Assess your innovation and funding readiness.
The Pre-Assessment Tool helps SMEs understand their current level of readiness to access European Commission funding and investment instruments, and guides them toward becoming investment-ready, sustainable, and scalable. Inspired by the process of writing proposals for European funding and self-assessment models, the tool offers a clear, structured, and actionable overview of where your company stands today — and what to do next.
Why this tool?
Inspired by proposal-writing and self-assessment models, it provides a clear, structured overview of where your company stands today — and what to do next.
About SustainX
SustainX is a strategic European initiative acting as the epicenter of the sustainable regional digital innovation , while connecting innovation ecosystems across Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Canary Islands (Spain), Latvia and Germany . SustainX supports less developed regions in accelerating innovation, sustainability, and digital transformation through capacity building, interregional cooperation, and investment-oriented support.
Acknowledgement
This pre-assessment tool has been developed in the framework of the SustainX project, which aims to enhance innovation capabilities of SMEs in less developed European regions and support their preparation for European funding and investment instruments.
SustainX Partners
What is the Pre-Assessment Tool?
The Pre-Assessment Tool is an online self-assessment framework that evaluates SMEs across key dimensions required for European funding success. The tool acts as the first step into the access to finance of the onestop-shop for innovation and financing and it is designed to:
✔️Identify strengths and gaps in innovation capacity
✔️Evaluate maturity for investment and scaling
✔️Encourage alignment with EU priorities (green & digital transition)
✔️Support the programme team to recommend the most appropriate
support paths
Assessment Areas
The pre-assessment is structured around core competency areas, reflecting European funding and investment criteria:
Innovation & Strategy
- Clarity of innovation vision and objectives
- Market need and value proposition
- Alignment with Smart Specialisation Strategies
Sustainability & ESG
- Environmental impact and resource efficiency
- Social responsibility and governance practices
- Contribution to the green transition
Digitalisation
- Digital maturity of processes / products
- Use of advanced technologies
- Readiness for digital transformation
Business Model & Market
- Market readiness and customer validation
- Competitive positioning
- Scalability and value chain integration
Investment & Funding Readiness
- Financial capacity analysis
- Investment needs and funding strategy
- Readiness for EU instruments (I3, ERDF, other EC
programmes)
⚠️ Important Disclaimer
The information provided through this pre-assessment tool is collected to support the programme team in understanding the needs, capacities, and development priorities of the organization. The results displayed represent an initial aggregation of the information submitted and are intended for informative and guidance purposes only.
The outcomes of this assessment do not constitute a final evaluation, certification, or eligibility decision for funding or investment. All information collected will be used by the programme team solely to design and deliver appropriate support, services, and guidance tailored to the needs of the organization. All data is treated confidentially and processed in accordance with applicable data protection regulations.
Don't have an account yet?
Access to this platform is provided by Digital Innovation Zone. If you represent an organization interested in using the Pre-assessment Tool, please contact us to learn more about eligibility and access.
Contact us at: contact@digital-innovation.zone
Contacts
If you have some ideas for collaboration or want to join the tool user community – contact the us via the contacts, provided below.
Main headquarter address
Iasi, Romania
Main e-mail contact
contact@digital-innovation.zone
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.