The AID4SME project has launched its second Open Call, providing funding and support for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups. The initiative aims to facilitate the development of combined Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data-driven solutions that address large-scale resource optimization challenges within industries pivotal to the European Green Deal. This call connects innovators with both low-TRL scientific playgrounds and high-TRL industrial facilities for comprehensive solution testing and validation.
Program Offering and Financial Support
• Total Indicative Budget: €2,350,000 to fund up to 12 projects.
• Funding per Project: A maximum contribution of €200,000 per project, representing a 70% funding rate of the total eligible project costs.
• Project Duration: Selected applicants will have up to 14 months to deploy their solutions, starting indicatively on November 1, 2026.
• Payment Structure: Funding is disbursed in lump sums across three periods: 30% at the end of Month 1, 40% at the end of Month 8, and 30% at the end of Month 14.
Additional Support and Benefits
• Structured Acceleration: A 14-month program divided into four stages: Plan (Month 1), Development (Months 2-8), Testing and Validation (Months 9-10), and Solution Assessment & Business Plan (Months 11-14).
• Technical Mentoring: Beneficiaries receive technical support with expertise in relevant technologies, engineering integration, testing, and validation.
• Access to Facilities: Access to low-TRL scientific playgrounds and high-TRL industrial facilities from consortium partners for testing and validation.
• Business Support: Coaching and mentoring to develop business plans and exploitation roadmaps.
• Networking Opportunities: Integration into the AID4SME Community of Practice and access to a wide network of professionals and Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) to increase market reach.
Eligibility and Consortium Structure
• Eligible Applicants: The call is open to SMEs and start-ups, which are the only entities eligible for financial support.
• Application Structure: Applications can be submitted by a single legal entity or a consortium of up to two, led by an SME or start-up.
• Application Limit: A maximum of one application per eligible entity is permitted, whether applying alone or in a consortium. Research institutions, non-profits, and public research centers are exempt from this limit.
• Non-Funded Partners: Other organizations may participate as a second partner without receiving financial support, including industry organizations providing use-cases, integrators/engineering service providers, and research institutions or non-profits.
Application Timeline
• Launch Date: 15 May 2026
• Submission Deadline: 15 July 2026 at 17:00 CEST
• Eligibility Check: 16–20 July 2026
• Challenge Scope Check: 20–27 July 2026
• Expert Evaluation: 21 July–18 September 2026
• Online Interviews: 31 August–4 September 2026
• Announcement of Results: 18 September 2026
• Programme Start (Indicative): 1 November 2026
Application Process and Requirements
• Submission Platform: Applications must be submitted exclusively via the F6S platform.
• Proposal Format: The proposal must be completed in English and submitted in PDF format, including an application form on F6S and the Proposal Template (Annex 2).
• Mandatory Deliverables: All selected projects must produce three mandatory reports: an Intellectual Property Agreement with playground owners (Month 4), a Test and Validation Report (Month 10), and a Business Plan and Exploitation Roadmap (Month 14).
Open Call Challenges
Applicants must address one of the ten predefined challenges across four domains:
• Domain 1 - Data Collection: C1.1 Augmented sensing solution.
• Domain 2 - Creation of Insights: C2.1 Product-production Digital Twins; C2.2 Automated monitoring hygiene inspection for refurbishment; C2.3 Energy system Digital Twin decision support tool.
• Domain 3 - Decision Support: C3.2 Automated machine selection for parts production; C3.3 Battery production digital work instructions & skill capturing; C3.4 Automated warehouse and internal logistics management.
• Domain 4 - Automation: C4.1 Smart energy management of unplanned machine downtime; C4.3 Semi-automated EV battery disassembly for recycling; C4.4 Co-bot refrigerator door assembly solutions.
Evaluation and Selection Process
The selection process consists of several phases:
• Phase 1 & 2: An eligibility check followed by a challenge scope check.
• Phase 3 - Expert Evaluation: Eligible proposals are evaluated by two external experts based on four criteria: Novelty/Innovation (30%), Impact (30%), Implementation (20%), and Team (20%).
• Phase 4 - Online Interview: The top three proposals per challenge are invited to an online interview. The evaluation is based on: Project concept & Alignment (40%), Team (30%), and Exploitation plan & IPR (30%). The interview score replaces the expert evaluation score for the final ranking.
The AID4SME Open Call #2 presents a structured opportunity for AI and data-focused SMEs and start-ups seeking to validate their solutions in real-world industrial environments. The program combines financial grants with structured mentorship, access to both scientific and industrial testing facilities, and integration into a broad European network. With a diverse range of challenges across manufacturing, energy, and the circular economy, the call offers clear entry points for various technology profiles and provides a defined context for proposal development, representing a significant acceleration pathway for ready-to-pilot solutions.