Innovation Fund launches dedicated €200 million call for SMEs
The European Innovation Fund is preparing a new funding call specifically designed for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The new IF26 SME Call aims to make Innovation Fund support more accessible to companies with smaller innovation projects and limited experience with EU grant applications. The call will support SMEs developing small-scale projects with capital expenditures between €2.5 million and €20 million. To be eligible, companies must meet the EU definition of an SME based on staff numbers and turnover (EU Recommendation 2003/361). The total budget for the call is €200 million.
Simplified application process
The new SME call introduces a simplified application procedure to lower barriers for applicants:
- Less paperwork: fewer documents and less information when applying
- A simpler way to calculate climate benefits: a semi-automated tool to calculate greenhouse gas avoidance
- Simpler reporting and monitoring
- Two opportunities to apply in the year: if applicants are not ready to apply for the first application round, they can apply in the next one. The end of each round will be marked by two “cut-off” dates (for more details, please consult the timeline below).
- Support for projects that may carry more risk than projects supported through other Innovation Fund calls.
Call timeline
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13 October 2026: webinar for SME applications
- December 2026 – December 2027: First application round
- December 2026: publication of call documents
- End of March 2027: deadline for applications
- April – June 2027: Evaluation of proposals
- July – December 2027: Grant Agreement signed for awarded projects
- April 2027 – Jun 2028: Second application round
- April 2027: publication of call documents
- End of September 2027: deadline for applications
- October – December 2027: Evaluation of proposals
- January – June 2028: Grant Agreement signed for awarded projects
Information webinar
On Tuesday 13 October, from 11:00 to 12:00, the European Commission will host a webinar providing an overview of the new IF26 SME call. Participants will receive more information about the eligibility and evaluation criteria, the call timeline, the application process and the available support tools.