4th Innowwide call frequently asked questions

4.2 million euro to fund 70 market feasibility projects.

Call 3 received more than 600 applications. For Call 4, we expect potentially 700 or more applications.

You may only submit one application per call for projects.

No. Your market feasibility project can only target one pilot market (country) where you intend to develop and validate your innovative business solution with a local counterpart.

However, as part of your application, you should indicate if you intend to continue exporting your innovation beyond the initial target market, describe how you plan to do this and state the timeframe.

SMEs that received funding in previous Innowwide calls are eligible to apply again provided they target a different country than in their previously funded project, and propose either a different innovative solution, or a significantly different application of the same solution used in their earlier funded project.

This call for projects has no thematic or industry focus. Innovative SMEs from any sector can apply.

Companies exempt from VAT can still apply to Innowwide. You must indicate your VAT exemption status and be able to provide proof of VAT exemption upon request.

A NACE code is the statistical classification of economic activities in the European Union and some other countries. Other non-EU companies have an equivalent code, e.g., ISIC (International Standard Industrial Classification). A company usually has several NACE codes (or equivalent) if it engages in multiple types of economic activities.

These codes are assigned to companies when registering or updating their registration details to reflect changes in their economic activities.

You can find your company’s NACE code(s) in your national registration documents.

No.

You must have one local counterpart (main subcontractor) based in your target country.

You are allowed to use other minor subcontractors in your target country or in a different country (including in EU or Horizon Europe Associated Countries). These subcontractors must be justified and can only conduct minor tasks (e.g., publishing, preparing promotional material, supporting participation in trade fairs, supporting matchmaking, clerical support, etc.).

Subcontracting costs cannot be 0. Cooperation with a main subcontractor is an important part of your market feasibility project, so you must allocate a reasonable budget to your subcontractor.

As subcontracting costs vary from country to country, you can decide how much you want to dedicate to subcontracting.

You can incur costs in both your target country and home country.

However, you must provide a contract with your main subcontractor in your target country for an amount of above zero euro. You must also maintain regular bookkeeping practices to be ready for any checks, reviews, audits or investigations.

Subsidiaries/affiliated companies and parent firms can be a main subcontractor if they:

1. are independent from the applicant SME,
2. are based in an eligible target country,
3. are legal entities according to the EU definition, and
4. have local competencies to collaborate on the project with the applicant SME.

Subcontractors can be any type of legal entity organisation (SMEs, large industries, universities, research centres, self-employed professionals…), independent from your organisation (the applicant organisation) and legally established in the target country.

In addition, one of the purposes of the Innowwide programme is to foster long-term partnership between you and your main subcontractor in your market feasibility project. When selecting your subcontractor, consider their capabilities (e.g. legal, technical, market analysis) to carry out your eligible activities, but also their potential to become a strategic partner for future collaboration.

In short: choose the best partner for your Innowwide project — and, if possible, one who could grow with you over time.

Your main subcontractor must complete two-steps:

Step 1: Accept the invitation via email (this action only registers their interest).

Step 2: Register or login to the SmartSimple application platform and accept the terms set in the commitment and declaration of honour. This action confirms their commitment.

Please note that accepting the invitation via email is not sufficient.

At the application stage, the main subcontractor commits their organisation to participate in the project if it is funded. They agree to the terms set out in the Commitment and Declaration of Honour, which include their readiness to set up all necessary provisions to participate as a counterpart to the beneficiary, and their acknowledgment of involvement in the project. They also declare their organisation’s legal and financial standing and confirm their independence from the applicant organisation.

It is essential that all subcontracted organisations fully understand the details of their involvement in the project — including activities, budget, and responsibilities — from the application stage, before agreeing to participate. This responsibility lies with the applicant organisation to ensure that subcontractors are well-informed from the outset.

If the contracted services contribute directly to the project’s implementation, where a specific project task is partially or totally outsourced to the subcontractor, it falls within the “subcontracting” category costs. This does not include indirect costs for the beneficiary.

If the contracted service supports the completion of tasks without directly implementing defined tasks, it falls within “other goods, works and services”.

Subcontracting costs must be above zero euro. Cooperation with a main subcontractor in the target country is an important part of your market feasibility project, so you must allocate a reasonable amount of the total project budget to your subcontractor.

For minor subcontractors, expenses may not exceed 20% of the total subcontracting costs.

Additionally, we recommend ensuring that task descriptions and assigned resources are consistent, as this is considered when your application is evaluated.

Yes, all activities proposed in your work plan that correspond to the eligible activities under the call (see section 4.2 of the call guidelines) must have an associated cost in the budget, even if it’s small. Make sure the activities listed in the Excellence section, the work plan, and the budget are aligned.

No. You must only state the budget for the applicant (beneficiary) SME. Subcontracting costs (for the local counterpart in your target country) are listed in a budget category within the overall budget.

Innowwide is funded by Horizon Europe and exempt from De Minimis rules.

The cost estimations for personnel or other categories must approximate your actual costs, align with your normal practices and be reasonable/not excessive and necessary for your activities.

The maximum grant is 60,000 euro, covering up to 70% of the eligible project costs, which can include personnel, subcontracting, purchasing costs, travel and subsistence, equipment depreciation and other goods, works and services for implementing the project eligible activities. Indirect costs are also eligible and are calculated as a flat rate of 25% of direct costs, excluding subcontracting.

The total eligible project costs must be at least 86,000 euro. This means that if selected for funding, you must contribute at least 26,000 euro of the project costs. There is no specific limit on your total project budget, but you should plan your activities and budget realistically within the six-month timeframe and the available funding.

Yes. When a funding decision has been made and a grant agreement has been signed, your market feasibility project can begin.

We intend to communicate evaluation results in the first trimester of 2026.

We expect grant agreements to be signed towards May 2026, with projects set to start around 1 June 2026.

Costs must be incurred within the project duration, starting from the project start date as specified in the Grant Agreement signed with selected companies. Therefore, costs incurred prior to the grant decision or before the project officially starts are not eligible.

Innowwide is mono-beneficiary. Funding is for the SMEs in EU member states, Iceland, Israel, Norway, Switzerland, Türkiye or United Kingdom, which subcontract to their local counterpart in the selected target country.

The beneficiary SME is responsible for allocating work to and paying the subcontractor. You should define a payment method in the contract you sign with your subcontractor.

The ‘double funding rule’ applies. This prevents you from receiving funding from more than one European Union programme for the same activities and expenses. Activities in your Innowwide market feasibility project cannot be funded by any other EU funding programme.

Innowwide reviews the outcome of your receiving the 60,000 euro lump sum. The payment of the grant is linked to approval of your work packages and deliverables rather than eligible costs.

If your project is carried out properly and your final report is approved, you do not need to report actual costs and resources such as timesheets, pay-slips or invoices (the grant will be paid regardless of the costs actually incurred). However, you need to follow regular bookkeeping practices. The beneficiary SME must have specific financial accounts and report the execution and results of your market feasibility project.

Purchases and subcontracting costs must be made considering best value for money and must be free of any conflict of interest.

At any moment, the Eureka Network (or the European Anti-Fraud Office, the European Court of Auditors, etc.) reserves the right to carry out checks, reviews, audits or investigations.

Although the aim of your market feasibility project is to determine whether your product-, process- or service-market combination can be commercialised in your target market, you are not obliged to commercialise it after your project ends.