As 2025 comes to a close, it’s time for the moment we’ve all been waiting for: the second edition of our Cascade Funding Wrapped. Just like Spotify Wrapped, but for changemakers! At Cascade Funding Hub, powered by Sploro, we’ve continued to support dreamers, builders, and doers, turning bold ideas into Europe’s next big innovations.
So grab your favourite drink and join us as we unwrap a year defined by equity-free funding, digital transformation, and a growing community of innovators across Europe.
Cascade Funding 2025 wrapped
This year, 230 open calls were published on Cascade Funding Hub, opening doors for startups, researchers, SMEs, and visionaries in six key domains:
- Marine and Maritime Research: Advancing Europe’s blue economy and sustainable oceans.
- Circular Economy & Sustainability: Powering green innovation and circular solutions.
- Advanced Manufacturing & Industry: Upgrading industry 4.0 for a smarter future.
- ICT: Accelerating next-gen digital infrastructure and connectivity.
- Digital Society & E-Inclusion: Promoting digital access and social innovation.
- Energy & Environment: Driving cleaner energy and environmental resilience.
Every call reflects our commitment to making funding accessible for all—fueling progress in the areas where Europe leads and grows.
Top Open Calls With Maximum Funding of the Year
Each month brought new opportunities and bigger funding pools for groundbreaking projects. Here are the open calls that made the headlines in 2025:
January: EffecTrial 2025 set the year in motion by fostering pragmatic trials in non-communicable diseases, allocating €450,000 to transformative research.
February: EIT RawMaterials KAVA CALL 13 – UPSCALING focused on building a sustainable raw materials sector in Europe, with €500,000 in funding.
March: The OFFERR Call provided €1,000,000 to strengthen the European platform for nuclear R&D facilities, driving collaboration and innovation.
April: PIANOFORTE Open Call 2025 pushed the boundaries of radiation protection research, granting €1,500,000 to multidisciplinary projects.
May: The year’s top call, EIT Raw Materials – ERMA Booster Call, boosted Europe’s raw materials resilience by awarding €2,500,000 to pioneering startups, scale-ups, and projects.
June: EIT RawMaterials – Skills for Tomorrow invested €800,000 in training programmes to develop the next generation of talent in raw and advanced materials.
July: The ENVELOPE 1st Open Call opened new avenues for beyond 5G trials, with €300,000 dedicated to sustainability and experimental innovation.
August: EUDOROS Open Call 1 aimed to enhance cybersecurity preparedness across the EU, distributing €460,000 to entities committed to information sharing and resilience.
September: EIT Urban Mobility – Strategic Innovation drove solutions for smarter, more liveable cities, providing €2,000,000 in strategic funding.
October: COSMIC 1st Open Call spotlighted AI and data-driven solutions for the green transition, with €150,000 up for grabs.
November: Biodiversa+ Open Call 5 encouraged interdisciplinary research to protect biodiversity, awarding €1,500,000 to projects that connect science, society, and policy.
December: The year wrapped up with the DANUBElifelines Call, investing €100,000 in restoration actions for migratory fish and freshwater ecosystem enhancement.
Each open call represents a gateway to innovation, with thousands of applications received and hundreds of teams funded.
SPLORO’s Cascade Funding 2025 Evolution
We are Sploro, the passionate team behind Cascade Funding Hub, and these are the achievements we are most proud of from 2025. Over the past twelve months, we committed €8.5 million to empower changemakers, startups, and visionary organisations across Europe, thanks to the open calls launched in collaboration with our EU project partners. Every euro distributed is a step toward a more sustainable, innovative, and connected future.
Driven by our mission to make innovation accessible to all, we continue to break down barriers and create new opportunities for every kind of organisation, big or small, new or established.
We believe that with the right support, anyone can transform ideas into reality. In 2025, our community has proved that, again and again.
Together, we’re building an ecosystem where innovation doesn’t just happen, it thrives, grows, and inspires others to follow.
Key Stats:
- Total Funding Committed: €8,515,642
- Total Beneficiaries Funded: 146 organisations
- Total Calls Launched: 14
- Open Calls for Evaluators: 4 (83 expert evaluators selected)
Funding Timeline:
- Women TechEU: 3rd call (15 Jan–17 March), 4th call (01 June–4 Aug)
- PQ React: 2nd open call (2 Apr–27 May)
- SPADE: 2nd open call (24 Mar–26 May)
- EVOLVE2CARE: (17 Mar–10 Nov, 3 cut-offs)
- PHOTONQBOOST: Open Call 1 (24 Jun–26 Aug), Open Call 2 (17 Nov 2025–19 Jan 2026)
- Open Horizons: Open Call 1 (11 Jun–21 Aug), Open Call 2 (20 Nov 2025–29 Jan 2026)
Our standout performer this year?
PQ React’s 2nd Open Call, which awarded up to €162,500 per consortia to develop and validate post-quantum cryptography solutions across four strategic use cases. By supporting real-world testing of new security technologies, this call is helping to secure Europe’s digital future.
Efecto Cascada Podcast: 2025 Wrapped
Efecto Cascada, the podcast where we explore the cutting edge of innovation, share the stories of entrepreneurs, and unveil new cascade funding opportunities, brought you the voices and ideas shaping Europe’s future reaching 162,987 streams across 20 episodes this year.
This project remains one of our proudest achievements at Sploro. Throughout 2025, our goal has been to inspire the innovator community and spotlight how cascade funding can help turn dreams into reality. This year, our main focus was to showcase the success stories of women entrepreneurs, championing inclusivity and motivating women innovators across Europe and beyond. With every episode, we connected listeners to real stories of creativity, purpose, and transformation across the continent.
Top Episode of 2025:
Mujeres Emprendedoras en Navarra: Transformando el mundo desde el Arte y la Sostenibilidad (EP 26)
Top 5 Episodes:
EP 26 – Mujeres Emprendedoras en Navarra: Transformando el mundo desde el Arte y la Sostenibilidad
EP 28 – Mujeres Emprendedoras en Navarra II: De la innovación audiovisual a la biotecnología
EP 30 – Smart Cities: Inclusivas, Verdes y Llenas de vida. South Summit Madrid 2025
EP 18 – A New Dimension: The Evolution of 3D Arts at SLUSH Helsinki 2024
Each episode explored the intersection of technology, sustainability, and entrepreneurship, connecting listeners with the changemakers leading European innovation.
From Pamplona to all of Europe, Efecto Cascada continues to amplify voices that are making a difference, one story at a time.
A Heartfelt Thank You
We couldn’t have achieved this without you SPLORERS, our community of founders, researchers, innovators, partners, and evaluators. In 2025, we were proud to represent Cascade Funding and Efecto Cascada at South Summit, Valencia Digital Summit, and even attend South Impact as media partners.
Thank you for making 2025 a year of connection, learning, new opportunities, and unforgettable moments.
What’s Next? See You in 2026!
Expect even more open calls, new domains, exclusive events, and surprise content for every innovator in Europe. Stay tuned for more opportunities at Cascade Funding Hub and make 2026 your year to scale new heights!
Happy New Year from the Cascade Funding Hub Team!
Don’t miss the opportunity that could be the turning point of your success
