Student Entrepreneur Grant Scheme (SEGS)

The Student Entrepreneur Grant Scheme (SEGS) by EIT Urban Mobility is a cascade funding programme to help students and recent graduates from EIT-labelled MSc/PhD programmes develop urban mobility projects into startups. Total envelope €90,000 with approximately €30,000 per year and grants up to €6,000 per project disbursed in stages. Eligibility requires at least one team member enrolled in or recently graduated from an EIT-labelled programme and project leaders must reside in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country; Stage 1 is for non-incorporated teams (up to 2 years) and Stage 2 for entities incorporated within the last 2 years (up to 1 year). Applications in English are submitted via the EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal (NetSuite) with cut-offs on 30 April 2026 and 12 October 2026 and required documents include proof of enrolment/graduation and a short video pitch.

What it funds

Purpose

Small grants to help students or recent graduates from EIT‑labelled EIT Urban Mobility programmes develop innovative ideas into startup ventures and overcome early financial barriers.

Who can apply:Students currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from, any EIT‑labelled programme under EIT Urban Mobility; applications submitted via the EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal (NetSuite). ¹

1. 1Opening date: 30 March 2026
2. 2Cut-off 1: 30 April 2026 17:00 CEST
3. 3Cut-off 2: 12 October 2026 17:00 CEST
4. 4Portal submission required (NetSuite)

Funding amounts:Maximum grant per project: €6,000. Approximate maximum available per year for SEGS: €30,000. Total funding displayed for the related EIT Urban Mobility Business Plan call: €90,000.

Info session:16 April 2026, 11:00–12:00 CEST. Applicants should consult the Call Manual and Guidelines for applicants for eligibility, evaluation and submission details.

Footnotes

1. 1Call page and application instructions: Student Entrepreneur Grant Scheme (SEGS) Open Call

Key facts and administrative details

Basic call metadata

Call title:Student Entrepreneur Grant Scheme (SEGS). Call type: Multi-Topic / Cascade funding under the EIT Urban Mobility Business Plan 2026-2028 (project acronym EITUM-BP26-28, Grant Agreement 101269525). Opening date: 30 March 2026. Deadline model: multiple cut-off with two cut-off dates in 2026: 30 April 2026 17:00 CEST and 12 October 2026 17:00 CEST. Call status: Open for submission. Submission system: EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal (NetSuite).

Total funds available:The broader project (EIT Urban Mobility Business Plan 2026-2028) lists a total funding envelope of €90,000. Separately, the Student Entrepreneur Grant Scheme indicates maximum available funds for the scheme per year of approximately €30,000 and a maximum grant per project/idea of €6,000. Applicants should consult the Call Manual for exact distribution rules and any year-to-year updates ¹.

Who can apply and what is eligible

Eligible applicant types

Primary eligible applicants:students currently enrolled in, or recent graduates from, any of the EIT-Labelled programmes under EIT Urban Mobility. Eligible legal forms: individual students (as natural persons) or teams of students/recent graduates. Projects that progress to a startup stage may be eligible to apply if they incorporate, noting a distinction in the scheme stages between applicants not yet incorporated and those with an incorporated entity not older than two years.

Other eligible beneficiary types implied by the scheme:early-stage startups (specifically companies incorporated within the last two years for Stage 2), and applicants who, if successful, could become start-ups supported by EIT Urban Mobility. The scheme is focused on student entrepreneurs rather than established SMEs or large enterprises.

Funding type and modality

Primary funding mechanism:grant (cascade funding / small financial grants distributed by EIT Urban Mobility). The scheme provides direct financial support to students/recent graduates to advance projects/ideas toward startup formation. The call documentation references a Financial Support Agreement (FSA) template that successful applicants will sign.

Programmatic scope and requirements

Consortium requirement

Consortiums are not required. The scheme is structured for single applicants or teams of students/recent graduates; it is aimed at individual project proposals rather than multi-partner consortia. If an applicant forms a legal entity, that entity must be not older than two years for Stage 2 projects.

Geographic eligibility (Beneficiary scope)

The scheme is managed by EIT Urban Mobility, an EIT Knowledge and Innovation Community active across Europe. Eligibility is tied to enrollment in EIT-Labelled programmes under EIT Urban Mobility. Therefore, geographic scope is European / EIT network participants (applicants must be students or recent graduates from relevant EIT-Labelled programmes). The call is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and EIT Urban Mobility channels.

Target sector and thematic focus

Primary sector:urban mobility and mobility innovation. The scheme targets student-led projects and ideas that contribute to innovative solutions in urban mobility, including new services, products, business models or technologies aligned with EIT Urban Mobility priorities and strategic agenda. The opportunity emphasises entrepreneurship development rather than specific technology areas, but is situated within mobility, transport, and related urban systems innovation.

Project maturity / stage

Targeted project maturity:very early stage to pre-seed. The scheme is explicitly designed for students and recent graduates to overcome early financial barriers and advance ideas toward a startup. Two defined stages indicate maturity expectations: Stage 1 for applicants not yet incorporated (up to 2 years duration) and Stage 2 for applicants with a recently incorporated entity (entity not older than two years; project duration up to 1 year).

Financial and administrative details

Funding amounts and distribution

Maximum grant per project/idea:€6,000. Maximum scheme funds per year: approximately €30,000 (subject to annual updates). Project pool indicated in the Business Plan: €90,000 (this is the total funding available under the linked project EITUM-BP26-28). Applicants must refer to the Call Manual and Guidelines for applicants for precise award conditions and possible allocation rules between cut-off rounds.

Project duration limits:Stage 1 (applicants not yet incorporated): projects must be completed within up to 2 years. Stage 2 (applicants with an incorporated entity not older than two years): projects must be completed within up to 1 year.

Application and submission

Application method:open call with multiple cut-off dates (two in 2026 with more to be published for 2027–2028). Submission channel: NetSuite via the EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal — applicants must select the call Student Entrepreneur Grant Scheme (SEGS) and submit their application documents through that platform. The Call Manual (section 7 Proposal submission Process) and Guidelines for applicants provide step-by-step instructions.

Info session:EIT Urban Mobility will host an information session via Teams on 16 April 2026 from 11:00 to 12:00 CEST. Contact for general/technical queries: academyCall@eiturbanmobility.eu.

Nature of support and contractual arrangements

Beneficiaries receive monetary support (grants). Awardees will sign a Financial Support Agreement (FSA) with EIT Urban Mobility; a template of the FSA is provided among the call documents. Additional reference documents include the Horizon Europe Annotated Grant Agreement, Project Implementation Handbook, EIT Impact Framework and the EIT Urban Mobility Strategic Agenda 2021-2027.

Selection, evaluation and practicalities

Submission, evaluation and decision process

Applications are submitted through NetSuite and evaluated according to the criteria and procedures published in the Call Manual and Guidelines for applicants. The submission & evaluation process is described in the Call Manual (section 7 and related sections). Applicants should consult these documents for evaluation criteria, scoring, eligibility checks and timetables. The call materials are available on the EIT Urban Mobility website and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal ¹.

Number of application stages:The call operates as a single-stage open submission for each cut-off (applicants submit a full application at cut-off and receive award decision following evaluation). There is no public multi-stage application process (e.g., separate outline and full proposal) documented in the call overview; however applicants must follow any stages specified in the Call Manual during evaluation and contracting.

Success rates and co-funding

Success rates:the call overview does not publish explicit success rate statistics. Because funding is limited (annual scheme funds approx. €30,000 and max €6,000 per award), expected awarded projects per year are limited (roughly up to five awards per year if full €6,000 grants are awarded). Actual success rates depend on the number and quality of applications per cut-off.

Co-funding requirement:The call documentation provided in the scraped content does not explicitly state a mandatory co-funding requirement by applicants. Applicants must consult the Call Manual and the Financial Support Agreement template for any cost-sharing, reporting or matching requirements.

Application content, templates and supporting documents

Templates and required documentation

Key reference and application documents listed by the call:Call Manual (including Proposal submission Process section), Guidelines for applicants, Financial Support Agreement (FSA) template, Project Implementation Handbook, Horizon Europe Annotated Grant Agreement, EIT Impact Framework (2022-2027) and the EIT Urban Mobility Strategic Agenda 2021-2027. The FSA template and Call Manual are explicitly referenced; applicants should download and review these documents before preparing their submission.

1. 1Prepare application via the EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal (NetSuite).
2. 2Consult the Call Manual (section 7) for step-by-step submission instructions.
3. 3Use the Guidelines for applicants to shape the proposal narrative and annexes.
4. 4Review the Financial Support Agreement template to understand contractual terms.
5. 5Attend the information webinar (16 April 2026, 11:00–12:00 CEST) for clarifications.
6. 6If in doubt, contact academyCall@eiturbanmobility.eu for technical or content questions.

Explicit countries or regions mentioned

The call is managed by EIT Urban Mobility, a pan-European EIT Knowledge and Innovation Community. The text does not list specific countries; eligibility is tied to participants of EIT-Labelled programmes (European). The call is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Summary and recommended applicant actions

What this opportunity is about and how to approach it:The Student Entrepreneur Grant Scheme (SEGS) provides small, early-stage grants to students and recent graduates from EIT-Labelled programmes under EIT Urban Mobility to help them develop ideas and projects into startup ventures. The scheme awards grants up to €6,000 per project, with limited annual funds (approximately €30,000) and operates through multiple cut-off dates. Projects are expected to be short-duration and focused on moving from idea to early validation or startup formation (Stage 1: up to 2 years for non-incorporated applicants; Stage 2: up to 1 year for recently incorporated entities).

Recommended actions for prospective applicants:verify eligibility (you must be a current student or recent graduate of an EIT-Labelled programme under EIT Urban Mobility), download and read the Call Manual, Guidelines for applicants and the FSA template, prepare a concise application addressing innovation, market potential and how the grant will be spent, submit via NetSuite before the relevant cut-off date, and consider attending the information webinar. Use the contact email for clarifications and ensure compliance with documentation and contractual requirements if awarded.

Footnotes

1. 1Call Manual, Guidelines for applicants and FSA template are available on the EIT Urban Mobility call page and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. See EIT Urban Mobility SEGS call page Student Entrepreneur Grant Scheme (SEGS) Open Call and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity entry SEGS Opportunity.

Overview

The Student Entrepreneur Grant Scheme (SEGS) is a cascade funding programme under EIT Urban Mobility's Business Plan 2026-2028 (EITUM-BP26-28, Grant Agreement 101269525). It supports students and recent graduates from EIT-labelled Master's or PhD programmes in developing innovative urban mobility projects into startups. Grants aim to overcome initial financial barriers to foster entrepreneurship and innovation.

Total funding available:€90,000. Maximum per project: €6,000, disbursed in stages. Annual budget approximately €30,000. Projects must align with EIT Urban Mobility's challenge areas, such as active mobility.

Key Dates

• Opening date: 30 March 2026
• First deadline: 30 April 2026, 17:00 Brussels time
• Second deadline: 12 October 2026, 17:00 Brussels time
• Information session: 16 April 2026, 11:00-12:00 CEST via Teams
• Subsequent cut-offs for 2027-2028 to be announced

Eligibility Criteria

Who Can Apply

Teams of at least 2 members. At least one member must be currently enrolled in or recently graduated from an EIT Urban Mobility labelled MSc/PhD programme. Project leader (grant recipient) must reside in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country at application time. Team members can be of any nationality.

Project Stages

• Stage 1: Not yet incorporated entities, up to 2 years duration
• Stage 2: Incorporated entities not older than 2 years, up to 1 year duration

Projects must demonstrate innovation in urban mobility, viable business potential, and EIT impact alignment. Proof of enrolment/graduation required. For incorporated teams, incorporation date must not exceed 2 years before submission.

Funding Details

Grant Amount:Up to €6,000 per project, disbursed in 3 stages subject to milestones and conditions in the Call Manual.

Total Budget:€90,000 overall; approximately €30,000 per year.

Funding supports development of ideas into startups, potentially qualifying recipients for further EIT Urban Mobility programmes.

Application Process

Submit via EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal (NetSuite). Required documents:application form, proof of EIT-labelled programme enrolment/graduation, 5-minute video pitch deck, legal incorporation documents (if applicable). Applications in English.

1. 1Eligibility and admissibility check post-deadline
2. 2Pre-screening and evaluation
3. 3Results communication
4. 4Financial Support Agreement (FSA) for successful applicants

Consult Call Manual (section 7) and Guidelines for Applicants for full details. Evaluation criteria: Product & Technology, Market & Business Model, Team Capabilities, Impact.

Key Resources

• Primary opportunity: EU Funding Portal
• Programmes Portal: EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal
• Call details: SEGS Open Call
• Contact: academyCall@eiturbanmobility.eu
• Reference documents: Call Manual, FSA Template, Horizon Europe Annotated Grant Agreement, EIT Impact Framework, Project Implementation Handbook ¹

Additional Notes

This is a multi-topic, multi-cut-off call under Horizon Europe EIT framework. Successful startups may access EIT's broader ecosystem. Review EIT Urban Mobility Strategic Agenda 2021-2027 for alignment.

Footnotes

1. 1Documents available via EIT Urban Mobility Programmes Portal and related pages.