Joint Cluster Initiatives (EUROCLUSTERS) for Europe’s recovery

MAT4EU Open call targets manufacturing SMEs according to the EU definition that work with at least one of the four advanced material groups, metals, polymers, ceramics, or composites, and whose products or applications target at least one of the six strategic industrial sectors: aerospace & defense, agri‑food packaging, renewable energy, construction, health, or mobility.

Applicants must be locatedocated in one of the Single Market Programme (SMP) associated countries :

• EU Member States

• Or other countries participating in the EU Single Market Programme/COSME Strand (Strand “Competitiveness of SMEs”)

Applications must be written in English and complete in all the parts indicated in the application form. Only parts written in English will be evaluated. Each application must be submitted through this link : https://mat4eu.grantplatform.com/

Applicants must also provide the list of additional documents below to finalize their application:

• Screenshot of the results of the SME self-assessment to determine whether your organisation qualifies as a small or medium size enterprise (SME) according to the Commission SME Definition

• Screenshot of the completed financial capacity self-check simulator form

• Annex Budget filled out

An SME can submit only one application to the MAT4EU Open call. An SME submitting 2 applications, either in the same strand or in the 2 strands, will be considered ineligible. Any proposals submitted outside the above-mentioned deadline will be rejected.

Each application will be assessed by 2 MAT4EU project partners according to the criteria described in Section V.1 Evaluation criteria in the Guide For Applicant.

The final scores of each application will be calculated as an weighted average of the individual assessment provided by each evaluator with a maximum of 42 points per application.The applications with the highest score will be selected within the limit of the available budget. Obtaining the pass score does not guarantee that the application will receive funding.

Selected SMEs will receive financial support to implement their innovation projects under the Open Call.

The Open Call is structured into two distinct strands:

• Strand 1: Product innovations supporting European autonomy - Development and Innovation, focused on supporting SMEs in the development, testing, and validation of innovative solutions in advanced materials. MAT4EU first Open Call will fund 10 projects with a minimum budget of 80.000€ with a fixed grant of 60.000€ per project corresponding to maximum 75% funding of eligible costs.

• Strand 2: Mastering green and digital transformation - Industrial Adoption, aimed at facilitating the uptake, scale-up, and integration of advanced materials solutions into industrial environments and value chains. MAT4EU will fund 19 projects with a minimum budget of 45.000€ with a fixed grant of 33.750€ per project corresponding to maximum 75% funding of eligible costs.

Applicants will be required to indicate the strand under which they are applying, based on the nature and objectives of their proposed project. Projects should be managed by only one SME applicant. The SME can involve other partners (enterprises, universities, technical centers etc.) as service providers in its project. An SME can submit only one application to the MAT4EU Open call, thus it has to choose between the 2 available strands. An SME submitting 2 applications, either in the same strand or in the 2 strands, will be considered ineligible.

The duration of the supported projects must last 12 months, with a start date of 1 September 2026 and an end date on 31 August 2027.

The financial support provided through MAT4EU Open call for proposals will have a funding rate of maximum 75%. The remaining cost will be financed by the SMEs from private co-funding. The SME’s financial co-funding must come from private financial sources, in form of debt or own financial resources, it cannot come from in-kind contribution or other public funding sources. The cost covered by the FSTP and by the minimum of 25% of private financial co-funding must be described in Annex – Budget. Please refer to IV. 2. Budget composition of the Guide For Applicant for a detailed description of the budget composition requirements and eligible cost under MAT4EU Open Call.

Selected SMEs will receive:

• 60.000€ for Strand 1 in FSTP funding, complemented by a mandatory co-financing of at least 25% from SMEs provided by private financial sources (for total eligible costs of minimum 80.000 €)

• 33.750€ for Strand 2 in FSTP funding, complemented by a mandatory co-financing of at least 25% from SMEs provided by private financial sources (for total eligible costs of minimum 45.000 €)