DETOUR Call for Financial Support for SMEs
Funding for partnerships of tourism SMEs to develop innovative, sustainable, and digital solutions that strengthen resilient tourism ecosystems along Mediterranean walking routes.
Type of projects to be funded: Collaborative projects proposing innovative tourism products, services, or business models that enhance sustainability, digitalisation, and resilience in trail-based tourism. Activities may include developing new tourism services, implementing digital tools such as booking systems or mapping platforms, improving marketing and visibility, adopting green technologies or certifications, strengthening risk management, and conducting market research or staff training supporting tourism SMEs.
Sectors / domain: Tourism and related ecosystems, particularly SMEs operating along Mediterranean walking routes and associated sectors such as culture, agri-food, IT services, mobility, and community-based tourism initiatives linked to trail tourism.
Individual or consortium: Applications must be submitted by a consortium of 2 to 5 independent legal entities. At least 50% of the partners must be tourism SMEs, and at least one tourism SME must operate along or within the buffer zone of the eligible walking routes.
Specific eligibility requirements: Applicants must be SMEs operating in tourism or tourism-related sectors legally established for at least one year in one of the selected regions of the eligible countries: Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, or Türkiye. Partnerships may include tourism SMEs and other entities such as tourism organisations, associations, or cross-sector partners that contribute expertise relevant to the project objectives.
Specific topics or challenges: Projects must contribute to strengthening sustainability and green transition, digital transformation, business resilience and risk managment and inclusive and accessible trail tourism.
Projects duration: Minimum 6 months and maximum 9 months.
Budget, funding rates and payment conditions:
Funding rate: 100%
Budget conditions / limitations: Lump-sum grants between €15,000 and €25,000 per project; total call budget €800,000 supporting at least 30 projects. Minimum 60% of funding must go to tourism SMEs.
Payments: 20% at grant agreement signature, 40% mid-project after submission of an interim report, and 40% after submission of the final report.
Links
Closes
01/06/2026
Max funding per project
25.000€