European calls for cascade funding. May 2026

The most interesting calls for proposals selected in May.

PRIMARY

Description: PRIMARY supports the development, validation, and transfer of bioeconomy solutions that enable the sustainable utilization of underutilized agricultural waste in rural areas of Europe. The project focuses on widely available raw materials—grass, greenhouse waste, cotton by-products, and olive prunings—whose potential as ingredients for food and feed, bio-based materials, bioenergy, and soil products remains limited by insufficient local processing capacity and the need to adapt and demonstrate technologies under real rural conditions. PRIMARY addresses these barriers by testing adaptable and transferable value chain approaches that combine raw material mobilization, innovative processing technologies, and viable business models across six main process solutions. A key outcome is the development of four preliminary business models linked to each raw material stream, which are validated and refined through practical application. To extend its impact beyond the consortium, the PRIMARY open call has been established to test and adapt these processes and business models in new European regions, generating evidence on technical feasibility, economic viability, and replicability.

Eligibility requirements and consortia: Consortia that include:

• At least one technical partner (capable of testing, implementing, and validating the technology or process)
• At least one partner from any of the following sectors:
• Public sector: universities, research institutions, government agencies
• Private sector: primary producers, cooperatives, startups, SMEs, NGOs

Maximum grant amount per proposal: up to €150,000 for consortia of 3 partners; up to €100,000 for consortia of 2 partners; up to €50,000 per individual partner

Deadline: June 8

Website: https://www.primary-project.eu/open-call/

Open Call for Proposals CIRCULOOS No. 3.2: Expansion and Improvement of the Value Chain

Description: The CIRCULOOS project offers a transformative opportunity for the circular economy. The open call aims to strengthen existing CIRCULOOS ecosystems by bringing in partners who can serve as the “missing link.” The goal is to resolve specific technical, supply, or market bottlenecks to help these circular value chains reach their full operational scale.

• Option A (OC2 Enhance): Join one of the 15 existing demonstrators funded under Open Call 2 to address a specific gap.
• Option B (Pilot Extensions): Attach one of the three main CIRCULOOS pilots (wood, leather, or plastic) to introduce new retrieval strategies or expand retrieval options.

Eligibility requirements and consortia: SMEs, mid-market companies, large enterprises, research organizations, and innovation centers are eligible to apply. Individual entities that are:

• Manufacturing MSMEs: Producers, recyclers, and material processors who wish to join an existing supply chain.
• System integrators and technology providers: Small and medium-sized businesses that offer specific automation, sorting, or data solutions.

Maximum amount per proposal: up to €60,000 (60% funding rate)

Deadline: June 10

Website: https://circuloos.eu/open-calls/

ODEON

Description: ODEON supports the design, development, and validation of innovative data- and intelligence-driven energy services and applications built on the ODEON Cloud-Edge data and intelligence services platform. The call for proposals aims to facilitate the digital energy transition by enabling secure, federated data management and intelligence services that support the integration of renewable energy and distributed flexibility. Proposals must address one of the 13 predefined challenges, covering topics such as data flow monitoring and governance, federated AI at the edge (Edge-AI), forecasting, flexibility profiling, smart charging, residential energy assets, and interoperability between data spaces.

Eligibility requirements and consortia: Only individual entities are eligible to apply. Applicants must be individual users or providers, particularly SMEs. Multiple submissions are permitted, with a maximum of three applications per applicant, provided that each application addresses a different challenge; however, no entity may receive funding more than once.

Maximum amount per proposal: Up to €60,000 per project, funded at 100% as a lump sum.

Deadline: July 9, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Brussels time.

Website: https://opportunities.getonepass.eu/open-opportunities/odeon/opencall

PERFORMANCE

Description: Supports bottom-up stakeholder engagement initiatives that strengthen participation, trust, and collaboration in cancer research and care across Europe. The call invites organizations to design and implement innovative local or regional activities that actively engage patients, researchers, healthcare professionals, communities, policymakers, and other stakeholders in dialogue and co-creation processes related to cancer research, care, and support for cancer survivors. Funded initiatives may include participatory and co-creation formats, educational and capacity-building activities, artistic or cultural engagement, and communication or outreach actions that promote awareness, dialogue, and inclusion. Activities must address local needs while aligning with the objectives of the EU Mission Against Cancer, such as improving understanding of cancer, prevention and early detection, diagnosis and treatment, as well as the quality of life of patients and their families.

Eligibility requirements and consortia: legally established organizations based in Europe that are engaged in or involved with cancer research, care, education, or community engagement. This includes nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), patient and family support groups, community organizations, universities and schools, biobanks, hospitals, clinics, and research infrastructures.

Maximum amount per proposal: up to €10,000

Deadline: May 31

Website: https://www.periformance.eu/open-call/

DS4SSCC-DEP

Description: The European Data Space for Smart Communities deployment initiative, and its call for pilot projects, aims to drive the development and implementation of data spaces. This initiative aligns with the policy priorities of EU cities and communities, focusing on green and digital transformation supported by a secure and sovereign data infrastructure. The selected pilot projects will be based on the governance model and technical plan established by the DS4SSCC preparatory action and will build upon them.

Pilot consortia must develop new data services based on data sharing between at least two of the diverse areas listed below, although they may also include other areas covered by the European Green Deal:

• Predictive traffic management / sustainable mobility planning.
• Data services related to time, weather, and extreme weather events
• Energy Flow Management in a Specific City/Community Context
• Zero-pollution measures (e.g., air, water, soil, pollution, or waste)
• Any other area covered by the “New European Bauhaus” initiative (urban design, building management, public services, nature-based solutions, among others)

Eligibility requirements and consortia:

• Local and regional public authorities in the EU and their partners (e.g., businesses, academia, civil society organizations).
• Eligible consortia must be cross-sectoral and cross-border: they must include at least two local authorities from different EU Member States and/or countries associated with the Digital Europe Program.

Maximum amount per proposal: Up to €500,000 per pilot project (with at least 50% direct co-financing).

Deadline: May 31, 2026

Website: https://www.ds4sscc.eu/cfp-four

LLM-BRIDGE

Description: The call for applications for the Business Incubation Program (VIP) aims to select 30 early-stage GenAI startups to participate in a 12-week incubation program scheduled for the summer of 2026. The program will support the development and scalability of innovative companies working with large-scale language model (LLM) technologies.

The selected startups will receive structured support throughout the program, including business mentoring, technical guidance, access to high-performance computing (HPC) resources and data infrastructure, as well as guidance on responsible AI and regulatory compliance.

Eligibility Requirements and Partnerships: GenAI Startups

Maximum amount per proposal: Once the program has concluded, a prize of €25,000 will be awarded to up to five of the top-performing startups

Deadline: June 1, 2026

Website: https://www.llm-bridge.eu/

JEWEL

Description: Supports innovation and demonstration projects that accelerate the deployment of net-zero emission technologies in the manufacturing industry through transnational collaboration among SMEs. Projects must address at least one of the following NZT categories:

• Battery and energy storage technologies: technologies that improve energy retention, efficiency, and management (e.g., advanced battery cells, thermal storage, etc.)
• Hydrogen technologies: specifically focused on electrolysers (green hydrogen production) and fuel cells (using hydrogen to generate energy), which are essential for the decarbonization of heavy industry and transportation.
• Power grid technologies: solutions that make the power grid smarter, more flexible, and capable of managing high loads of renewable energy.
• Wind, solar, and other green energy production technologies for decarbonization: this broad category includes renewable energy technologies directly applied to industrial processes to drastically reduce the carbon footprint (e.g., electrification of thermal processes, integration of wind/solar energy into factories).

Projects must address one or more of the following ecosystems:

•  Automotive, mobility, or transportation
•  Aerospace and defense
•  Energy-intensive industries

Eligibility requirements and consortia: A consortium must consist of at least two SMEs from two different eligible NUTS 2 regions

Maximum amount per proposal: Maximum grant per project: €54,000. Minimum project budget: €60,000 (minimum private contribution: 10%)

Deadline: June 1, 2026

Website: https://evoluma.pl/en/jewel#open-call