Open Call
Join the SustainX Programme for Innovative SMEs
Are you an ambitious SME ready to scale through sustainability, digital innovation, and interregional partnerships? Join a cohort built to turn your innovation into funded, interregional projects—with a clear path to the EU’s Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument.
Starting September 1st, the SustainX Programme invites forward-thinking European SMEs to apply for an exclusive opportunity to become part of a dynamic support pathway designed to unlock growth, accelerate innovation, and connect you with cross-border consortia eligible for the I3 Instrument — one of Europe’s most strategic tools for interregional innovation investments.
What is the I3 Instrument?
Are you an ambitious SME ready to scale through sustainability, digital innovation, and interregional partnerships? Join a cohort built to turn your innovation into funded, interregional projects—with a clear path to the EU’s Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument.
Starting September 1st, the SustainX Programme invites forward-thinking European SMEs to apply for an exclusive opportunity to become part of a dynamic support pathway designed to unlock growth, accelerate innovation, and connect you with cross-border consortia eligible for the I3 Instrument — one of Europe’s most strategic tools for interregional innovation investments.
Who can apply?
The call is open from September 1st until October 15th and invites SMEs to apply if they meet the following criteria:
- SME eligibility: Operate as a small or medium-sized enterprise (in line with EU SME definition) in one of the programme regions: Nord-Est | Romania, Thessaly | Greece | Bulgaria, Canaries | Spain and Latvia.
- Sector fit: Aligned with regional Smart Specialisation priorities (S3), especially those relevant to the SustainX partner regions.
- Innovation , digital transformation and eco-innovation readiness: Already innovating or ready to explore new products, services, or processes.
- Language proficiency: Able to engage in English-led activities.
- Collaborative mindset: Open to learning, co-creation, and engaging with peers from other regions.
- Women-led – priority if women led or owned.
All criteria available in the Detailed Presentation Document.
Timeline at a Glance
- 1 Sep – 17 Oct 2025: SME Open Call for Training & Advisory Support Services
- End of Oct 2025: Selection & onboarding
- November 2025 – March 2026: Programme Phase 1 — Training (initial estimation of up to 100 SMEs)
- March 2026 – September 2026: Programme Phase 2 — Advisory & Consortia (~20 innovation projects & I3 applications)
Q3–Q4 2026: I3 proposal finalisation & submission (aligned to 2026 call windows)
What selected SMEs gain
- Expert-led training — local + interregional. Join a multi-phase pathway (2025–2026) mixing local workshops, interregional virtual sessions, and peer exchanges—timed to take you from capability-building to I3 proposal readiness. Programme regions: Nord-Est | Romania, Thessaly | Greece | Bulgaria, Canaries | Spain and Latvia.
- Training and peer learning with real SME cases. You’ll learn alongside a targeted cohort where SustainX plans to support ~ 100 European SMEs to gain new innovation competences—so you benefit from shared challenges, templates, and proven playbooks.
- Personalised advisory to make your project I3 ready- Dedicated coaching to strengthen your innovation project and set hard goals; SustainX will assess/shape and support ~20 innovation projects and I3 applications end-to-end, giving you a structured route to an interregional, investment-ready consortium.
- Interregional networking & curated matchmaking. Structured matchmaking events to build at least 6 cross-region partnerships—accelerating market entry and consortium formation aligned with S3 priorities.
- One-stop-shop resources (everything in one place) – A single access point for ESG evaluation, access-to-finance coaching (pitch/investment plan prep), innovation consultancy, and test-before-invest digitalisation audits, all delivered by a multidisciplinary team via a shared platform.
Value-for-money for SMEs
- Lower partnership search costs, faster assembly: curated matchmaking across 5 regions to assemble I3-ready consortia faster.
- Right timing, fewer rewrites. SustainX phases run through 2026, aligning with the I3 Work Programme 2025–2027 (calls opened May & Oct 2025, closing 13 Nov 2025; similar cycles expected under the same Work Programme). You finish with validated pilots, governance/IP, and a budget structured to I3 specs, reducing iteration risk.
How to Apply
(Open Call: 1 Sep – 17 Oct 2025)
Step 1 — Registration (EU Survey Tool)
Share:
- Basic company info & SME status (EU definition)
- Sector & S3 (Smart Specialisation) alignment
- Short description of your innovation project and its sustainability dimension
- Training needs and preferred topics
- Agreement to participate in cross-regional activities (English-led)
Step 2 — Selection & Onboarding
- We review eligibility and fit (innovation and sustainability maturity, S3 alignment, interregional ambition).
- Selected SMEs receive an onboarding pack: calendar, tools access, and a baseline diagnostic that tailors your learning path. We support you further to define your SME needs, challenges, etc.
- Up to 100 SMEs (estimation) join Phase 1.
Cost to SMEs: Training and advisory are provided free of charge to selected participants.
Programme Phase 1
Training for up to 100 SMEs
(November 2025 – April 2026)
Purpose: Build capabilities, clarify your I3 route, and shape your project.
Format:
- Training series comprised of 2 Local workshops on site addressing regional challenges/opportunities + 1 virtual workshop, followed by 5 interregional virtual sessions sharing cross-border best practices
- 5 Peer learning sessions with real SME case studies
What you complete in Phase 1
- Tailormade training sessions and an international training certificate
- Access to the IMP³ROVE benchmarking tools for increasing your innovation and EU competitiveness.
Programme Phase 2
Analysis, 1-to-1 Advisory & Consortia
(March 2026 – Sep 2026)
Graduation to Phase 2 (selection)
~20 of the most promising innovation projects progress based on:
- Clear path to TRL ≥6 in 2026
- Evidence of market pull (LoIs/pilot interest) in ≥2 regions
- Strong S3 fit and cross-border value chain
- Team commitment to I3 proposal preparation
Purpose: Turn your project into an I3-ready investment case and consortium.
What you get
- A first-cut Project Canvas (problem/solution, TRL, KPIs, pilots)
- A preliminary partner longlist (cross-regional)
- Project analysis & road-mapping: gap-to-TRL6 plan, pilot design, KPIs
- 1-to-1 advisory: work plan, budget & co-funding strategy, risk & TEA, IP/data/sustainability basics
- Matchmaking & consortia building: curated partner introductions across regions; MoUs/LoIs
Proposal development support: drafting guidance for Excellence/Impact/Implementation, FSTP/cascade design (where relevant)
What is SustainX?
Funded by the European Union, SustainX is a strategic programme dedicated to driving innovation and strengthening SME capacities in Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Latvia, and Canary Islands, Spain. Through tailored support in digital transformation and sustainable innovation, SustainX helps businesses address regional challenges and seize new opportunities.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.