Briefly
Program description
AID4SME is a European project implemented under the Horizon Europe programme (HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITALEMERGING-01, Grant Agreement No. 101189562). The project started in December 2024, has a duration of 36 months, and brings together 16 partners from multiple sectors and European countries.
The programme aims to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in developing combined Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data-driven solutions to address large-scale resource optimisation challenges in industries that contribute to the objectives of the European Green Deal.
Through two open calls, at least 20 SMEs will receive Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) to develop and demonstrate innovative solutions with the support of a dedicated Community of Practice (CoP).
Participants gain access to:
- AI and data technology building blocks;
- low-TRL and high-TRL testing environments and playgrounds;
- real industrial use cases provided by partners from the automotive, white goods, battery, and energy sectors;
- an open platform for solution development, integration, testing, and demonstration.
Particular emphasis is placed on data collection and analytics, decision-support systems, process automation, and innovative AI applications for industrial challenges.
The project also supports SME upskilling and reskilling, promotes technology standardisation, and evaluates the impact of developed solutions on Green Deal objectives as well as on social and human dimensions.
The overall objective of the programme is to strengthen the competitiveness of European enterprises while accelerating the green and digital transformation of industry.
Main Information
Eligibility
Under AID4SME Open Call #2, applications are invited from technology developers working on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data-driven solutions.
Eligible applicants include:
- start-ups;
- micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in relevant technology fields.
Applications may be submitted:
- individually;
- as part of a consortium of up to two eligible applicants led by an SME and/or start-up.
Consortia may also include industry organisations, integrators, engineering service providers, research institutions, research infrastructures, non-profit organisations, charitable scientific foundations, and public research centres. However, financial support is available only to SMEs and start-ups.
Funding is available to legal entities established in:
- European Union Member States with a valid VAT number;
- countries associated with Horizon Europe in accordance with the applicable European Commission rules.
Each applicant may submit only one application. If an organisation submits multiple applications, only the last submitted application will be considered eligible.
During the grant preparation phase, applicants may be required to provide a signed Declaration of Honour and, where applicable, an SME Declaration.
Financing
Under AID4SME Open Call #2, funding is available to eligible Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) applying either individually or as part of a consortium.
Each selected project may receive up to EUR 200,000 in grant funding. The programme covers 70% of the total eligible project costs, including indirect costs, while the remaining share must be covered by the project participants.
The programme will support up to 12 projects, with a total indicative budget of EUR 2,350,000.
Eligible funding may be used for:
- personnel costs related to project development and management;
- purchase costs required for project implementation, including equipment and hardware;
- travel and subsistence expenses related to meetings and events.
Additional eligible costs include direct and indirect costs, as well as equipment depreciation costs in accordance with programme rules.
Important: subcontracting costs are not eligible for funding under this open call.
Grant payments are provided as lump-sum contributions and are disbursed upon completion of defined project periods and achievement of agreed milestones and deliverables. The payment schedule follows a 30% + 40% + 30% structure.
Supported Activities
Within AID4SME Open Call #2, the programme supports innovative projects focused on developing and validating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data-driven solutions. Each proposal must address one of the programme’s predefined challenges.
Projects are expected to fall under one of four thematic domains:
- AI and Data solutions for data collection;
- AI and Data solutions for insight generation;
- AI and Data solutions for decision support;
- AI and Data solutions for automation.
Supported project types include:
- Augmented Sensing Solution;
- Product-Production Digital Twins;
- Automated Monitoring Hygiene Inspection for Refurbishment;
- Energy System Digital Twin Decision Support Tool;
- Automated Machine Selection for Parts Production;
- Battery Production Digital Work Instructions and Skill Capturing;
- Automated Warehouse and Internal Logistics Management;
- Smart Energy Management of Unplanned Machine Downtime;
- Semi-Automated EV Battery Disassembly for Recycling;
- Co-bot Refrigerator Door Assembly Solutions.
The programme seeks to maintain a balanced distribution of selected projects across all challenge areas defined under the call.
Roadmap
The AID4SME Open Call #2 roadmap consists of several stages, from application submission to the announcement of final results.
- 15 May 2026 – launch of the call and opening of the application period through the F6S platform.
- 15 July 2026 at 17:00 CEST – application submission deadline.
Following the submission phase, applications will undergo a series of eligibility and scope checks:
- 16–20 July 2026 – Eligibility Check.
- 20–27 July 2026 – In/Out Challenge Scope Check.
The next stage is the application evaluation process, which will take place from 21 July to 18 September 2026. During this period, eligible applications will be assessed against the programme’s evaluation criteria and ranked accordingly.
Top-ranked applicants will be invited to participate in online interviews:
- 31 August – 4 September 2026 – Online Interviews.
On 18 September 2026, all applicants will receive written notification regarding the approval or rejection of their proposals. Successful applicants will then enter the programme onboarding phase.
Important: the application submission deadline is final, while other programme dates may be subject to change.
How to Apply
To participate in AID4SME Open Call #2, applicants must submit their proposal through the F6S platform and complete the following steps:
- Register and submit an application via the F6S platform.
- Complete all mandatory application fields.
- Upload all required supporting documents.
- Accept the programme’s terms and conditions.
- Ensure that all submitted information is complete and accurate.
All applications and programme communications must be conducted in English.
Applicants should also comply with the following requirements:
- Incomplete applications will be automatically disqualified.
- Documents must be submitted electronically in PDF format unless otherwise specified.
- Applications must be submitted before the official deadline; late submissions will not be accepted regardless of the reason for the delay.
- Applicants are encouraged to submit their proposals well in advance of the deadline.
- Deadline extensions may only occur in the event of unforeseen technical issues affecting the F6S platform.
Applicants are also encouraged to review in advance the documentation that may be required during the contracting phase.
Important: organisations that received funding under AID4SME Open Call #1 are not eligible to apply under Open Call #2.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications under AID4SME Open Call #2 are assessed by an independent expert evaluation board. Each proposal is reviewed by at least two experts and scored against predefined evaluation criteria.
The main expert evaluation is based on four criteria:
- Novelty & Innovation (30%) – assessment of the project’s innovation level, expected outcomes, technical solution, Technology Readiness Level (TRL), and alignment with the selected challenge.
- Impact (30%) – evaluation of the project’s contribution to the AID4SME ecosystem, industry competitiveness and growth, as well as its exploitation strategy and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) management.
- Implementation (20%) – assessment of the work plan, deliverables, risk management approach, and budget justification.
- Team (20%) – evaluation of the team’s expertise, experience, skills, and the organisational and technological capacity of the applicant or consortium.
The minimum scoring thresholds are:
- at least 3 out of 5 points for each individual criterion;
- at least 9 out of 15 points overall.
Applications that fail to meet these thresholds are excluded from further consideration.
Following the expert review, proposals are ranked within each challenge area. In the event of tied scores, priority is given based on the following order: Novelty & Innovation, Impact, Team, and Implementation.
Top-ranked applicants are invited to a 30-minute online interview, consisting of a project presentation and a question-and-answer session.
During the interview phase, applications are assessed according to:
- Project Concept & Challenge Alignment (40%);
- Team (30%);
- Exploitation Plan & Intellectual Property Rights (30%).
Interview results replace the previous expert evaluation scores for the final ranking. At the end of the process, all applicants receive notification of the outcome together with an Evaluation Summary Report (ESR).
Required Documents
To participate in AID4SME Open Call #2, applicants are required to prepare and submit the documentation specified in the call package.
The application package includes:
- Annex 2 – Proposal Template;
- Annex 4 – Declaration of Honour (for a single applicant) or Annex 5 – Declaration of Honour (for a consortium);
- Annex 6 – SME Declaration Template (where applicable);
- Application Form submitted through the programme platform.
Applicants may also need to consult the supporting documentation provided by the call:
- Annex 1 – Guidelines for Applicants;
- Annex 1.1 – Challenges Description;
- Annex 3 – Sub-grant Agreement Template;
- Annex 7 – Application Form (Read Only).
Applicants are encouraged to verify that all required forms are properly completed and submitted in accordance with the programme requirements.
Important: the application package must comply with the call requirements and be submitted as a complete application.
Updates / Announcements
All information, questions and answers will be provided through the F6S page and online discussion board.
Reporting and Compliance
Under AID4SME Open Call #2, projects are subject to a structured reporting system linked to the grant payment schedule.
Each project goes through three reporting periods, each associated with specific reporting requirements and funding instalments:
- Period 1 (M1) – submission of an Action Plan. Upon approval, 30% of the maximum grant contribution is paid.
- Period 2 (M2–M8) – submission of Progress Report 1. Upon approval, 40% of the maximum grant contribution is paid.
- Period 3 (M9–M14) – submission of Progress Report 2. Upon approval, the final 30% of the maximum grant contribution is paid.
Reports must be submitted within 7 working days after the end of each reporting period.
Following approval of the report, the beneficiary must submit the corresponding payment request within 5 working days.
If a report is not submitted or is rejected, the project lead is granted an additional 7 working days to provide the missing or revised report.
Important: if the report is still not submitted or approved after this additional period, the related grant instalment will be suspended until the next reporting period. Repeated failure to comply may result in contract termination.
All applicants are informed of evaluation outcomes through an Evaluation Summary Report (ESR) at the relevant stages of the process.
The programme also specifies eligible cost categories for reporting purposes, including personnel costs, purchases, travel expenses, equipment-related costs, direct costs, and indirect costs. Subcontracting costs are not eligible for funding under this call.
Legal Terms
Under AID4SME Open Call #2, applicants and beneficiaries must comply with the ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements established by the programme and the European Union framework.
Ethical Requirements
- All applicants are required to submit a self-assessment ethics questionnaire as part of the proposal template.
- If potential ethical issues are identified, applicants should contact the AID4SME Helpdesk for guidance.
- The consortium verifies the consistency of ethics declarations with the application content.
- Applications that fail to properly address ethical or privacy-related issues may be rejected.
Data Protection
- The AID4SME consortium collects personal and industrial data for application evaluation and project management purposes.
- Data processing is carried out through the F6S platform in compliance with GDPR (EU Regulation 2016/679).
- Applicants must accept the F6S privacy and data protection policies.
- Project-related data will be retained for at least five years after project completion, or longer if required for audits, investigations, or legal procedures.
Confidentiality
- Selected beneficiaries must maintain the confidentiality of project data, documents, invoices, and related materials during project implementation and for five years after project completion.
- Information submitted during the application stage is treated as confidential.
- Confidentiality obligations may be extended by agreement between the relevant parties.
Visibility of EU Funding
- Beneficiaries are expected to promote the project and its results while appropriately acknowledging the financial support provided by the European Union.
Checks and Reviews
- The European Commission and authorised bodies may conduct reviews, checks, and audits during project implementation and for up to five years after project completion.
- These reviews focus primarily on the technical implementation of the project rather than on financial cost auditing.