Budget
Each selected SME may receive up to €150,000 as a fixed lump sum. SMEs and startups can receive reimbursement of up to 70% of their eligible costs. Non-profit legal entities may be funded up to 100% of their eligible costs. The total funding available for the call is €1,915,683.
Key dates and deadline
May 20, 2026 — Opening of the call July 20, 2026, 17:00 Brussels time — Submission deadline Support programme for selected projects — 10 months Stage 1 — Individual Mentoring Plan & Proof of Concept Stage 2 — Innovative Solution Development Stage 3 — Solution Testing and Validation Stage 4 — Business Support
Details
COSMIC is a Horizon Europe project supporting Green Deal objectives by using artificial intelligence and big data for large-scale energy resource optimisation. Through Open Call #2, COSMIC will select up to 13 SMEs, including startups, developing AI- and data-driven innovations aligned with the project’s mission. Selected participants will join a 10-month support programme including mentoring, solution development, pilot site integration and business scaling support. Beneficiaries will be able to collaborate with COSMIC’s Core Technical Facilitators and Core Social Facilitator, receiving technological support to integrate their AI- and data-driven solutions. Selected solutions may be validated in large-scale pilots across six European countries: Spain, Belgium, Portugal, France, Ireland and Finland. Real-world testing may take place in industrial or urban environments.
Eligibility
The call is open to individual SMEs, including startups, from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Proposals must be AI- and data-centric, have clear scalability potential, be suitable for integration into COSMIC’s infrastructure and demonstrate measurable environmental and social impact. Each selected entity must develop a solution addressing one of the specific challenges described in the COSMIC Technical Guidelines.
Additional information
COSMIC will select a maximum of 27 SMEs through two Open Calls. The second call will support up to 13 SMEs. Targeted challenges include, among others: carbon footprint integration, community engagement, waste classification and smart energy management. The selection process has five stages: Initial eligibility check Assessment of the proposal’s alignment with COSMIC’s scope and European dimension Expert evaluation based on the defined criteria Selection of participants for the Jury Day Pitching in front of the COSMIC Jury and final funding decision Selected beneficiaries will undergo a final eligibility check and sign the Sub-grant Agreement before joining the programme.
How to apply?
https://opportunities.getonepass.eu/open-opportunities/686f87567bcf24f83713fe64/cosmic-open-call-2