Open Call Analysis: MANTRA Digitalising Manufacturing SMEs

Funding opportunity for manufacturing SMEs to boost sustainability and digitalization! The MANTRA Open Call offers €50,000 per company, plus expert support for low-digital-maturity businesses.

About About MANTRA Open Call

MANTRA (Sustainable and Innovation Manufacturing by Ensuring Digital, Green, and Social SME Transformation) is a 3.5-year Horizon Europe project running from November 2024 to April 2028. The programme provides up to €2.5 million in cascade funding to support 50 manufacturing SMEs across Europe. Its main objective is to guide these SMEs through a green and digital transition by adopting advanced technologies and fostering social innovation. The support includes a mix of financial aid, personalised guidance, and access to a collaborative community of peers and experts.

MANTRA focuses on six manufacturing subsectors: machinery, food, textiles, plastics, ceramics, and metals. It supports the uptake of 16 advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, industrial biotechnology, IoT, robotics, and others. These innovations are selected based on their potential to enhance sustainability, competitiveness, and resilience. By addressing key challenges such as low digital maturity and fragmented support networks, MANTRA ensures inclusive access to transformation pathways, with a particular emphasis on women-led and low-tech SMEs.

Beyond financial aid, the project offers a dynamic community platform for peer learning, co-creation, and best practice exchange. It also includes access to a wide range of EU-level innovation services through matchmaking with Digital Innovation Hubs and other key enablers.

More information can be found in their guidelines for applicants.

Why Apply to MANTRA Open Call?

Financial support up to €50,000 (lump-sum)
Tailored capacity-building programmes
Matchmaking with tech-savvy SMEs
Mentorship, coaching, and expert support
Access to EU-level business support services and innovation networks
Participation in workshops, webinars, and peer-learning opportunities

The programme allows companies to request specific advisory services and expertise offered by the MANTRA consortium, including consultancy and advisory services, regulatory guidance and compliance support, training and capacity building, networking and partnership opportunities. More information can be found in their guidelines for applicants.

Who Can Apply?

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

Be an SME as defined by the European Commission
Operate in an EU Member State (Associated Countries not eligible)
Submit the proposal in English
Operate in one of the following NACE manufacturing subsectors:
- Machinery (C26, C27, C28)
- Food (C10, C11)
- Metals (C24, C25)
- Plastics (C22)
- Ceramics (C23)
- Textiles (C13, C14, C15)

Eligible projects

To qualify for MANTRA support, SME projects must align with the following criteria:

Business Transformation: Projects must present a credible and evidence-based transformation plan that contributes to one or more of the following areas:

Raw Materials: Use of recycled or secondary materials, substitution of critical raw materials, or implementation of second-life solutions.
Safe & Sustainable by Design: Development of non-toxic, environmentally friendly materials and products that enhance circular value chains.
Circular Economy: Reinforcing cross-sector cooperation and resilient supply chains.
Clean Energy & Efficiency: Adoption of technologies that optimise energy use, integrate renewables, and reduce emissions.
Supply Chain Resilience: Improving the adaptability and flexibility of supply chains to withstand disruptions.

Digital Transition: Projects must integrate at least one of the 16 advanced technologies prioritised by the EU Advanced Technologies for Industry (ATI) initiative. These include AI, IoT, robotics, blockchain, big data, nanotechnology, and others relevant to enhancing SME competitiveness and sustainability.
Environmental Impact: Each project should demonstrate tangible environmental benefits in at least one of the following:

Reduction in waste generation and raw material consumption
GHG emissions reduction and primary energy savings
Improved recycling rates and quality of recovered materials
Reduction in hazardous chemical usage
Other environmental improvements proposed by the applicant

Socio-Economic Impact: Projects must also show expected socio-economic outcomes, such as:

Investment in transformation and adoption of new technologies
Increases in turnover or market share
Job creation (in Full-Time Equivalents)
Implementation of training and peer-learning programmes for staff upskilling and reskilling

Only applications that demonstrate measurable impact in these areas will be eligible for MANTRA support.

How to Apply?

Applications for the MANTRA open call must be submitted exclusively via the corresponding platform, with all documents in English. All relevant support materials and templates are available on the project website.

The proposal should include the following sections:

SME Description: basic information regarding the entity applying to the open call.
Proposed transformation project: general description of the project.
Main approach of the project: description of the environmental, digital, business and social approaches of the project.
Attachments: any additional documents required (Declaration of Honour and a Self-assessment in PDF)

Evaluation & Selection Process

The evaluation of applications for the MANTRA 1st Open Call follows a two-stage process.

Internal Review: The first stage consists of an internal eligibility and completeness check conducted by the MANTRA consortium.
External Expert Evaluation: Eligible proposals are then evaluated by three independent external experts.

Proposals are scored on five core evaluation areas:

Project Execution and MANTRA Support: Quality and feasibility of the plan, level of readiness, and the relevance of requested support.
Digital Approach: Use and innovation potential of advanced technologies.
Business Approach: Market relevance, potential for business growth, scalability, and impact.
Environmental Approach: Ambition and credibility of expected environmental outcomes, including alignment with the Green Deal.
Social Approach: Contribution to social value, such as training, job creation, and gender equality.

Each criterion is rated on a scale from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent), with a maximum combined base score of 25. Up to 4 bonus points can be awarded for:

Innovation level of the project
Maturity of the transformation pathway
Quality and added value of supporting documents
Gender balance and representation in the applying SME

The maximum total score is 29 points.

In the case of tied scores, the submission timestamp will serve as the tiebreaker.

Programme Implementation and Support

The sub-grantee projects will span 6 months, where their green, digital and social journey transformation will begin.

Important Dates

Submission Deadline: 15/09/2025 – 17:00 (CEST)
Selection process: October- November 2025
Information on evaluation of results: November 2025
Sub-grant agreement signature: December 2025
Expected launch date of sub-projects: January 2026

Final Thoughts on MANTRA’s Open Call

The MANTRA call is a key opportunity for manufacturing SMEs to embrace innovation and sustainability. With strong support and a wide range of services, this initiative helps companies future-proof their operations.

In addition to direct financial support, MANTRA offers access to a robust ecosystem of knowledge, tools, and expert networks. The programme’s tailored approach ensures that even low-tech and resource-constrained SMEs can confidently embark on their green and digital transition. Participating in MANTRA is not only an investment in innovation but a step toward long-term competitiveness, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. Don’t miss the chance to be part of this transformative journey