SMART 9th call for projects – 2025

Austrian funding agency, FFG, funds R&D costs for SMEs and large companies participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant with a maximum funding of 3 million euro per project, per year.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

More information is available on the website of FFG.

Flemish funding agency, VLAIO, funds R&D costs for SMEs and large companies participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant with a maximum funding of 750,000 euro per project.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

The criteria of the respective VLAIO development projects or VLAIO research projects apply. More information is available on the website of VLAIO.

Research organisation or university

Universities can only be funded as a subcontractor to a private enterprise.

Additional steps for applications from Belgium (Flanders)

Organisations must file a VLAIO development project or VLAIO research project.

Chilean funding agency, CORFO, funds R&D costs for SMEs and large companies participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant with a maximum funding of 1 billion Chilean pesos per project.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

More information is available on the following pages:

• https://corfo.cl/sites/cpp/convocatoria/innova_alta_tecnologia_eureka/
• https://corfo.cl/sites/cpp/landing-eureka-smart/

Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Chile

General Objective: Support R&D-intensive innovations that face high technological uncertainty and target national or global commercialisation, while strengthening companies’ R&D&I capacities.

Specific Objectives: Reduce technological uncertainty in the development of sophisticated products and/or processes; develop protection strategies for results; design and test strategies for market entry or first productive implementation; and strengthen R&D&I capacities.

Expected Results: New high-tech products and/or processes developed; protection strategies in place; validated strategies for market entry or process implementation; and reinforced R&D&I capacities.

Additional evaluation steps for applications from Chile

• Projects undergo an admissibility check before parallel evaluation by InnovaChile (national component) and Eureka agencies (foreign component).
• InnovaChile scores 1–5 based on: Problem/technological analysis (15%), Market (10%), Methodology & work plan (15%), Novelty/differentiation (15%), Market introduction & benefits (10%), Continuity strategy (15%), Team capacities (10%), Beneficiary & partners (10%).
• Minimum score: 3.5 overall and 3.0 per sub-criterion.
• Bonuses: +0.2 if hiring expert human capital (≥12 months) and +5% for SMEs with early compliance to Law 21.561 (working hours reduction).
• Proposals with ties are ranked favoring such SMEs. Decisions consider budget availability; approved projects may have technical/financial adjustments.

Additional steps for applications from Chile

Companies must contact [email protected]. Before applying, they will need to submit a profile as well as a budget plan to the innovation team of Corfo.

The Czech Republic has an open budget for this call for projects. Participants from the Czech Republic can receive a grant of up to 12,000,000 Czech korunas.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

More information is available on the website of the MSMT.

Additional eligibility criteria for applications from the Czech Republic

• The duration of your project may not exceed 36 months.
• Your project consortium must have at least one company.

Additional steps for applications from the Czech Republic

There are additional steps that you must take if you are applying from the Czech Republic. These include submitting plans and financial reports. More information about these steps is available on the website of MSMT.

Finnish funding agency, Business Finland, funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

More information is available on the website of Business Finland.

French funding agency, Bpifrance, funds R&D costs for startups and SMEs participating in this call. Funding is available as a loan with a maximum funding of 3 million euro euro per project.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Companies with more than 2,000 full-time equivalent employees are not eligible for funding but can self-fund their project costs. Research organisations and universities are not eligible for funding but can participate as subcontractors. For larger consortiums, alternative funding opportunities such as i-Démo or thematic national calls for projects may be available, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria.

Additional evaluation steps for applications from France

The project and the French firm’s technical and financial capacity to carry it through must be assessed by Bpifrance.

Additional steps for applications from France

Before applying, you must contact your Chargé(e) d’Affaires Innovation in your Bpifrance Regional Office to discuss the application with them and verify your eligibility.

If your project is invited to submit a full project proposal, you will have to submit your national application (“demande d’aide à l’innovation”) on the Bpifrance En Ligne platform by the end of April /mid-June 2026. You will need to submit financial and technical documents requested by your Chargé(e) d’Affaires Innovation.

German partners can choose from existing national programmes to finance their share of the project. Please contact the German Eureka office for more information.

Irish funding agency, Enterprise Ireland, funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Intending participants must be registered with a national funding agency to access grant funding. Intending participants are strongly recommended to check eligibility and rates with the relevant national agency prior to any submission to SMART.

Additional steps for applications from Ireland

National grant applications will only be considered after the award of a label by SMART.

Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Ireland

Please check with the relevant national funding agency to check all local rules and conditions.

Israeli funding agency, the Israeli Innovation Authority (IIA), funds R&D costs for SMEs and large companies participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Academic institutions, research entities and other R&D institutes can participate in the projects as sub-contractors.

Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Israel

The call is intended for for-profit R&D performing companies registered in Israel.

Additional evaluation criteria for applications from Israel

Technological and functional innovation, technological and business feasibility, team ability, contribution to the economy.

Additional steps for applications from Israel

After a project receives the Cluster’s label, the company should apply for funding from the IIA.

Latvian funding agency, the Latvian Council of Science (LZP), funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant with a maximum funding of 100,000 euro per participant.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

All costs that may arise during the implementation of the project may be eligible. These costs must be separated from the rest of the financial flow and based on factual spending. For detailed eligibility criteria and costs, please see the website of LZP.

Additional steps for applications from Latvia

If the project is marked for funding, the organisation will need to submit a special application requesting funding. In this step, the organisation will be contacted by the National Funding Body.

Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Latvia

To receive funding, companies must have been established for at least two years and must be able to submit financial reports for the last two years without any financial irregularities or legal restrictions that forbid them to receive national funding. For more information, please contact the National Funding Body.

Lithuanian funding agency, the Research Council of Lithuania, funds R&D costs for small companies, medium-sized companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant, with a maximum of 30,000 euro per project.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Lithuania

• Your project consortium must have at least one company.
• At least two participants must participate from Lithuania – university/research and studies institution and an SME.

Additional steps for applications from Lithuania

A national application is required, which is then evaluated by experts.

Luxembourg has an open budget for this call for projects. Participants from Luxembourg can receive a grant.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Luxembourg

• Your project must benefit all partners
• All partners must participate.
• Your project, process, or service must be innovative and there must be a technological risk involved.
• Your project consortium must have at least one company.
• The Luxembourg partner must show a viable co-financing capacity
• The Luxembourg partner must have employees in Luxembourg

Additional steps for applications from Luxembourg

Companies should contact Luxinnovation for more information and to check eligibility. In some cases a BP and Cash-Flow Forecast might be necessary. After the Eureka label has been received, a national application needs to be submitted.

Polish funding agency, the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant with a maximum of 1 million Polish zloty for single applicants, or 2 million Polish zloty for a domestic consortium.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

More information about funding will be made available on the website of NCBR.

Additional steps for applications from Poland

Applicants must submit a domestic application which will be the main point for evaluation by NCBR. Criteria will be published on the NCBR website.

Portugal has an open budget for this call for projects. Participants from Portugal can receive a grant.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Note: Portuguese entities with investments in the region of Lisbon NUTS II are limited to 40% of funding of their eligible costs

Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Portugal

• The duration of your project may not exceed 36 months.
• Your project consortium must have at least one company.
• You project, process, or service must be innovative and there must be a technological risk involved.
• Your project must benefit all partners; all partners must participate.

To be eligible, Portuguese companies need to comply with the following financial autonomy ratios:

• If SME: 15%
• Companies with less than one year of activity at the application date must demonstrate the capacity to finance the project with equity, equal to or greater than 20% of eligible expenses.

Additional steps for applications from Portugal

After being awarded the Eureka label, Portuguese entities need to apply, for national funding, to the notice specifically opened for that effect – Aviso MPr-2024-12 – SIID – Internacionalização de I&D – Operações de I&D industrial à escala europeia, open until the 31st of October (a new one with the same specifications should open right after).

Singaporean funding agency, Enterprise Singapore, funds R&D costs for SMEs and large companies participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Research organisation or university

Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and research institutions (Ris) can only be funded as a subcontractor to a private enterprise.

Additional steps for applications from Singapore

Companies must submit an application on the Business Grant Portal. The application instructions will be given upon prior consultation with an Enterprise Singapore representative.

Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Singapore

Applicant companies must be:

• Locally owned (the applicant should have at least 30% of its ordinary shares held directly or indirectly by Singaporeans/Singapore PRs)
• In a financially viable position to start and complete the project

The lead applicant should be a business entity that is registered/incorporated and operating in Singapore.

Slovakian funding agency, the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic (MESRS SR), funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant with a maximum funding of 45,000 euro per project.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

South Korean funding agency, KIAT, funds R&D costs for startups, small companies, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant with a maximum funding of 500 million South Korean won per year per project for a duration of up to 3 years, for a total of up to 1.5 billion South Korean won.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Additional eligibility criteria for applications from South Korea

Korean companies must have been registered as a legal entity in Korea for at least one year and they must hold a valid “certificate of accredited company-affiliated research institute” issued by KOITA (Korea Industrial Technology Association).

Spanish funding agency, CDTI, funds R&D costs for SMEs and large companies participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant or a convertible loan.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

More information is available on the website of CDTI.

Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Spain

The minimum eligible budget per Spanish partner is 175,000 euro. The support aims to encourage research and development, so the proposal must meet the incentive effect requirement. Research and development tasks are required.

Additional evaluation steps for applications from Spain

A financial and technical evaluation will be performed.

Additional application steps for applications from Spain

After receiving the Eureka label, Spanish partners must submit a funding application at national level.

Swedish funding agency, Vinnova, funds R&D costs for SMEs and large companies participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant with a maximum funding of 5 million Swedish krona per project.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

More information is available on the website of Vinnova.

Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Sweden

• Projects must include at least one small or medium-sized enterprise (SME).
• At least 60 percent of the total work effort in the consortium must come from the participating companies.

Further eligibility criteria can be found on the website of Vinnova.

Turkish funding agency, TÜBİTAK, funds R&D costs for SMEs and large companies participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

All companies established in Turkey can apply to the programme. Within the scope of the national application, universities or research institutes are not eligible to participate as partners; however, they may be involved as subcontractors. More information is available on the National Programme Rules Website.

Additional evaluation steps for applications from Türkiye

Project proposals are evaluated according to the following three dimensions:

1. Dimension: Industrial R&D Content, Technology Level, Innovative Aspect
2. Dimension: Eligibility of Project Plan and Enterprise Infrastructure for the Project
3. Dimension: The Turnover of the Project Outputs to Economic Benefit and National Benefit

Additional steps for applications from Türkiye

Project applications are submitted to TÜBİTAK via the PRODİS.

The project to be submitted international calls should be submitted to TÜBİTAK in accordance with the evaluation calendar of the relevant call.