EU funding, explained simply

Plus every new call for startups and SMEs, each Monday. No jargon, no fluff: what the EU funds, who can apply, and how to get started.

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Read these four short guides in order and you'll understand the basics of EU funding.

1What is EU funding? 2How EU funding works 3Find the right programme 4How to apply, step by step

Which EU calls are open right now?

From our latest issue (#1, 15 October 2026), sorted by deadline. Always check the official page before applying.

⏰ 28 Oct 2026Competitive

1. EIC Pathfinder Challenges 2026

Good fit if you're a research team or deep-tech startup working on energy harvesting materials, healthy-ageing biotech or trustworthy reasoning AI.

Funding: €0.5M–€4M per project. About 8 grants expected per topic. The portal lists €96M for 2026 (this figure appears to be shared across the challenges).

Official call page →
⏰ 28 Oct 2026Competitive

2. EIC STEP Scale Up – Defence

Good fit if you're a defence-tech SME or small mid-cap with a primary defence product and an investor ready to co-invest.

Funding: €10M–€30M equity per company. About 10 investments expected, from a €100M budget.

Official call page →
⏰ 1 Dec 2026Beginner-friendly

3. European Prize for Women Innovators (incl. Rising Innovators)

Good fit if you're a woman founder or co-founder of an innovative company in the EU or an associated country.

Funding: Main category €50k–€100k per prize (3 prizes, €220k total). Rising Innovators €20k–€50k (3 prizes, €100k total).

Official call page →
⏰ 17 Dec 2026Competitive

4. EIC Accelerator 2026 (short proposals)

Good fit if you're a single SME or startup with deep tech validated to at least TRL 5 and ambitions to scale.

Funding: The portal topic does not list an amount (shown as 0). See the EIC Work Programme 2026 for grant and equity ceilings.

Official call page →
⏰ 5 Jan 2027Needs consortium

5. European Startup and Scaleup Hubs pilot

Good fit if you run a startup hub, science park or innovation cluster and can join a network of 10+ hubs across Europe.

Funding: €20M per project. About 2 projects expected.

Official call page →
⏰ 14 Jan 2027Needs consortium

6. Strengthening cybersecurity capacities of European SMEs with cybersecure AI-powered tools

Good fit if you provide AI-powered cybersecurity tools or support SMEs with their cyber resilience.

Funding: €3M–€5M per project. About 5 projects expected, from a €20M budget.

Official call page →

See all calls in the latest issue →

Who is EU Funding Radar for?

Startup founders, SME owners, researchers spinning out companies, and the consultants and accountants who advise them. We read the official EU Funding & Tenders Portal every week so you don't have to. More about us.