Discover 21 Cascade Funding Opportunities for your February 2024 success!
Get ready to supercharge your innovative ideas with Cascade Funding, the game-changing instrument of the European Commission! March 2025 is packed with 21 funding opportunities that are tailor-made for SMEs, startups, universities, researchers and local authorities.
Don’t miss out on this chance to take your ideas to the next level and make a lasting impact on the world of research and innovation.
CASCADE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES - FEBRUARY 2025
FRONTIERS Science Journalism Residency Program. Fellowship Residencies Offering science News professionals Tools and training for Independent and Ethical Reporting on Science.
The FRONTIERS initiative supports science journalists in bridging the gap between complex scientific research and public understanding. It aims to enhance journalists’ skills, promote ethical reporting, and foster public trust in science. The initiative provides opportunities for in-depth reporting by immersing journalists in research environments and encouraging collaboration with scientists. Key goals include strengthening critical thinking, promoting curiosity about frontier research, and encouraging mutual learning between scientists and journalists. Eligible applicants: Journalists in the early stages of their careers, with a maximum of five years of experience.
Max Funding: €20,000
Deadline: 06/03
6G-XR 2023 Call 3. Funding opportunity for projects that deploy, replicate, and validate XR services using the 6G eXperimental Research infrastructure.
The 6G-XR project’s 3rd Open Call invites proposals to leverage its B5G/6G infrastructure for Real-Time Holographic Communications, 3D Digital Twin Environments, and Energy Sustainability. Projects should deploy innovative XR services like immersive media, metaverse applications, and AR/VR, focusing on modular, interoperable solutions and performance optimization.
Max Funding: €60,000
Deadline: 07/03
EIT Culture and Creativity: Short Innovation Projects 2025 – Segment 1. This call funds fast-paced, high-impact initiatives in CCSI, focusing on market-ready solutions in Fashion, Architecture, Cultural Heritage, Media, and Gaming. Segment 1 is for individual applicants.
Beyond funding, selected projects may receive additional support, including market access, investor pitch sessions, networking, and collaboration within the EIT ecosystem.
Max Funding: €59,500
Deadline: 11/03
IMPETUS 2024 Call 3. Funding and tailored support for citizen science projects focused on sustainability, justice, equity, and community engagement.
This open accelerator call is for funding and supporting citizen science initiatives, where citizen science is defined as the public participating “in scientific research activities, when citizens actively contribute to science either with their intellectual effort or surrounding knowledge or with their tools and resources”.
Max Funding: €20,000
Deadline: 13/03
dAIEDGE 2nd Open Call. Up to 10 Proposals to solve the Industrial Challenges defined by the dAIEDGE Consortium.
The dAIEDGE project seeks entities developing AI solutions at the Edge. The Collaborative Projects will support up to 10 proposals tackling specific Industrial Challenges set by the dAIEDGE Consortium. Participants can leverage resources from the dAIEDGE Virtual Lab, contribute new ones, or build upon existing dAIEDGE developments and use cases.
The Open Call is open to legal entities applying individually or in teams of up to two. Eligible applicants include Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs), academia, and SMEs, including startups
Total Funding:€60,000
Deadline: 13/03
SEE Bridge Open Call 2. For SE SMEs from energy-intensive industries to hire external services to: adopt CBAM regulation.
SEE BRIDGE Open Call offers up to €4,000 for Social Economy SMEs and startups in energy-intensive industries to support their green and digital transition or adapt to CBAM legislation. Funding covers business support, consulting, and training from external providers to enhance competitiveness and impact.
Max Funding:€4,000
Deadline: 13/03
POLREC 2nd Networking Open Call for Polymer Recycling Industries. Supporting SMEs in polymer & elastomer recycling through networking and international events, to foster international connections between SMEs, companies, and R&D centers within and beyond the polymer industry.
The POLREC Networking Open Call is designed for SMEs in the plastics, rubber, and composites industries, helping them to develop international strategies and expand into new markets beyond their national scope through participation in business fairs, exhibitions, and matchmaking events.
Max Funding:€2,500
Deadline: 14/03
MoniFun Open Call. Demonstrate how blockchain technology can be utilized to create transparent and immutable records that enhance trust among stakeholders and ensure data integrity over time in the context of distributed information for forest monitoring.
This call supports a project demonstrating how digital solutions, like blockchain, can enhance trust and data integrity in forest monitoring. The focus is on improving the accessibility, reliability, traceability, and efficiency of forest data collection and analysis. Selected activities must showcase practical applications of these technologies for European-level forest monitoring.
Max Funding:€60,000
Deadline: 16/03
Women TechEU 2024 Call 3. Supporting women leading deep tech startups from Europe to grow into tomorrow’s tech leaders.
Women TechEU is a two-year EU-funded project funding and supporting women leading deep tech startup companies from Europe. Across the two years, the consortium will launch a total of four calls for applications. Applicant startups will undergo a rigorous evaluation and a total of 160 winner startups will receive €75k in non-dilutive grants as well as a personalised business development programme including mentoring, coaching and training.
Max Funding:€75,000
Deadline: 17/03
INCiTiS-FOOD Open Call for Local Innovation Hubs (LIH). Funding opportunity for Local Innovation Hubs (LIHs) to develop circular and sustainable food systems in Africa through aquaponics, hydroponics, and insect farming.
The INCiTiS-FOOD project is launching an open call to support 8 Local Innovation Hubs (LIHs) with a total budget of €940,000 to drive sustainable food innovation in Africa. Each LIH will consist of 2-3 legal entities, including NGOs, cooperatives, schools, and SMEs. The goal is to replicate and advance circular food system solutions such as aquaponics, hydroponics, and insect farming.
Max Funding:€117,500
Deadline: 20/03
TRACE – 3rd Open Call. SMEs transition for a european circular tourism ecosystem.
The selected 12 SMEs will receive a Grant up to € 7,200 for consultancy, training, travels and certification. The TRACE Grant will be used to access further training and specialised consultancy, travel to networking and business events and to apply for sustainability / environmental certification.
Max Funding: €7,200
Deadline: 20/03
COROB 2024 Call 2. COROB’s 2nd Open Call offers funding for SMEs and Start-ups to develop AI-driven, multi-robot solutions for industrial welding and additive manufacturing challenges.
COROB aims to develop a flexible, cooperative and intelligent multi-robotic solution for arc welding-based manufacturing processes (joining and additive manufacturing), to offer new operational capabilities that allow to increase the efficiency and improve the flexibility of industrial processes.
The purpose of the Second Open Call is to develop solutions addressing specific use-case challenges. These solutions will be tested, validated, and integrated into COROB’s use cases. The goal is to drive innovation and enhance the project’s real-world applicability.
Max Funding:€67,500
Deadline: 21/03
ULTFARMS 2nd Associated Regions Call. Circular low trophic offshore aquaculture in wind farms and restoration of marine space.
The ULTFARMS Project is inviting proposals from Regional or Local Authorities for its Cascade Funding Call. The goal is to promote knowledge transfer, enhance regional capacity, and foster knowledge exchange around Low Trophic Aquaculture (LTA) and its integration with offshore renewable energies. Three Associate Region (AR) projects will be funded, with AR applicants focusing on identifying the potential for LTA in their area, developing or improving plans for its implementation, and building awareness and capacity for integrating LTA with offshore renewables. Eligibility for ULTFARMS funding is open to local and regional authorities in EU Member States and Associated Countries to Horizon Europe, excluding Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. Entities that received FSTP funds from OLAMUR or ULTFARMS’ first AR Call are ineligible.
Max Funding:€100,000
Deadline: 30/03
EEN EIC Open Call for Local Nodes. Open call to assist women-led SMEs.
This Call offers support vouchers to EEN Local Nodes to assist SMEs in preparing proposals for the EIC Accelerator program. It targets SMEs from widening and associated countries as well as women-led SMEs from all EIC-eligible countries.
Max Funding:€3,700
Deadline: 31/03
OFFERR Call. European platform for accessing nuclear R&D facilities.
The EURATOM-funded OFFERR project invites proposals to foster international cooperation in nuclear research by providing financial support for access to key research infrastructures. Proposals must align with the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform’s strategic agenda and involve collaboration between research teams and host facilities.
The OFFERR project offers two application types: fast-track projects for studies completed within six months, with funding up to €50,000, and complex projects for larger-scale studies lasting up to 18 months, with funding up to €1 million.
Max Funding:€1,000,000
Deadline: 31/03
CIRCULOOS Open Call 1 – Expression of Interest. Circular and dynamic manufacturing supply chain orchestration and optimisation.
The CIRCULOOS EOI connects manufacturing industries to form circular supply chains through refurbishing, remanufacturing, and repurposing. It helps entities find partners for Open Call #2, which funds innovative, data-driven projects improving sustainability. Selected teams can access matchmaking support and apply for up to €240K in funding.
Max Funding:€240,000
Deadline: 31/03
ProCleanLakes Call for Associated Regions. ProCleanLakes is seeking to select local and regional authorities from the replication sites to scale up, replicate, and exploit the solutions and approaches developed at the project demonstration sites.
RSs are expected to team up with the ProCleanLakes partners to adopt the project´s outcomes and knowledge and integrate them into a Roadmap for the restoration and protection of ENL located in the replication sites, which will be incorporated into a pan-European Action Plan for remediation and protection of ENL.
Max Funding:€100,000
Deadline: 31/03
RURBANIVE – Open call for Rural-Urban Enablers. Consortia will receive funding for developing and applying their own Rural-Urban Enabler, within the six existing domains.
RURBANIVE will create Rural-Urban Enablers—innovations fostering urban-rural synergies and well-being economies. Using extended reality and an integrated platform, the project will provide stakeholders with tools to enhance cultural literacy, inclusivity, and innovation.
Max Funding:€100,000
Deadline: 31/03
PoliRuralPlus Mobilise Call. Funds projects leveraging AI to enhance rural-urban interactions through hackathons, ideathons, and data-driven solutions.
The PoliRuralPlus project aims to fund innovative proposals that advance rural-urban development in order to foster scalable rural solutions, encourage cross-sector collaboration, and generate insights to inform policy. The Mobilise call specifically focuses on leveraging AI for community-driven innovation by funding hackathons, datahons, and ideathons in nine EU regions. Selected initiatives will receive funding to showcase AI’s impact on rural-urban interactions, engage local stakeholders, and support the validation and implementation of PoliRuralPlus solutions.
Max Funding:€10,000
Deadline: 31/03
FutureLakes Open Call for Associated Regions. Funds three Associated Regions to replicate innovative lake restoration solutions across Europe, improving ecological and chemical lake statuses and enhancing climate resilience.
The FutureLakes call seeks three regions committed to restoring natural lakes by applying innovative solutions. Selected regions will receive support to develop an action plan for scaling lake restoration efforts using insights from the FutureLakes project.
Max Funding:€54,000
Deadline: 31/03
AIRISE Open Call 5 Pilots. Funding opportunity for European SMEs and midcaps to scale up AI applications in manufacturing to enhance sustainability and resilience.
AIRISE helps European SMEs and mid-caps integrate AI into manufacturing by supporting projects from idea to real-world testing. AI applications must enhance sustainability, improve process resilience, or make manufacturing jobs more inclusive and user-friendly.
Max Funding:€60,000
Deadline: 31/03
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- Tags: cascade funding, Cascade Funding Opportunities, FSTP, March 2025
- Categories: Open Calls