Expanding Investment Ecosystems

The main goal of this opportunity is to strengthen collaboration between leading and less connected innovation regions across the EU and Associated Countries. It aims to boost foreign venture investments, improve knowledge of regulatory frameworks for startups and investors, and increase access to funding and markets for startups from less developed innovation regions. The initiative focuses on five key challenges: reducing fossil fuel dependence, enhancing global food security, advancing digital transformation (including cybersecurity), improving healthcare, and promoting circularity. Participation is required from both "moderate/emerging" and "strong/leader" innovator regions, ensuring broad geographic and thematic coverage.

• Establish cross-border acceleration programs between emerging/moderate and strong/leader innovation ecosystems for start-up internationalization and investor attraction.
• Create centralized information and support hubs for foreign investors and local start-ups to navigate legal, tax, regulatory, and market entry conditions.
• Organize roadshows and international business forums to showcase local ecosystems and connect local start-ups with foreign investors and innovation networks.
• Develop investor and start-up matchmaking services, including peer-matching, joint venture facilitation, and engagement with public/private buyers of innovation.
• Produce best practice repositories and policy recommendations to support regulatory easing, cross-border deal facilitation, and systemic ecosystem improvement.
• Projects should involve business acceleration service providers, investor networks, and innovation hubs from both less and more developed innovation ecosystems.
• Programs must be co-designed and last at least two years.
• Projects must align with expected outcomes such as fostering cross-border collaboration and addressing green and digital transitions.

Examples:

• A cross-border accelerator program linking startups from a "moderate innovator" region with investors from a "strong innovator" region.
• An innovation hub partnership focused on digital transformation and cybersecurity, involving partners from three different EU countries.
• A joint healthcare innovation project connecting business service providers in an "emerging innovator" region with those in a "leader" region.

• Personnel costs for project staff
• Costs for organizing workshops, training, and networking events
• Travel and accommodation for project meetings and activities
• Costs for business acceleration and mentoring services
• Expenses for communication, dissemination, and outreach
• Equipment costs required for project activities
• Subcontracting of specific tasks, where necessary
• Costs related to evaluation and impact assessment
• Administrative and management costs

Note: All expenses must fit within the lump sum model, and only those directly related to the project objectives are eligible.

• Budget for this Call: 5,000,000€
• Number of Grants attributed: 5
• Budget per grant: 1,000,000€

• Applicants must be at least three independent legal entities from three different Member States or Associated Countries.
• At least one entity must be from a "moderate" or "emerging" innovator region, and at least one from a "strong" or "innovation leader" region.
• Eligibility of regions is based on the Regional Innovation Scoreboard, European Innovation Scoreboard, or Global Innovation Index.
• For certain Associated Countries, eligibility is determined by their ranking in the Global Innovation Index or Horizon Europe country profile.
• Applicants must demonstrate financial and operational capacity as described in the programme's general annexes.
• Proposals must follow all exclusion and additional conditions outlined in the programme's annexes.
• Networks or partnerships are required, involving business acceleration service providers, investor networks, and innovation hubs from both less and more developed innovation regions.