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  1. An institution, body, office or agency established by or based on the Treaty on European Union and the Treaties establishing the European Communities.

    All education and training facilities for people of different age groups.

    An intergovernmental organization having legal personality under public international law or a specialized agency established by such an international organization. An international organization, the majority of whose members are Member States or Associated Countries and whose main objective is to promote scientific and technological cooperation in Europe, is an International Organization of European Interest.

    A person with legal rights and obligations. Unlike a legal entity, a natural person does not have a legal act (e.g. association, limited liability company, etc.).

    An NPO is an institution or organization which, by virtue of its legal form, is not profit-oriented or which is required by law not to distribute profits to its shareholders or individual members. An NGO is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that does not represent business interests. Pursues a common purpose for the benefit of society.

    A partnership, corporation, person, or agency that is for-profit and not operated by the government.

    Any government or other public administration, including public advisory bodies, at the national, regional or local level.

    A research institution is a legal entity established as a non-profit organization whose main objective is to conduct research or technological development. A college/university is a legal entity recognized by its national education system as a university or college or secondary school. It may be a public or private institution.

    A microenterprise, a small or medium-sized enterprise (business) as defined in EU Recommendation 2003/361. To qualify as an SME for EU funding, an enterprise must meet certain conditions, including (a) fewer than 250 employees and (b) an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million. These ceilings apply only to the figures for individual companies.

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  1. Administration & Governance, Institutional Capacity & Cooperation 

    This topic focuses on strengthening governance, fostering institutional capacity, and enhancing cross-border cooperation. It includes promoting multilevel, transnational, and cross-border governance by designing and testing effective structures and mechanisms, as well as encouraging collaboration between public institutions on various themes. 

    Innovation capacity and awareness are also key, with actions aimed at increasing the ability of individuals and organizations to adopt and apply innovative practices. This involves empowering innovation networks and stimulating innovation across different sectors. 

    Institutional cooperation and network-building play a crucial role, supporting long-term partnerships to improve administrative processes, share regional knowledge, and promote intercultural understanding. This also includes cooperation between universities, healthcare facilities, schools, sports organizations, and efforts in management and capacity building. 

    This topic focuses on strengthening the agricultural, forestry, and fisheries sectors while ensuring sustainable development and environmental protection. It covers agricultural products (e.g., fruits, meat, olives), organic farming, horticulture, and innovative approaches to sustainable agriculture. It also addresses forest management, wood products, and the promotion of biodiversity and climate resilience in forestry practices.

    In the food sector, the focus lies on developing sustainable and resilient food chains, promoting organic food production, enhancing seafood products, and ensuring food security and safety. Projects also target the development of the agro-food industry, including innovative methods for production, processing, and distribution.

    Fisheries and animal management are essential aspects, with an emphasis on sustainable fishery practices, aquaculture, and animal health and welfare. This also includes efforts to promote responsible fishing, marine conservation, and the development of efficient resource management systems.

    Soil and air quality initiatives play a crucial role in environmental protection and public health. This includes projects aimed at combating soil and air pollution, implementing pollution management systems, and preventing soil erosion. Additionally, innovative approaches to improving air quality—both outdoors and indoors—are supported, alongside advancing knowledge and best practices in soil and air management.

    This topic focuses on protecting the environment, promoting biodiversity, and addressing the challenges of climate change and resource management. It includes efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, develop low-carbon technologies, and reduce GHG emissions. Biodiversity promotion and natural protection are key aspects. 

    It also covers improving soil and air quality by reducing pollution, managing contamination, preventing soil erosion, and enhancing air quality both outdoors and indoors. Water management plays an essential role, including sustainable water distribution, monitoring systems, innovative wastewater treatment technologies, and water reuse policies. Additionally, it addresses the protection and development of waterways, lakes, and rivers, as well as sustainable wetland management. 

    This topic focuses on preserving, promoting, and enhancing cultural and natural heritage in a sustainable way. It includes efforts to increase the attractiveness of cultural and natural sites through preservation, valorisation, and the development of heritage objects, services, and products. Cultural heritage management, arts, and culture play a key role, including maritime heritage routes, access to cultural sites, and cultural services like festivals, concerts, and art workshops. 

    Tourism development is also central, with actions aimed at promoting natural assets, protecting and developing natural heritage, and increasing touristic appeal through the better use of cultural, natural, and historical heritage. It also covers the improvement of tourist services and products, the creation of ecotourism models, and the development of sustainable tourism strategies. 

    This topic focuses on the sustainable management, protection, and valorisation of natural resources and areas, such as habitats, geo parks, and protected zones. It also includes preserving and enhancing cultural and natural heritage, landscapes, and protecting marine environments. 

    Circular economy initiatives play a key role, with actions aimed at innovative waste management, ecological treatment techniques, and advanced recycling systems. Projects may focus on improving recycling technologies, organic waste recovery, and establishing repair and re-use networks. Additionally, pollution prevention and control efforts address ecological economy practices, marine litter reduction, and sustainable resource use. 

    This topic covers labour market development and employment, focusing on creating job opportunities, optimizing existing jobs, and addressing academic (un)employment and job mobility. It also includes attracting a skilled workforce and improving working conditions for various groups. 

    Strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and boosting entrepreneurship are key priorities. This includes enhancing SME capacities, supporting social entrepreneurship, and promoting innovative business models. Activities may focus on creating advisory systems for start-ups, spin-offs, and incubators, fostering business networks, and improving the competitiveness of SMEs through knowledge and technology transfer, digital transformation, and sustainable business practices. 

    This topic focuses on fostering community integration and strengthening a common identity by promoting social cohesion, positive relations, and the development of shared spaces and services. It supports initiatives that enhance intercultural understanding and cooperation between different societal groups. 

    Demographic change and migration address key societal challenges, such as an aging population, active aging, and silver economy strategies. It also includes adapting public services and infrastructure to demographic shifts, tackling social and spatial segregation, and addressing brain drain. Migration-related actions cover policy development, strategic planning, and the integration of migrants to create inclusive and resilient communities. 

    All projects where ICT has a significant role, including tailor-made ICT solutions in different fields, as well as digital innovation hubs, open data, Internet of Things; ICT access and connecting (remote) areas with digital infrastructure and services; services and applications for citizens (e-health, e-government, e-learning, e-inclusion, etc.); services and applications for companies (e-commerce, networking, digital transformation, etc.).

    This is about the mitigation and management of risks and disasters, and the anticipation and response capacity towards the actors regarding specific risks and management of natural disasters, for example, prevention of flood and drought hazards, forest fire, strong weather conditions, etc.. It is also about risk assessment and safety.

    This topic focuses on enhancing education, training, and opportunities for children, youth, and adults. It covers the expansion of educational access, reduction of barriers to education, and improvement of higher education and lifelong learning. It also includes vocational education, common learning programs, and initiatives supporting labour mobility and educational networks. Additionally, it addresses the promotion of media literacy, digital learning tools, and the development of innovative educational approaches to strengthen knowledge, skills, and societal participation. 

    This topic emphasizes the role of culture and media in education and social development. It supports initiatives that foster creativity, cultural awareness, and artistic expression among children and youth. Activities include promoting cross-border cooperation in the audiovisual sector, enhancing digital content creation skills, and boosting the distribution of educational and cultural media products. Furthermore, it encourages the development of media literacy initiatives, helping young audiences critically engage with digital and media content. By connecting education, creativity, and media, this topic strengthens cultural identity and supports inclusive, knowledge-based societies. 

    This topic covers actions aimed at improving energy efficiency and promoting the use of renewable energy sources. It includes energy management, energy-saving methods, and evaluating energy efficiency measures. Projects may focus on the energy rehabilitation and efficiency of buildings and public infrastructure, as well as promoting energy efficiency through cooperation among experienced firms, institutions, and local administrations. 

    In the field of renewable energy, this encompasses the development and expansion of wind, solar, biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal, and other sustainable energy sources. Activities include increasing renewable energy production, enhancing research capacities, and developing innovative technologies for energy storage and management. Projects may also address sustainable regional bioenergy policies, financial instruments for renewable energy investments, and the establishment of cooperative frameworks for advancing renewable energy initiatives. 

    This topic focuses on promoting equal rights and strengthening social inclusion, particularly for marginalized and vulnerable groups. It covers activities enhancing the capacity and participation of children, young people, women, elderly people, and socially excluded groups. Activities can address the creation of inclusive infrastructure, improving access and opportunities for people with disabilities, and fostering social cohesion through innovative care services. It also includes initiatives supporting victims of gender-based violence, promoting human rights, and developing policies and tools for social integration and equal participation in society. 

    This area focuses on improving health and social services, enhancing accessibility and efficiency for diverse groups such as the elderly, children, and people with disabilities. It includes the development of new healthcare models, innovative medical diagnostics and treatments (e.g., dementia, cancer, diabetes), and the management of hospitals and care facilities. Additionally, activities addressing rare diseases, promoting overall wellbeing, and fostering preventive health measures fall under this theme. It also covers sports promotion, encouraging physical activity as a means to improve public health and social inclusion. 

    This area focuses on strengthening justice, safety, and security through cross-border cooperation and institutional capacity-building. It includes initiatives aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of police, fire, and rescue services, enhancing civil protection systems, and rapid response capabilities for emergencies like chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents. Activities also target the prevention and combatting of organized crime, drug-related crimes, and human trafficking, as well as ensuring secure and efficient border management. Furthermore, it covers initiatives promoting the protection of citizens, community safety, and the development of innovative security services and technologies. 

    This area focuses on the development and improvement of transport and mobility systems, covering all modes of transport, including urban mobility and public transportation. Actions aiming at improving transport connections through traffic and transport planning, rehabilitation and modernisation of infrastructure, better connectivity, and enhanced accessibility. Projects promoting multimodal transport and logistics, optimising intermodal transport chains, offering sustainable and efficient logistics solutions, and developing multimodal mobility strategies. Also, initiatives establishing cooperation among logistic centres and providing access to clean, efficient, and multimodal transport corridors and hubs. 

    Activities focusing on the sustainable development and strategic planning of urban, regional, and rural areas. This includes urban development such as city planning, urban renewal, and strengthening urban-rural links through climate adaptation, sustainable mobility, water efficiency, participatory processes, smart cities, and the regeneration of public urban spaces. Regional planning and development cover the implementation of regional policies and programmes, sustainable land use management plans, integrated regional action plans, spatial planning, and the efficient management of marine protected areas. Rural and peripheral development addresses the challenges of remote and sparsely populated areas by fostering rural community development, enhancing rural economies, improving access to remote regions, and promoting tailored policies for rural sustainability and growth. 

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Call key data

Joint Cluster Initiatives (EUROCLUSTERS) for Europe’s recovery

Funding Program

Single Market Programme

Call number

SMP-COSME-2024-CLUSTER-01

deadlines

Opening
15.10.2024

Deadline
05.02.2025 17:00

Funding rate

90-100%

Call budget

€ 42,000,000.00

Estimated EU contribution per project

€ 2,625,000.00

Link to the call

Link to the submission

Call content

short description

The European Commission is launching a new set of around 16 cross-sectoral, interdisciplinary and trans-European strategic Joint Cluster Initiatives to be called ‘Euroclusters’. Euroclusters will contribute to the implementation of the European Commission’s New Industrial Strategy for Europe as well as to its updated Strategy that was published in May 2021 and the SME Strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe adopted in March 2020 by building resilience and accelerating the transition to a green and digital economy. Euroclusters will also support the implementation of the Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age and its initiatives (Critical Raw Materials and Net-Zero Industry Acts), and the European Economic Security Strategy to ensure the security of the EU value chains.

Call objectives

The main objective of this call for proposals, for both strands, is to support innovation and adoption of new processes and advanced technologies for strategic autonomy, to build capacity in the most critical areas of the relevant ecosystem(s) and to reinforce transformation into a greener, more digital, and resilient economy.

This call is expected to contribute to the following other supporting objectives:

  • to establish networks and strategic partnerships to improve the resilience of the EU industrial ecosystems by developing and strengthening value chains in the EU Single Market;
  • to provide training to foster upskilling and reskilling of the workforce and attracting talents;
  • to go international to boost access to global supply and value chains.

Euroclusters shall put forward proposals for how to initiate, develop and maintain an EU-level long-term strategic partnership between clusters across different EU Member States and SMP COSME participating countries. Euroclusters must also support SMEs (more details in Sections 2 and 6 of the call document) and they are expected to demonstrate how they will organise such support in line with the overall Euroclusters long-term strategy.

In their proposals, Euroclusters are expected to concretely explain how they will effectively work together with other support actors and networks such as the European Cluster Collaboration Platform, Enterprise Europe Network, and European Digital Innovation Hubs.

Applications shall address the main objective and are also expected to contribute to one or more of the supporting objectives.


Main objective: Innovation and adoption of new processes and advanced technologies for strategic autonomy, to build capacity in the most critical areas of their ecosystems, and to reinforce transformation into a greener, more digital, and resilient economy.

  • Innovation for strategic autonomy

The aim is to reduce the dependency of companies in the ecosystem on critical inputs and critical technologies through the development of novel ideas, substitutes, innovative products, or services.

Innovation is central to cope with disruptions in supply and to accelerate the uptake of green and digital technologies. Euroclusters shall identify innovation potential in their value chains. They shall undertake innovation activities, such as any developmental, financial, and commercial activities undertaken by a company that are intended to result in an innovation for the company.

Euroclusters shall support companies, in particular SMEs, in a business innovation, i.e., introducing on the market or bringing into use by the companies a new or improved product or business process (or combination thereof) that differs significantly from the company’s previous products or business processes and that contributes to the strategic autonomy of the EU industrial ecosystems as well as that of supported companies.

Euroclusters should look to cooperate effectively with local and other actors which design or implement projects under the Horizon Europe programme or the national and regional smart specialisation strategies under the Cohesion policy funding.

  • Adoption of new-to-firm processes and advanced technologies

The aim is to support companies and SMEs in adopting processes and technologies that improve the value chains’ efficiency, e.g., related to the use of resources, and uptake of green technologies and digital solutions.

To accelerate the green transition, Euroclusters need to improve resource efficiency, support green entrepreneurship and facilitate market access for SMEs offering green products and services.

To succeed in the digital transition, Euroclusters need to support their members in the uptake of digital solutions, adopting digital instruments and developing a digital component in their business models.

The objective of the Euroclusters will also be to prepare and help businesses to adopt advanced technologies, e.g., Internet of Things (IoT), photonics, nanotechnologies, artificial intelligence. Euroclusters should foster the establishment of strategic collaboration between tech-savvy companies and traditional businesses, with particular attention to SMEs, focusing on the benefits of adopting advanced technologies.

In particular, the Euroclusters should help build a portfolio of projects among traditional and tech-savvy companies to promote companies’ collaboration and technology adoption within and across specific industrial ecosystems. This objective is aiming to raise awareness on existing solutions and help accelerate their uptake.

In these areas, it will be essential that Euroclusters cooperate effectively with other support providers and networks and avoid unnecessary duplication


Secondary supporting objectives

  • Establish networks and strategic partnerships to improve the resilience of the EU industrial ecosystems by developing and strengthening value chains in the EU Single Market.

The specific aim is to strengthen value chains through the integration of different actors, competences, and solutions.

Euroclusters can contribute to building resilience by mobilising different actors who have complementary assets and talents. Euroclusters should create a strong result-oriented network able to ensure among others: innovation; diversification of production inputs in different EU Member States; an increase in the customer base of companies within the ecosystem; pooling of supply or demand; mobilisation of joint investments in critical innovation and production facilities; development of alternative EU technologies; implementation of measures to increase environmental circularity; supply of inputs or their substitutes; introduction of new-to-firm technologies, products or services; collaboration to reach international markets. These networks should be designed as strategic, long-term partnerships, extending beyond the duration of the project.

Euroclusters should cooperate effectively with the reinforced action on resilience being carried out by the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) and Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) under the updated industrial strategy.

  • Provide training to foster upskilling and reskilling of the workforce and attracting talents.

Partners of Euroclusters can share their experience in analysing, designing and delivering a common strategy and/or on implementing a roadmap on green and digital skills for the clusters. Euroclusters can jointly develop a portfolio of services and implement collaborative actions to build up their training infrastructures, knowledge, and capacities. They could facilitate the upskilling and reskilling of the cluster members’ workforce, enhance the skills-related services that clusters could provide to their members, engage in regional skills ecosystems and in European and national level initiatives, and cooperate with vocational training organisations.

It would be important that Euroclusters cooperate effectively with other actors and support networks on this objective.

  • Go international to boost access to global supply and value chains.

The aim is to reach collaboration agreements with entities in third countries leading to market access for EU companies, and to lead international cluster cooperation in fields of strategic interest.

Euroclusters can develop and implement a joint internationalisation strategy, support SME internationalisation towards third countries beyond Europe, and sign collaboration agreements with entities in third countries.

They can develop a joint ‘European’ strategic vision with a global perspective and common goals towards specific third markets and explore ways of rebuilding and reconnecting international supply and value chains, reshaping their global possibilities to a new reality and taking rational positions in risk exposure.

Euroclusters should strive to successfully support the internationalisation of their SME members towards specific third countries, and/or strengthen their resilience in global value chains that they are already active in, and/or attracting strategic foreign direct investment and cooperation partners and/or securing critical imports, knowledge and technologies with a view to support growth, jobs and investment in Europe.

In addition, the Euroclusters could demonstrate swift adaptability to future developments in international trade and coherence of their priorities with EU strategies, notably as regards trade policy. The Euroclusters can play a role in helping SMEs benefit from the EU’s existing and future free trade agreements, including through cooperation with other relevant support providers and networks both within the EU and beyond.

In order to achieve this objective, Euroclusters can take advantage of matchmaking events and activities organised by the ECCP - when possible and when in line with the objectives of the SMEs that they are assisting.

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Expected effects and impacts

Euroclusters must monitor the results of their activities and elaborate a comprehensive set of indicators, benchmarks and targets to do so.

Please consult call document pages 19-21 for mandatory KPIs, reporting requirements and deliverables.

Expected results

Proposals must be focused on a value chain within or across one or more of the 14 industrial ecosystems as identified in the European Industrial Strategy. Furthermore, this call for proposals is divided in two strands: the first strand is specifically related to Net-Zero Industry Act and Critical Raw Materials, the second strand is addressing value chains that are not related to the two mentioned legislations.

Proposals must be focused on only one of the two strands of this call for proposals:

  • Strand 1 focuses on net-zero technologies and critical raw materials: this strand covers value chains within or across industrial ecosystems aiming at ensuring access to a secure and sustainable supply of net-zero technologies, including by scaling up the manufacturing capacity of net-zero technologies and safeguarding supply chain resilience or/and at starting or expanding the extraction, processing or recycling of strategic raw materials, or the production and scale-up of materials that can substitute strategic raw materials in strategic technologies;
  • Strand 2 covers value chains not covered in Strand 1.

Euroclusters can be active in one or more industrial ecosystems. They must indicate for which of the two strands they apply and which of the 14 industrial ecosystems they represent in the Annex 5 to Part B - Eligibility checklist. This Annex 5 can be downloaded from EISMEA’s page here and will need to be uploaded as a mandatory annex to the proposal (please carefully check Section 5 ‘Admissibility’ and Section 6 ‘Eligibility’ of this call for proposals).


Activities that can be funded:

Euroclusters applying to this call for proposals shall deliver on mandatory activities (see below) to address the main objective and, in doing so, they are also expected to contribute to one or more of the supporting objectives.

Moreover, Euroclusters shall design and implement an effective communication  plan to promote the project’s outputs, results, and impact.

Applicants will find below the mandatory activities, as well as a non-exclusive list of eligible activities, under this call for proposals for both strands. Proposals are expected to set out a coherent and well-balanced mix of mandatory activities and other potential activities relevant for each objective being addressed.

Furthermore, proposals are expected to demonstrate how the partnerships will work together effectively with other support actors and networks such as ECCP, EEN, and European Digital Innovation Hubs to increase their impact for companies.

Mandatory activities:

  • Support product innovations to reduce dependency on critical inputs and technologies in the Euroclusters’ value chains with a view to introducing new-to-firm products or services.
  • Foster the implementation of business process innovations tied to the adoption of new-to-firm technologies that help SMEs to meet requirements for their successful green and digital transitions, as well as to increase their resilience.
  • Mandatory activity on communication: 
    • Euroclusters must demonstrate how they will achieve the highest visibility of their activities and achievements, with particular attention to their industrial ecosystem/s.
    • Proposals must include an outline of the Eurocluster’s communication strategy, explaining how the Eurocluster aims to achieve the key communication objectives, by touching at least upon the following elements:
      • target audience for communication,
      • communication channels and tools to be used and how the Eurocluster will exploit the visibility opportunities offered by the European Cluster Collaboration Platform,
      •  how to measure the results of the communication activities and define success.
    • Proposals that are selected for funding will have to elaborate on the above in a Communication and Dissemination plan, to be delivered at an early stage of the project implementation.
    • Each Eurocluster must appoint a communication correspondent.
    • Euroclusters will make a strategic use of marketing tools, including social media and active participation (e.g. as speakers) at events, to inform about their work and share results. Euroclusters will create a clear value proposition to ensure an EU-wide reach out to SMEs, researchers, and potential investors.
    • Euroclusters must use a common brand identity (to be provided by EISMEA to awarded applicants) in order to ensure maximum visibility to the initiative and enhance each project’s visibility and recognition. Euroclusters must develop their individual logos and visual identities using this common brand identity, while respecting their general obligation to acknowledge the origin and ensure the visibility of EU funding in all communications. The created visual identity must be applied into all communication materials needed (e.g., printed documents, websites, social media channels, promotional materials, events, emails, newsletters, and any other communication means produced by the Euroclusters).
    • All individual partners of the Eurocluster must feature the Eurocluster on their respective websites.
    • Euroclusters must fill in their profile on the European Cluster Collaboration Platform within 15 days following the signature of the Grant Agreement and use that webpage as the main communication channel for project’s activities and results. Failure to comply with this provision might lead the Agency to suspend or terminate the Grant Agreement.

Please consult pages 13-16 of the call document for other eligible activities.

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Eligibility Criteria

Regions / countries for funding

EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT)
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Liechtenstein, Montenegro (Црна Гора), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна)

eligible entities

Education and training institution, International organization, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)

Mandatory partnership

Yes

Project Partnership

Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least three applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities), which complies with the following conditions:

  • minimum three cluster organisations (as defined above) or cluster networks from at least three different EU Member States; 
  • at least half of the partners in each consortium (Eurocluster) must be cluster organisations or cluster networks registered or having submitted a registration on the ECCP by the submission deadline of this call for proposals; in this sense, it is requested that all applicants fill in Annex 5 to Part B - Eligibility checklist by providing:
    • For cluster organisations and cluster networks already registered in the European Cluster Collaboration Platform: the link to the completed cluster organisation profile for each applicant registered on the Platform must be provided; or
    • For cluster organisations and cluster networks not yet registered in the European Cluster Collaboration Platform: for each applicant, a declaration on their honour that they represent a cluster organisation or a business network organisation offering or channelling innovative support services to businesses (in compliance with the definition of ‘innovation clusters’), together with a proof that a cluster profile has been submitted to the ECCP for registration, with the respective information included in the descriptive form.
  • the applicant consortium must include at least one partner established in a less advanced region of an EU Member State (as defined and applied in the Cohesion policy regulation 2021-2027: GDP per capita <75%). The name of the less advanced region needs to be indicated in Annex 5 to Part B - Eligibility  checklist. The name of this region must be coherent with the region that appears in the legal address (as per provided PIC number) of this partner.

It is recalled that individual applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) cannot participate in more than one Eurocluster proposal under this call for proposals. Each Eurocluster is responsible to verify that their individual consortium partners (applicants and affiliated entities) are NOT participating in proposals of another Eurocluster. This applies also to clusters without legal personality: if the same cluster organisation (even if represented in different consortia by different legal entities) participates in more than one proposal, all concerned proposals will be considered ineligible under this call.

Similarly, one Eurocluster (consortium of applicants and affiliated entities) cannot submit more than one proposal under this call for proposals.

If any such case is detected by the funding body, it will lead to the ineligibility of all concerned proposals submitted by the concerned consortia under this call.


In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must: 

  • be legal entities (public or private bodies)

  • be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:

    • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))

    • non-EU countries: listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Single Market Programme (list of participating countries)

  • be or represent a cluster organisation (see definition below), a Single Market Programme (SMP) cluster network, or other types of organisations supporting green and digital transitions and building EU resilience. For the purpose of this call for proposals, cluster organisations are understood as the legal entities that support the strengthening of collaboration, networking and learning in innovation clusters and act as innovation support providers by providing or channelling specialised and customised business support services to stimulate innovation activities, especially in SMEs. They are usually the actors that facilitate strategic partnering across clusters.

Specific cases:

Exceptional funding — Entities from other countries (not listed above) are exceptionally eligible, if the granting authority considers their participation essential for the implementation of the action.

Natural persons are NOT eligible (with the exception of self-employed persons, i.e. sole traders, where the company does not have legal personality separate from that of the natural person).

International organisations are eligible. The rules on eligible countries do not apply to them.

Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees for the protection of the EU financial interests equivalent to that offered by legal persons. 

EU bodies (with the exception of the European Commission Joint Research Centre) can NOT be part of the consortium. 

Entities composed of members may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. Please note that if the action will be implemented by the members, they should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible). 

Beneficiaries from countries with ongoing negotiations (see above) may participate in the call and can sign grants if the negotiations are concluded before grant signature (with retroactive effect, if provided in the agreement).

other eligibility criteria

Financial support to third parties:

At least 75% of the grant must be directed by the Eurocluster as financial support to third parties, the SMEs, via cascade funding by means of open calls fulfilling the conditions described below.

Financial support to third parties can only cover activities directly focused to address the main objective “Innovation and adoption of new processes and advanced technologies for strategic autonomy, to build capacity in the most critical areas of their ecosystems, and to reinforce transformation into a greener, more digital, and resilient economy” (see Section 2). Please note that:

  • Financial support to third parties requires a direct financial transaction between the beneficiaries of this call, the Eurocluster, and the “third parties” (SME beneficiaries of the cascading calls launched by the Eurocluster). Therefore, support provided “indirectly”, e.g. via voucher schemes or services, will not count as “financial support to third parties” in the meaning of this call.
  • The support to third parties cannot be provided through services offered by the consortium directly.
  • The financial support that the Eurocluster grant beneficiaries of this call will provide to the third parties must be matched by the third parties/recipients of the financial support with a certain percentage of other private financial sources (in form of debt or own financial resources), thus crowding in private capital into the projects.

Note: Although cluster organisations might be (and often are) “SMEs”, in the spirit of this call, “Euroclusters” will have to target SMEs which are not clusters or any other intermediary organisations, unless this is proven to be necessary for the implementation of the project.

Proposals must clearly detail:

  • the definition of the entities (SMEs) which may receive financial support, the ‘third parties’,
  • the type of proposed support,
  • the objectives and results to be obtained,
  • the conditions for participation,
  • a fixed and exhaustive list of the different types of activities for which a third party may receive financial support,
  • the criteria for awarding financial support,
  • the criteria for calculating the exact amount of the financial support,
  • the maximum amount to be granted to each third party (which may not exceed EUR 60 000 for each third party, unless where achieving the objectives of the actions would otherwise be impossible or overly difficult and this is duly justified in the Application form) and the criteria for determining it,
  • the reasons why financial support to third parties is needed and how it will be managed,
  • a strategy to leverage on EU funding crowding in private capitals,
  • a strategy on how to reach SMEs, including through effective collaboration with the EEN and other support networks.

Further conditions regarding the above-listed elements or other elements may be laid down in the calls for proposals that the Euroclusters, as EU grants beneficiaries, must publish in order to award the financial support to the targeted third parties.

Financial support to third parties is allowed for grants or similar forms of support and prizes under the following conditions:

  • Euroclusters must publish widely their open calls and conform to EU standards concerning the respect of transparency, equal treatment, conflict of interest and confidentiality. All calls for financial support to third parties must be published at least on each of the following platforms:
    • European Cluster Collaboration Platform,
    • Enterprise Europe Network,
    • Funding and Tenders Portal,
    • Euroclusters’ own website (if it exists; if it does not, the calls must be published on the websites of the consortium partners. Please note that costs for the development of a new website are not eligible under this call), and
    • Euroclusters’ social media channels, tagging at least EISMEA, the Commission’s Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), and the European Cluster Collaboration Platform.
  • The calls must remain open for at least two months. If call deadlines are changed, an update must immediately be published on the call page on the Funding and Tenders portal, as well as on all the websites and platforms where the call announcement was published, and all registered applicants must be informed of the change;
  • Without delay, Euroclusters must publish the outcome of the call, including a short description of each third-party funded action, the date of the award, the duration of the action, and the final recipients’ legal names and countries;
  • The calls must have a clear EU dimension;
  • At least 10% of the supported third parties, the SMEs, shall come from EU regions different from the countries of individual Euroclusters’ partners;
  • In each call, specific attention needs to be paid to EU-13 countries and to those EU regions with which the Euroclusters’ partners had no previous cooperation. The calls shall focus on engaging actors from regions with different levels of economic

development.

The Eurocluster, as beneficiary of the EU grant, must ensure that the recipients of the financial support allow the Agency, the Commission, the European Anti-fraud Office (OLAF) and the Court of Auditors to exercise their powers of control on documents, information, even stored on electronic media, or on the final recipient's premises.


Proposals must relate to activities taking place in the eligible EU and non-EU countries associated to the Single Market Programme (see above), and targeted third countries for the purpose of internationalisation activities.

The costs will be reimbursed at the funding rates fixed in the Grant Agreement (100% for the costs for providing financial support to third parties and 90% for all other cost categories).

The budget of each Eurocluster’s proposal must be split in the following way:

  • Up to 25% will cover joint activities between cluster organisations and other Eurocluster partners, to finance e.g., design of support measures for SMEs, coordination of actions, networking, training and internationalisation activities/services, as well as joint communication.
  • At least 75% will be directed to SMEs in the form of financial support to third parties (FSTP), to directly finance services to support their resilience, green and digital transformation only related to the main objective (“Innovation and adoption of new processes and advanced technologies”) of this call for proposals.

Additional information

Topics

Air Quality, Biodiversity & Environment, Climate & Climate Change, Water quality & management, 
Circular Economy, Natural Resources, 
Competitiveness of Enterprises, Employment/Labour Market, SME & entrepreneurship, 
Digitalisation, Digital Society, ICT

Relevance for EU Macro-Region

EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region

UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)

project duration

between 30 and 36 months

Additional Information

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (accessible via the Topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.

Proposals (including annexes and supporting documents) must be submitted using the forms provided inside the Submission System ( NOT the documents available on the Topic page — they are only for information).

Proposals must be complete and contain all the requested information and all required annexes and supporting documents:

  • Application Form Part A — contains administrative information about the participants (future coordinator, beneficiaries and affiliated entities) and the summarised budget for the project (to be filled in directly online)

  • Application Form Part B — contains the technical description of the project (to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded)

  • mandatory annexes and supporting documents (templates available to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed, assembled and re-uploaded):

    • Annex 1 to Part B - Detailed budget table/calculator (template available in the Submission System: file ‘Tpl Detailed Budget Table (SMP COSME GFS 90)’);

    • Annex 2 to Part B - CVs of core project team: not applicable. However, a description of the profiles (qualifications and experience) of the staff responsible for managing and implementing the project, and a description of the members of the consortium, are required in the application form part B and must be duly filled.

    • Annex 3 to Part B - Activity reports of last year: not applicable

    • Annex 4 to Part B - List of previous projects (key projects for the last 4 years) (template available in Part B)

    • Annex 5 to Part B - Eligibility checklist (available from EISMEA’s page here).

Your application must be readable, accessible and printable. Proposals are limited to maximum 50 pages (Part B). Evaluators will not consider any additional pages.

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