Transitioning to a more sustainable and resilient ecosystem – empowering tourism SMEs

Submission and Evaluation Process

Applicants must consult the full version of the call for financial support available on the DETOUR project website before preparing their application (submission link). Proposals must be submitted through the official online application form and include all required supporting documents using the templates provided.

Each application must contain the following elements:

1. Completed Application Form
2. Budget Template
3. Proof of legal registration of the applicant organisation
4. Proof of tourism activity (NACE code or equivalent documentation)
5. Declaration of Honour

The Call for Financial Support opens on 9 March 2026, and applications must be submitted no later than 1 June 2026 at 12:00 CET.

Evaluation and Selection

Applications will be assessed through a competitive selection procedure.

1. Eligibility Check

All submitted applications will first undergo an administrative and eligibility verification to ensure compliance with the criteria defined in the Call. Only proposals submitted before the deadline, through the official submission platform, and including all required documentation will be considered eligible for evaluation.

2. Evaluation Procedure

Eligible applications will be evaluated by two independent external experts in each participating country, appointed by the DETOUR project partners. Evaluators will act independently and without conflict of interest, following a common evaluation methodology to ensure fairness and consistency across all participating countries.

Applications will be assessed according to the following evaluation criteria:

1. Relevance
2. Quality
3. Feasibility
4. Impact

Each criterion will be scored on a scale from 1 to 5, with a minimum score of 3 required per criterion and a minimum total threshold of 12 points out of 20 to be considered for funding.

An additional bonus point may be awarded if at least one SME participating in the partnership has taken part in the DETOUR training activities.

Funding will be awarded to the highest-ranked proposals in each participating country until the available budget is exhausted, ensuring a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 12 funded projects per country, with at least 30 projects supported overall.

The evaluation period will take place between 1 June and 12 July 2026, and the results will be published by 13 July 2026.

Selected projects are expected to start from 1 September 2026 and must be implemented within a mandatory duration of 6 to 9 months.

Contact email: [email protected]

Tourism is a key sector in the Mediterranean but SMEs face increasing challenges, including economic pressures, climate change, labour shortages, and rapid digital transformation. Strengthening resilience and innovation has therefore become essential.

DETOUR – Development of Resilient Tourism Ecosystems along Mediterranean Walking Routes is a three-year project co-funded by the European Commission that supports tourism SMEs along walking routes in Italy, Greece, Türkiye, and Bulgaria. Through training, mentoring, and financial support, the project helps SMEs innovate, diversify their services, and strengthen sustainable tourism ecosystems along Mediterranean trails.