Skip to content
Unclaimed
Discovery tool, not advice. Every figure is the published rule, not a decision on your case.
Grants

EU Innovation Fund - small-scale projects (capex below EUR 20m)

Innovation Fund small-scale projects

Status

Usually opens in December and April

Projected from the months this call usually opens — not a date the funder has confirmed.

Closed

Projected from the pattern of past calls — confirm on the funder's page before planning around it.

Amount
Not published

Dedicated budget envelope for projects with total capital expenditure below EUR 20 million. Grants cover up to 60% of relevant costs. Simplified application compared to the large-scale band, which makes this the realistic Innovation Fund route for scale-ups.

You must co-fund 40%. Work out the cash you need

Funder

European Commission (DG CLIMA / CINEA)

public · supranational

Deadline: One call a year — The IF25 package (4 Dec 2025) contained one regular call (NZT) and two auctions; the IF26 package (December 2026) adds an SME call.

Your odds
Not published

This funder does not publish a success rate. We rank it using the rate observed across similar programmes and label it as an estimate rather than implying we know.

Effort
quick

Quick — mostly identity and bank details.

You fund 40% yourself.

Who can apply

Total capital expenditure below the published small-scale threshold. Located in an EU Member State, Norway or Iceland.

Related reading: How grant deadlines actually work

Apply on the funder's site

Source. https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/eu-funding-climate-action/innovation-fund/calls-proposals_en

"5 calls for proposals will open in December 2026 ... IF26 NZT Call, IF26 SME Call, IF26 Maritime Call, IF26 Heat Auction, IF26 Hydrogen Auction"

Last checked against the official page on 5 October 2026

Source: climate.ec.europa.eu

Report an error Something wrong or out of date? Tell us.

Similar programmes

Interregional Innovation Investments Instrument (I3)

Closes in 31 days

European Commission (EISMEA), European Regional Development Fund

European Innovation Council Pathfinder Challenges

Closes in 16 days

European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) / European Commission, under Horizon Europe

European Innovation Council Pathfinder

Closes in 16 days

European Innovation Council (European Commission / EISMEA)

European Innovation Council Accelerator

Closes in 23 days

European Innovation Council (European Commission / EISMEA)

EIC Accelerator Challenges (thematic calls)

Closes in 23 days

European Innovation Council (EISMEA) / European Commission

Creative Europe Culture strand

Usually opens in October and January

European Commission (EACEA), Creative Europe

Paid, separate from Unclaimed

Want a human to review your application?

Involve Consulting can help — a paid expert-review service run by the same person behind Unclaimed, entirely separate from this free check. A flat fee, agreed up front; never a cut of what you receive.

Talk to Involve Consulting