturbanmobility.eu for legal, financial and administrative procedures. EIT Urban Mobility will host an information session after call publication to assist applicants. Applicants are encouraged to subscribe to the EIT Urban Mobility newsletter for updates.

Summary — What this opportunity is about

The Scaleups Promotion Open Call (EITUM-BP26-28) is a targeted cascade funding opportunity managed by EIT Urban Mobility to select one or more organisations that will lead a strategic initiative to promote and internationalise European urban mobility scaleups between 2026 and 2028. With an estimated budget of €415,000, the initiative focuses on strategic positioning at flagship events (MOVE London, Slush Helsinki, Mobility Startup Nexus in Barcelona), delivering investor engagement activities, activating ecosystems (corporates, VCs, public investors) and providing structured assistance to scaleups in accessing EIC instruments and other funding. Applicants must demonstrate strong track record in scaleup promotion, investor outreach and event delivery in mobility/climate tech contexts, register on the EU portal and EIT NetSuite, and submit a single-stage proposal by 27 May 2026. The selection process includes eligibility checks, evaluations and panel hearings, with expected award and project start in summer 2026. Applicants should consult the Call Manual, KPI annex and FSA template for financial and reporting rules and prepare budgets and KPIs aligned with the EIT Impact Framework ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Call documents, submission instructions and templates are available on the EIT Urban Mobility call page and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Start here: Scaleup Promotion Initiative Open Call and register your organisation PIC via the EU Funding & Tender Opportunities Portal.

This is a cascade funding open call under the EIT Urban Mobility Business Plan 2026-2028 project (Grant agreement number 101269525), funded through Horizon Europe HORIZON-EIT. The call supports the Scaleup Promotion Initiative to strategically position EIT Urban Mobility and European urban mobility scaleups at major events, connect them with investors and corporates, and enhance access to growth funding opportunities, including European Innovation Council (EIC) instruments.

Key Dates and Timeline

The call opens on 27 March 2026 with a single-stage submission deadline of 27 May 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Projects are expected to start in July 2026 and run until December 2028.

Evaluation Timeline:Admissibility and eligibility check: up to 1 week post-deadline. Evaluation and invitation to panel hearings: up to 3 weeks post-deadline. Panel hearings and selection: approximately 2 weeks after hearings. Results communication: June 2026. Subgrant agreement signature: July 2026.

Funding Details

Total funding available for this call is €415,000. This is cascade funding provided as subgrants under the EIT Urban Mobility programme.

Objectives and Topics

The initiative focuses on promoting scaleups in sustainable urban mobility, climate tech, and impact-driven innovation. Proposals must address one or more of the following topics:

• Strategic positioning and stakeholders engagement at MOVE (London)
• Strategic positioning and investors engagement at Slush (Helsinki)
• Organisation and delivery of Mobility Startup Nexus (Barcelona)
• Support to EIC instruments and opportunities

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Leading organisations with proven expertise in promoting and internationally positioning scaleups, especially in mobility, climate tech, and impact-driven innovation. Applicants must demonstrate experience in designing high-level visibility initiatives, investor engagement formats, and ecosystem activation for entrepreneurs. Organisations must share EIT Urban Mobility's mission to accelerate sustainable urban mobility transition.

Applicants must show ability to:strategically position scaleups at major events; facilitate connections with investors; design and deliver connection-focused events; provide structured EIC support; and strengthen EIT Urban Mobility's platform positioning.

Application Process

Submit via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and EIT Urban Mobility's NetSuite platform. Steps include: 1) Register organisation for PIC number on EU Portal EU Funding & Tenders Portal. 2) Register in NetSuite. 3) Access calls under Call for Proposals > Open Calls and follow Guidelines for Applicants.

Key documents:Call Manual, List of KPIs (Annex 1), Project Implementation Handbook, EIT Impact Framework (2022-2027), Financial Support Agreement template, EIT Urban Mobility Strategic Agenda 2021-2027, Horizon Europe Annotated Grant Agreement. Full details at primary source Scaleups Promotion Open Call and EIT site EIT Urban Mobility Call.

Evaluation Criteria and Requirements

Proposals evaluated on expertise, track record, and alignment with objectives. Strong emphasis on proven delivery of visibility initiatives and investor connections. Detailed KPIs in Call Manual Annex 1 ¹.

Contacts and Support

For call content and topics:impact.ventures@eiturbanmobility.eu. For legal, financial, administrative: pmo@eiturbanmobility.eu. Information session to be hosted post-publication; subscribe to newsletter for updates.

Footnotes

1. 1KPIs and full evaluation details available in Call Manual Annex 1 via EIT Urban Mobility platform.