European Calls for Cascading Funding. November 2026
European calls for proposals for cascade funding of interest to startups in November 2026.
The most interesting calls for proposals selected in November.
LLM-BRIDGE – Business Incubation Program (VIP) – Open Call for Incubators (2nd Call)
Description: The LLM-BRIDGE open call aims to select an EU-based incubator to design and deliver a 12-week Venture Incubation Program (VIP) intended to support 30 early-stage European startups developing solutions based on large language models (LLMs), generative AI (GenAI), and related technologies.
The selected incubator will be responsible for providing structured training and mentoring, facilitating access to technical expertise and AI infrastructure, supporting market validation and business model development, and preparing startups for future acceleration opportunities. Activities will also include preparing startups to attract investors, ensuring compliance with EU regulations on AI and data, fostering networking within the ecosystem, and tracking the startups’ progress using predefined key performance indicators (KPIs).
Eligibility Requirements and Consortia: Incubators and innovation organizations established in an EU Member State or in a country associated with the “Digital Europe” Program, with proven experience in incubating and scaling advanced technology startups, particularly in GenAI, LLM, and natural language processing (NLP). Applicants must demonstrate sufficient operational capacity, access to mentors, investors, and relevant infrastructure, as well as the ability to deliver the program in English. One incubator will be selected.
Maximum amount per proposal: Up to €60,000 for the selected incubator
Deadline: November 28, 2026 (5:00 p.m., Brussels time).
Website: https://www.llm-bridge.eu/open-calls-2/
RISTANC – Open Call for Funding for Small Projects
Description: The RISTANC open call for proposals aims to support small-scale projects that contribute to the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems, the reduction of pollution, and the development of a sustainable blue economy in Slovenian waters, in line with the EU’s mission to “Restore Our Oceans and Waters by 2030.”
The call for proposals addresses three main challenges:
- Challenge 1 – Mooring: Innovative mooring solutions for recreational and tourist vessels that prevent damage to sensitive seabed habitats and marine ecosystems.
- Challenge 2 – Coastal Zone: Solutions for sustainable coastal planning and management that balance human activities, tourism, development, and environmental protection.
- Challenge 3 – A Healthier Ocean: Other initiatives that contribute to the restoration of marine ecosystems, the reduction of pollution, the protection of biodiversity, and sustainable blue economy activities.
Eligible activities include research and innovation, experimental activities and prototype development, feasibility studies, marine monitoring and citizen science, educational and capacity-building activities, and community initiatives. Projects must be carried out in Slovenian maritime waters and may last between 6 and 12 months.
Eligibility Requirements and Consortia: NGOs and associations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and other companies, research organizations, universities, educational institutions, social enterprises, local communities, informal initiatives, and individuals.
Legal entities must be established in an EU Member State or in a country associated with Horizon Europe, while individuals must have permanent residence in the EU. Partners in the RISTANC consortium are not eligible to participate.
Maximum amount requested per proposal: between €7,500 and €12,000 per project. The total budget for this call for proposals is €60,000, and it is expected that approximately 5 to 8 projects will be funded.
Deadline: November 28, 2026 (11:59 p.m. CET).
Website: https://www.ristanc.eu/en/news/call-for-small-project-funding-ristanc
RENEW-BOOSTER Eurocluster – Second Open Call for Proposals
Description: The second open call for proposals from the RENEW-BOOSTER Eurocluster aims to support SMEs in the development, validation, and scaling up of innovative solutions that strengthen European renewable energy value chains, particularly in the photovoltaic (PV), offshore wind, and associated power grid sectors. The initiative seeks to accelerate the green and digital transitions, reduce dependence on critical raw materials, and improve European industrial competitiveness.
The call for proposals is structured around two funding streams:
- Track A – Challenge-Based Call for Proposals: Supports SMEs that address predefined industrial challenges in the fields of photovoltaic energy, offshore wind energy, and energy grids. It follows a two-phase process:
- Phase 1: Development and validation of proof-of-concept solutions (TRL 6–7).
- Phase 2: Further development, demonstration, and scaling up of the selected solutions with a view to commercialization (TRL 8–9).
- Line B – Open Call: Supports grassroots innovation projects proposed by small and medium-sized enterprises in selected renewable energy sectors. Funding varies depending on the project’s maturity, with projects lasting up to six months
Eligibility Requirements and Consortia: SMEs established in EU Member States or in countries participating in the Single Market Program (SMP/COSME line).
- Line A: Individual SMEs only .
- Line B: Individual SMEs or consortia of up to 3 SMEs.
Each small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) may submit one application per program line, provided that the proposed activities are different and there is no duplicate funding. Applicants must have a valid Participant Identification Code (PIC).
Maximum amount requested per proposal:
· Line A: Up to 60,000 € per SME, distributed in two phases:
- Phase 1: 10,000 € (minimum of 20% private co-financing).
- Phase 2: €50,000 (minimum of 40% private co-financing), awarded to the selected SME following the evaluation.
- Line B: €10,000, €30,000, or €60,000 per SME, depending on the project's maturity, with progressively higher private co-financing requirements.
Maximum cumulative funding of €60,000 per SME across all RENEW-BOOSTER calls for proposals. Total budget for Open Call No. 2: €800,000
Deadline: November 30, 2026 (5:00 p.m. CET).
NOSTRADAMUS
Description: Open Call No. 1 invites industry stakeholders and innovators to design, develop, test, and validate multifunctional, open-source digital applications for decision-making on farms and in the agri-food sector.
The selected third parties will build on the NOSTRADAMUS data infrastructure—which includes multidimensional open data cubes, analysis-ready Earth observation data streams (ARD), real-time streams from the IoT Observatory, and socioeconomic datasets—to provide data-driven tools that optimize agricultural inputs (water, fertilizers, pesticides), improve energy balance, and increase production resilience in cereal-based agricultural systems. The call for proposals covers five specific themes:
- Topic 1 (T1): Sustainable crop production and optimization of cereal-based systems under changing climatic and soil conditions.
- Topic 2 (T2): Nutrient Management and Soil Health, Integrating Soil Fertility Indicators, Organic Matter Dynamics, and Precision Fertilization Models.
- Topic 3 (T3): Water resource efficiency and drought resilience, using data from the Early Warning System and Internet of Things (IoT)-based soil moisture monitoring.
- Topic 4 (T4): Smart and predictive management of pests and diseases to support the EU’s goal of reducing dependence on pesticides.
- Topic 5 (T5): Open-ended topic (integrated and multidisciplinary applications to support decision-making that combine at least two of the topics T1 through T4).
Eligibility Requirements and Consortia: Individual SMEs / startups / small mid-cap companies, or consortia of up to 2 entities (the lead beneficiary must be an SME, a startup, or a small mid-cap company; the second partner may be a research and technology organization [RTO], a university, an end user, or a sectoral representative organization).
Maximum amount requested per proposal: up to 50,000 €
Deadline: December 2, 2026
Website: https://nostradamus-project.eu/nostradamus-open-calls/
