M‑ERA.NET call launched: VLAIO allocates €1 million for ambitious cross‑border R&D
M‑ERA.NET supports ambitious, cross‑border R&D projects in the field of materials innovation and is funded by 34 national and regional funding agencies. VLAIO has allocated €1 million to support the Flemish share of M‑ERA.NET projects. The 2026 call is currently open, with the pre‑proposal deadline on 12 May 2026 and the full‑proposal deadline on 18 November 2026.
Thematic areas
Project proposals must fall within one of the following topics:
- Materials for energy storage and distribution systems
- Materials for energy conversion
- Innovative surfaces, coatings and interfaces
- Innovative functional materials with defined architectures
- Materials addressing environmental challenges
- Next generation materials for electronics
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for VLAIO funding, at least one Flemish company must participate in the Flemish part of the M‑ERA.NET project. The Flemish company or companies may involve a knowledge institution as a subcontractor or research partner if needed.
Projects that include a collaboration between a Flemish company and at least one other independent enterprise, of which at least one is an SME, are eligible for an additional incentive. If no single company receives more than 70% of the Flemish sub‑budget, the incentive increases to 15%. As a result, the support rate can rise to a maximum of 70% for a research project and 60% for a development project. More information on the VLAIO website.
34 national and regional funding agencies
This joint call is a collaboration between 34 national and regional funding agencies from 29 countries, with a total call budget of €39 million.
Deadline for pre-proposals
Pre-proposals must be submitted to M-ERA.NET by 12 May 2026 at 12:00 noon. Flemish participants are also required to submit an application to VLAIO for a research or development project. This VLAIO application must be submitted by the same deadline: 12 May 2026 at 12:00 noon.
Call webinar
M‑ERA.NET will organise an informative webinar on 18 March 2026, explaining the guidelines and overall procedure. More information about this webinar can be found here.