| This tender notice is part of the project CR. EU. IN. HERITAGE (Grant Agreement No. 101236464), an initiative co-funded by the European Union under the SMP programme (SMP-COSME-2024-CLUSTER headband), and aim to select at least 20 projects across Europe, financing at least 40 SMEs for the implementation of transversal innovation projects related to the cultural heritage value chain.” Eligibility conditions These criteria apply to both the Phase 1 than to Phase 2. Applicants must meet all legal requirements, financial and compliance issues to be taken into consideration. 1. Status at PMI: Applicants must qualify as SMEs according to the definition of EU SMEs (Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC). This includes the number of employees, turnover and balance sheet totals. 2. Geographic requirements: organizations must be legally established in a country participating in the Single Market Programme (PMI), including EU Member States and associated countries. 3. Financial capacity: Applicants must demonstrate the financial strength necessary to manage and support project activities, verified through an indicator-based assessment. 4. Exclusion criteria: Applicants must not find themselves in any situation of exclusion (for example, failure, fraud or corruption) as defined in the article 136 of the EU Financial Regulation. 5. EU compliance: projects must comply with EU standard obligations, including data protection, the DNSH principle (Do No Significant Harm – Do not cause significant damage), the EU law on artificial intelligence (where applicable) and the visibility of EU funding. The initiative offers financial support through two distinct strands: Philo 1 – Product innovation: aimed at developing new products or services for the company (amount of financing: € 120.000,00 in a single solution for consortia of at least 2 PMI). Philo 2 – Process innovation: oriented towards the innovation of business processes linked to the green and digital transition (amount of financing: € 77.000,00 in a single solution for consortia of at least 2 PMI). The maximum amount that will be granted to each SME is 60.000,00 euro. The submission procedure is structured in two phases: Phase 1 (Presentation of the project proposal): The candidates (Individual SMEs or existing groups) present a brief description of the project and select the scope of application (Scope 1: Product innovation; Scope 2: Process innovation). At this stage a budget forecast is not required. Phase 1 Application form: It is decided that the overcoming of the phase 1 of the tender does not imply any financing. Only the SMEs selected in the fase 2 of the side (which will open in June 2026, after completion of the Phase 1) will receive funding. Compulsory skills development: candidates must participate in the “Skills development and matching program” (May-June 2026). Completion of this program is an essential prerequisite to be able to apply in the Phase 2. • Selection: The results of the Phase evaluation 1 are published and all candidates will be duly informed. The selected projects can apply to the Phase 2. Phase 2 (Complete collaborative project): Detailed Phase information 2 are available in tender document. Description of the task Applicants are invited to submit proposals for collaborative innovation projects specifically focused on cultural heritage value chain (CHVC) . Projects must contribute to strategic autonomy European and double transition (green and digital). Proposals must be in line with one of the following thematic threads: 1. Path 1: Development of new products or services for the company. 2. Philo 2: Adoption of new business processes for the company. Main requirements: Consortium: The proposal for the Phase 2 must be submitted by a consortium of at least two SMEs from countries eligible for the SMP programme. Technology: projects must demonstrate the application of EU-based digital solutions/technologies and/or the involvement of innovation leader. Period: The implementation period of the project is set at 12 months. If selected in Phase 1, SMEs will have to complete a series of mandatory activities (between May and June 2026) to be considered eligible to apply in the Phase 2. The projects require a contribution of minimum co-financing of 15% by the applicants, calculated on the total project budget (for example, a grant of 77.000 € o 120.000 € plus the mandatory contribution of 15%). This contribution is mandatory for all SMEs participating in the project. Although the 15% is the minimum requirement, a higher co-financing contribution will result in an additional score in the evaluation phase. |
