Overview of international support opportunities

While the Recovery Plan calls will be open in Slovakia, here is an overview of the opportunities to get support, recognition or contacts for your business ideas from international calls:

Calls:

• Eurostars call within the EUREKA programme, supports international consortia of at least 2 innovative SMEs. This programme can fund international collaborative projects in the fields of: research, development and innovation (for products, processes or services that can be easily commercialised). The maximum possible grant amount is 450 000 €. Applications are open until 13.4.2023.
• The EIT Urban Mobility – Accelerator comprises 7 thematic programmes funded by the EU and implemented through partners to take mobility and transport start-ups to the next level. They are looking for business ideas that improve transport efficiency and are at the preferred TRL 4-7 level. Selected startups have the opportunity to receive 30,000 € (among other things). The deadline to apply is 21.4.2023.
• EIT InnoEnergy – is looking for applicants with a business idea in the areas of Energy for Transport/Mobility, Energy Storage, Renewable Energy, Smart Buildings and Cities, Circular Economy, Smart Grid… Applicants must, among others, already have a validated prototype or product or service, and have an estimated time to market and first projected revenues within a time horizon of up to 2 years. Support for businesses ranges from 60 000 € upwards. The call is open for the whole year 2023 (4 cut-off dates).
• The Research Agency (EEA grants) – under the sub-programme “Business Development for Innovation and SMEs” has opened a call to create a flexible instrument to develop and strengthen business partnerships between entities from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway (donor countries) and Slovakia. The main areas of support are Green Innovation in Industry and Utility Technologies and Assisted Living for the Elderly and Infirm. The amount of the financial contribution ranges from 1 000 € to 10 000 €. Applications are open until 30.6.2023.

Competitions:

• EIT Jumpstarter – is a European programme for early-stage innovators to compete for a first prize of up to 10,000 € in nine categories (EIT: Food, Health, Innoenergy, Manufacturing, RawMaterials, Urban Mobility, New European Bauhaus, Digital, Rebuild Ukraine). Applications are open until 16.4.2023.
• InnoStars Awards – EIT Health – is a programme for healthcare startups from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. The competition process consists of: initial selection, mentoring, participation in a bootcamp, presentation of a business plan, access to networking and evaluation. The prize is 25,000 € to transform prototypes into marketable products, and in the second phase from a global competition with the possibility to win up to $150,000-$1 million. The application period is open until 16.4.2023.