Green Grid Europe (Eurocluster for Renewable Energy Growth) – Scaling Green Innovation with Industry – Growth Box Call

Opened

Code: 40392 | Identifier Code: Green Grid | Programme name: 20613 | Start submission calls: 07/05/2026 | End submission calls: 07/07/2026

GreenGrid brings together industrial companies, cleantech innovators, and clusters to promote smart energy use, grid flexibility, and decarbonisation. GreenGrid Eurocluster supports European startups and SMEs in developing and adopting innovative solutions that make the energy system cleaner, smarter, and more resilient. The project focuses on strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy by boosting innovation across renewable integration, energy storage, grid flexibility, digitalisation, and circular technologies.

The Growth Box stream provides direct financial support to SMEs aiming to address a specific energy related challenge linked to the green and digital transition. Applicants will be able to apply for funding to tackle one of the predefined challenges identified by GreenGrid, as described in detail in Chapter 16 of this document. SMEs selected for funding will be expected to collaborate directly with the respective Challenge Owner to validate, pilot, or scale their solution in a real operational environment and to actively participate in the GreenGrid Accelerator programme.

CIRCAT (Cybersecurity Infrastructure Resilience, Collaboration, and Advanced Training) – Open Call 1: Penetration Testing Scenarios Development

Opened

Code: 40389 | Identifier Code: CIRCAT | Programme name: 20613 | Start submission calls: 08/05/2026 | End submission calls: 09/07/2026

CIRCAT aims to provide a solution that leverages cutting-edge AI-enhanced tools and processes to support organisations, in particular large industrial installations and infrastructures, in their efforts to increase the level of protection and resilience to cyber threats. CIRCAT will complement the existing efforts of these organisations towards effective and continuous risk assessment along with testing and training in a secure, controlled environment.

Boosting creative startups for disruptive innovation

Opened

Code: 40372 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-02 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Culture, Creativity & Inclusive Societies (Cluster 2)(2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 12/05/2026 | End submission calls: 23/09/2026

The cultural and creative industries (CCIs) count a high rate of startups. Data indicate that CCIs are among the early adopters of new technologies, especially in the digital realm. For instance, the European Monitor of Industrial Ecosystems (2024) notes that artificial intelligence-based technology startups were most common among the CCIs and in the health sector. Furthermore, creative startups drive innovation through crossovers with other sectors. They can be a motor of growth in local economies, unlocking opportunities, investment, jobs and higher productivity. That is why a host of initiatives like creative clusters, innovation hubs, smart specialisation strategies, innovation ecosystems, etc. foster the emergence of creative startups. Also at EU level, there are a number of initiatives to support startups and/or cultural and creative industries, and there is a clearly stated ambition to make EU the preferred choice for startups and scaleups, as expressed in the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy.

However, in order to better support European creative startups to grow into scaleups and to multiply their potential as high-impact disruptive innovators, in line with the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, additional measures are needed.

The challenge is to deepen the knowledge of the most important factors that favour the scaling up of creative startups in Europe and unleashing their potential for disruptive innovation, with a particular focus on those factors that distinguish them from startups in other sectors.

The European Capital of Innovation Award

Opened

Code: 40369 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-EIC-2026-PRIZE-ICAPITAL | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: European Innovation Council-EIC (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 05/05/2026 | End submission calls: 04/08/2026

The European Capital of Innovation Awards aim to champion inspiring cases of municipality-enabled innovation flourishing in cities. The Awards are a prestigious recognition for city administrators who are courageous enough to open up their governance practices to experimentation, to boost innovation by all means, to be a role model for other cities, and to push the boundaries of technology for the benefit of their citizens.

In addition to the monetary reward, the prize brings high visibility in the form of renewed public interest and increased media coverage.

The award will raise the profile of the cities that have developed and implemented innovative policies; established frameworks that boost breakthrough innovation; enhanced the city attractiveness towards investors, industry, enterprises and talents; helped to open up connections and strengthen links with other cities, promoting the replication of best practices in the innovation field; enhanced citizens’ involvement in the decision-making process; and supported cities resilience.

The Awards will feature two categories:

1. European Capital of Innovation 2027 category (HORIZON-EIC-2026-PRIZE-ICAPITAL-01)
2. European Rising Innovative City 2027 category (HORIZON-EIC-2026-PRIZE-ICAPITAL-02)

PowerUp NetZero (Powering Up Net Zero applications through the European Single Market) Open Call for Business Innovation and Technology Adoption Services

Opened

Code: 40365 | Identifier Code: PowerUp NetZero | Programme name: 20613 | Start submission calls: 21/05/2026 | End submission calls: 30/07/2026

The PowerUp NetZero Open Call for Business Innovation and Technology Adoption Services provides funding to support SMEs in their digitalisation planning activities related to net-zero technologies and applications. The call focuses on the following five Net-Zero Technologies:

• Solar energy
• Battery and energy storage
• H2 technologies
• Sustainable biogas and biomethane
• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

All activities must have linkages with at least one of the project’s 5 Net-Zero Technologies (listed above). When applying to this call, SMEs must select at least one of these technologies in the application form.

COSMIC (Combined AI and Data Solutions for Large Scale Resource Optimization with Green Deal Impact) 2nd Open Call: AI & Data Solutions to Boost the Green Transition

Opened

Code: 40363 | Identifier Code: COSMIC | Programme name: 20613 | Start submission calls: 20/05/2026 | End submission calls: 20/07/2026

COSMIC is a European-funded initiative aligned with the Green Deal objectives. It aims to harness the power of AI and big data for large-scale energy resource optimisation. The project brings together a diverse consortium of large industries, research institutions, public authorities, NGOs, and SMEs to co-develop impactful, scalable digital solutions that address key sustainability challenges.

The COSMIC consortium comprises highly experienced and complementary key players across 10 European countries. The COSMIC project offers a strategic support programme designed to bring the best data/AI-based innovations into our energy resource optimisation ecosystem.

Strand II ‘Supporting access to the labour market of Roma NEETs’

Opened

Code: 40360 | Identifier Code: ESF-SI-2026-ROMA NEETs-01 | Programme name: 20859 | Start submission calls: 06/05/2026 | End submission calls: 30/09/2026

The European Commission and the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation launched a new transnational Call: ‘Strengthening the European Child Guarantee national governance systems and supporting access to the labour market for Roma NEETs’ under the European Social Fund+ Social Innovation+ initiative. Under the Strand II “Supporting access to the labour market of Roma NEETs”, the Call will aim to support transnational social experimentation projects which test innovative approaches to improve Roma NEETs’ access to employment through tailored activation strategies.

Strand I ‘Strengthening the European Child Guarantee national governance systems’

Opened

Code: 40348 | Identifier Code: ESF-SI-2026-ECG-01 | Programme name: 20854 | Start submission calls: 06/05/2026 | End submission calls: 30/09/2026

The European Commission and the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation launched a new transnational Call: ‘Strengthening the European Child Guarantee national governance systems and supporting access to the labour market for Roma NEETs’ under the European Social Fund+ Social Innovation+ initiative.

Under the Strand I “Strengthening the European Child Guarantee national governance systems”, the Call will aim to support transnational projects which aim at testing new approaches and transferring or scaling up social innovations that strengthen the governance and implementation of the European Child Guarantee, ensuring children in need have access to key services.

I3-2026-INV1 – Interregional Innovation Investments Strand 1

Opened

Code: 40345 | Identifier Code: I3-2026-INV1 | Programme name: 16401 | Start submission calls: 13/05/2026 | End submission calls: 12/11/2026

Strand 1 of the I3 instrument seeks to increase the competitiveness and the resilience of EU value chains on the basis of interregional cooperation and shared smart specialisation areas.

The objective of the I3 Instrument Strand 1 call for proposals is to support interregional innovation investments by offering consortia of innovation actors from the quadruple helix ecosystems the necessary financial and advisory support to bring their innovations to a mature level, ready for scale-up and commercialisation, while bridging and reducing the innovation divide in Europe with a strong cohesion policy focus of integrating all regions and in particular the less developed regions into European value chains.

I3-2026-INV2a – Interregional Innovation Investments Strand 2a

Opened

Code: 40342 | Identifier Code: I3-2026-INV2a | Programme name: 16401 | Start submission calls: 13/05/2026 | End submission calls: 12/11/2026

This call for proposals is for Strand 2a and focuses on reinforcing the integration of innovation actors from less developed regions and transition regions in developing EU value chains while creating local opportunities for innovation and smart economic transformation in regions with shared (or complementary) smart specialisation areas.

The objective of the present I3 Instrument Strand 2a call for proposals is to support interregional innovation investments by offering consortia of innovation actors from the quadruple helix ecosystems the necessary financial and advisory support to bring their innovations to a mature level, ready for scale-up and commercialisation. This call specifically aims at reducing the innovation divide in Europe, with a strong cohesion policy focus on integrating less developed and transition regions into European value chains.

Trafficking in human beings

Opened

Code: 40340 | Identifier Code: ISF-2026-TF2-AG-THB | Programme name: 14688 | Start submission calls: 21/05/2026 | End submission calls: 03/09/2026

The overall objective of the action is to dismantle organised criminal networks engaged in trafficking in human beings (THB) in the EU, including poly criminal networks, by strengthening operational cooperation including with third countries, establishing cooperation and partnership with the private sector in particular with the online platforms, enhancing financial investigations, improving criminal justice effectiveness, and ensuring a robust victim-centred approach throughout the criminal justice chain.

Organised crime and drug trafficking

Opened

Code: 40338 | Identifier Code: ISF-2026-TF2-AG-OCDT | Programme name: 14688 | Start submission calls: 21/05/2026 | End submission calls: 03/09/2026

The project applications submitted under the present call for proposals must address one, but preferably more, of the following priorities stipulated below. Furthermore, projects must complement, integrate, or support already planned actions, notably those within the relevant EMPACT priorities:

1. The most threatening criminal networks and individuals (MTCNI), led by Belgium
2. The production, trafficking and distribution of cannabis, cocaine and heroin (OAP CCH 2026 2027), led by Spain
3. The production, trafficking and distribution of synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances (OBLIVION), led by Spain
4. Trafficking in human beings (EMPACT THB 2026-2027), led by the Netherlands
5. Firearms and explosives crimes (EMPACT FI-X), led by Spain

But also the reporting exercises coordinated by Europol.

The priorities are:

1. The intelligence picture
2. Cross border investigations
3. Financial investigations
4. Crime Prevention
5. Drug related priorities
   1. Drug production and trafficking
   2. Preparedness against drug related security threats