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Strategic Analysis
A winning proposal must establish a robust, pan-European Cascading Grants (FSTP) mechanism directly led by qualified Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) beneficiaries, allocating at least 90% of the €30M budget to transnational SME-researcher recruitment. Success hinges on demonstrating unmatched operational capability to manage cross-border FSTP awards (up to €300k per grant) while integrating EURAXESS and MSCA synergies to streamline visa, relocation, and industrial-innovation onboarding.
Everything the call asks for, seen from the call's point of view. Each line shows what answers it, and which partner carries it.
This matrix lists everything the call asks for: outcomes, impacts, scope, the requirements buried in the call text, and policy alignment. Sign up free and GrantForge tracks each line against the concept you build.
| Requirement | Covered by | Carried | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope activities | |||
| SC1Ensure the sound design and implementation of the SME support scheme, including launching the call, eligibility checks, evaluations, and business support, where necessary. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC2Promote the scheme to secure quality applications, monitor impact (including on skills development) and disseminate success stories of the innovation-to-investment journey. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC3Provide support to funded SMEs for the transnational recruitment of researchers, including through the EURAXESS network and assistance with visa applications; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC4Organise networking events and training on industrial innovation and business management, and promote cooperation among the community of researchers and funded SMEs; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC5Ensure equal access across EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries and balanced distribution of strategic sectors. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC6Competitive salary of the researcher / total employers’ costs including full social security according to national legislation for the researcher for a minimum duration of 12 months and a maximum duration of 24 months (including the salaries actually paid if the researcher leaves before 12 months). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC7Relocation costs of the researcher, which may include removal cost, travel cost of the researcher and their immediate family (if applicable) to the new place of employment, visa cost (if applicable), translation cost of certificates (if applicable), a temporary transition allowance to cover extra costs upon arrival in the place of employment, cost for the relocation in the country of origin after the project (if applicable), a family and childcare allowance (if applicable), as well as other clearly justified expenditure directly related to relocation. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC8Travel to conferences and workshops, as well as access to and use of technological and research infrastructures, or other activities relevant to the SME’s innovation idea. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected outcomes | |||
| EO1Establishment of an SME support scheme through the Enterprise Europe Network, which delivers transnational skills-matching, recruitment support, and innovation management services to innovative SMEs across Europe. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO2This support scheme has the following expected outcomes: Innovative SMEs have reduced labour and skill shortages through a transnational mobility scheme, which allows them to recruit and train highly skilled researchers from abroad; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO3SMEs have improved innovation capacity to support research and innovation (R&I) projects and increased participation of highly skilled staff employed in R&I through recruitment and training; | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO4Researchers gain new knowledge and skills in industrial innovation and business management, through employment and training in innovative companies. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Other requirements | |||
| REQ1Synergies with Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)The action complements MSCA by providing private sector work opportunities for PhD holders, including former MSCA fellows who do not need to move again if hired in their current country of residence. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ2Leveraging EURAXESS network and portalThe scheme must provide support for transnational recruitment through EURAXESS and require funded SMEs to advertise their awarded vacancies on the EURAXESS portal. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ3Synergies with European Universities alliancesConsortia are encouraged to leverage existing structures such as European Universities alliances to offer SMEs further access to trainings, resources, networks, facilities, and infrastructures. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ4Integration of insights from European SME Innovation Associate pilotProposals should reflect and build upon insights and evaluation results from the earlier Horizon 2020 'European SME innovation associate pilot'. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ5Transdisciplinary openness to Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)The scheme should be open to recruit researchers from both STEM disciplines and social sciences and humanities (SSH) backgrounds to introduce social innovation practices or interdisciplinary perspectives. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ6Equal opportunities recruitment plan across all gendersSMEs applying for FSTP must include a recruitment plan offering equal opportunities to researchers of all genders, helping counter the leaky pipeline of women in STEM. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ7Equal geographic access and balanced sectoral distributionThe consortium must ensure equal access across EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries, alongside a balanced distribution across strategic sectors. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ8Transnational mobility rules for researcher recruitmentThe scheme promotes cross-border mobility for PhD holders, permitting the hiring of nationals of the SME's country only if they are currently employed and residing abroad. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected impacts | |||
| No expected impacts in this call. | |||
| Underlying policies | |||
| POL1competitiveness compass for the euThe EU Competitiveness Compass is a strategic framework aimed at closing innovation gaps, enhancing productivity, and boosting the resilience and global leadership of European industries. It focuses on accelerating decarbonisation, fostering digital transitions, and equipping the workforce with modern industrial skills. | · | · | Sign up to track |
The binding rules of this call. Items marked auto are verified by GrantForge from the call and the template. The others are yours to confirm.
LMIC entities auto-eligible
Low/middle-income country entities are automatically eligible for funding.
Topic-specific consortium
Many CSA topics require a broader consortium than the general-annex minimum. The call-specific Eligibility and admissibility conditions override the general annex.
Restricted beneficiary type
Many CSA calls are reserved for specific beneficiary types (national funding agencies, research infrastructures, standards bodies). Check the call.
Coordination/support activities only
CSA funds coordination, networking, policy support, dissemination, training. Not research activities per se.
Gender Equality Plan
GEP eligibility criterion applies to public bodies, research organisations, higher education institutions from MS/AC.
Enterprise Europe Network beneficiaries only
Only entities that are beneficiaries in the Enterprise Europe Network as a result of the call SMP-COSME-2024-EEN are eligible to apply.
4 key insights you must internalise before writing. Each is grounded in the call text and tells you what evaluators will actually look for. Share these with your consortium before drafting.
A proposal will be immediately disqualified if the consortium includes entities that are not proven beneficiaries of the SMP-COSME-2024-EEN call. This strict eligibility baseline dictates your entire consortium composition, meaning standard academic or industry partners cannot act as core beneficiaries but must be engaged through other mechanisms.
Source: Eligibility rules
The financial architecture of your proposal is rigidly constrained, requiring at least 90% of the total budget (over €27M) to be allocated directly to Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP). With only 10% remaining for consortium activities, you must design highly efficient, low-overhead management protocols to handle the complex transnational distribution of up to €300,000 per SME.
Source: Eligibility rules
Evaluators will specifically score the Implementation criterion based on your proven operational capacity to manage and award grants outside your own national jurisdiction. To secure top marks, your methodology must also detail a tailored dual-track communication strategy that effectively engages both talent-starved innovative SMEs and mobile PhD-level researchers.
Source: Evaluation criteria (pre-award)
Because this action operates under a Lump Sum funding model, your work package structure must perfectly align with the FSTP disbursement schedule. You must define clear, verifiable milestones for the cascading grant lifecycle—such as call closure, grant signature, and researcher onboarding—to ensure steady cash flow for the massive volume of third-party grants.
Source: Eligibility rules
Specific requirements
Topic-specific consortium
Many CSA topics require a broader consortium than the general-annex minimum. The call-specific Eligibility and admissibility conditions override the general annex.
Restricted beneficiary type
Many CSA calls are reserved for specific beneficiary types (national funding agencies, research infrastructures, standards bodies). Check the call.
Coordination/support activities only
CSA funds coordination, networking, policy support, dissemination, training. Not research activities per se.
Gender Equality Plan
GEP eligibility criterion applies to public bodies, research organisations, higher education institutions from MS/AC.
Enterprise Europe Network beneficiaries only
Only entities that are beneficiaries in the Enterprise Europe Network as a result of the call SMP-COSME-2024-EEN are eligible to apply.
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described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
The following additional eligibility criteria apply: Only entities that are beneficiaries in the Enterprise Europe Network as a result of the call SMP-COSME-2024-EEN are eligible to apply.
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
The granting authority can fund a maximum of one project.
described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
The following additions to the general award criteria apply: The quality and efficiency of implementation criterion shall take into account the ability and experience of the applying entities to award grants to third parties outside their own jurisdiction.
The implementation criterion shall include and emphasise the communication strategy proposed to reach out to both innovative SMEs with skills shortages and PhD-level experts.
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Horizon Europe for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025).
The consortium must provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) for the implementation of this action. Since providing FSTP is a core activity of this action, the EUR 60 000 threshold laid down in Article 207 of Financial Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 does not apply. The maximum amount of FSTP provided in form of grants that may be awarded to any single third party is set at EUR 300 000 for the entire duration of the action. This ceiling is justified by the fact that FSTP is a primary activity of this action, by its expected duration of 1-2 years, including costs of relocation and of a European competitive salary for an internationally mobile expert at PhD level, and by the extensive experience gained by the Enterprise Europe Network in providing business support to SMEs. However, if the objectives of the action would otherwise be impossible or overly difficult the maximum amount may be higher if duly justified in the proposal.
The Consortium must allocate at least 90% of the total proposed budget to FSTP.
described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
described in the specific topic "HORIZON-BRIDGING-2027-05-01: Skills for innovative SMEs" of the Work Programme.
Application form templates
Please use the application form that you will find in the Submission System. You can find examples of standard application forms in the Reference Documents page and below.
Standard application form (HE CSA)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE CSA)
Guidance
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Call-specific instructions
Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"
Information on financial support to third parties (HE)
Good practices for implementing FSTP in EU grants
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 14. Horizontal Activities
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
HE Framework Programme and Rules for Participation Regulation 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Evaluators will rigorously score the proposal against strict call-specific conditions:
SMP-COSME-2024-EEN call; missing this baseline is an immediate disqualifier.Ensure the sound design and implementation of the SME support scheme, including launching the call, eligibility checks, evaluations, and business support, where necessary.
Promote the scheme to secure quality applications, monitor impact (including on skills development) and disseminate success stories of the innovation-to-investment journey.
Provide support to funded SMEs for the transnational recruitment of researchers, including through the EURAXESS network and assistance with visa applications;
Organise networking events and training on industrial innovation and business management, and promote cooperation among the community of researchers and funded SMEs;
Ensure equal access across EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries and balanced distribution of strategic sectors.
Competitive salary of the researcher / total employers’ costs including full social security according to national legislation for the researcher for a minimum duration of 12 months and a maximum duration of 24 months (including the salaries actually paid if the researcher leaves before 12 months).
Relocation costs of the researcher, which may include removal cost, travel cost of the researcher and their immediate family (if applicable) to the new place of employment, visa cost (if applicable), translation cost of certificates (if applicable), a temporary transition allowance to cover extra costs upon arrival in the place of employment, cost for the relocation in the country of origin after the project (if applicable), a family and childcare allowance (if applicable), as well as other clearly justified expenditure directly related to relocation.
Travel to conferences and workshops, as well as access to and use of technological and research infrastructures, or other activities relevant to the SME’s innovation idea.
Establishment of an SME support scheme through the Enterprise Europe Network, which delivers transnational skills-matching, recruitment support, and innovation management services to innovative SMEs across Europe.
This support scheme has the following expected outcomes: Innovative SMEs have reduced labour and skill shortages through a transnational mobility scheme, which allows them to recruit and train highly skilled researchers from abroad;
SMEs have improved innovation capacity to support research and innovation (R&I) projects and increased participation of highly skilled staff employed in R&I through recruitment and training;
Researchers gain new knowledge and skills in industrial innovation and business management, through employment and training in innovative companies.
No expected impacts identified for this destination.
Competitiveness Compass for the EU
highThe EU Competitiveness Compass is a strategic framework aimed at closing innovation gaps, enhancing productivity, and boosting the resilience and global leadership of European industries. It focuses on accelerating decarbonisation, fostering digital transitions, and equipping the workforce with modern industrial skills.
Evaluators expect proposals to clearly demonstrate how their skill development and capacity-building mechanisms directly support SME innovation capacity, industrial competitiveness, and productivity growth within the European Single Market.
Choose Europe for Science initiative
mediumThe Choose Europe for Science initiative is designed to position Europe as a premier global destination for researchers, innovators, and scientific talent. It focuses on improving research careers, fostering brain circulation, and connecting cutting-edge scientific talent with industry and innovation ecosystems.
Evaluators expect proposals to detail pathways for attracting, upskilling, and retaining highly qualified researchers and technical talents within innovative SMEs, promoting cross-sectoral mobility and career advancement.
Financial Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509
mediumRegulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 lays down the general financial rules for the establishment and implementation of the general budget of the European Union. It governs the principles of sound financial management, transparency, procurement, and the award of grants across EU programmes.
Evaluators expect full compliance with the updated financial rules, sound cost-efficiency, transparent resource allocation, and robust management structures for sub-granting or financial support to third parties where applicable.
Nothing to show for this call yet.