Publication date:
MAT4EU Euroclusters Open Call:1,2 millions€ of EU Funding for SMEs in Advanced Materials
Against the backdrop of the transformation of European industry, advanced materials are emerging as a key driver of competitiveness. At the heart of the green and digital transitions, they underpin all major European industrial sectors, with demand set to grow in the coming years.
It is in this context that the European MAT4EU (Advanced Materials for a Sustainable European Future) project, coordinated by Polymeris, is situated, with a dual objective: to structure the European advanced materials ecosystem and to support industrial SMEs in their innovation efforts.
And to so, the consortium has launched its first Advanced Materials Innovation Open Call, offering EU funding for manufacturing SMEs working with advanced materials across Europe's strategic industrial sectors.
Who can apply?
The call targets manufacturing SMEs that work with at least one of four advanced material groups: metals, polymers, ceramics or composites. Products or applications must target at least one of six strategic industrial sectors: aerospace and defence, agri-food packaging, renewable energy, construction, health or mobility.
Applicants must be located in an EU Member State or a country associated to the Single Market Programme (SMP/COSME strand).
What are the two funding strands?
The call is structured into two strands:
Strand 1: Product innovations supporting European autonomy. Focused on development, testing and validation of innovative solutions in advanced materials. MAT4EU will fund 10 projects with a fixed grant of €60,000 per project (75% funding rate, minimum total eligible costs of €80,000).
Strand 2: Mastering green and digital transformation. Aimed at facilitating uptake, scale-up and integration of advanced materials solutions into industrial environments and value chains. MAT4EU will fund 19 projects with a fixed grant of €33,750 per project (75% funding rate, minimum total eligible costs of €45,000).
Applicants must choose one strand only. Submitting applications to both strands will result in ineligibility.
What is the project duration and timeline?
Projects must last 12 months, starting 1 September 2026 and ending 31 August 2027.
What co-financing is required?
Financial support is capped at 75%. The remaining 25% must come from private sources (debt or own resources). In-kind contributions and other public funding are not eligible as co-financing.
What support do selected SMEs receive beyond funding?
Selected SMEs receive a structured set of complementary services alongside financial support, designed to strengthen innovation capacity in advanced materials, accelerate industrial deployment, enhance cross-regional and cross-sectoral collaboration, facilitate access to international markets and support the green and digital transition of European industry.
How to apply?
Link to the Guide For Applicant: https://toolvalley.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/MAT4EU-Open-Call-Guide-for-Applicant_VF.pdf
Applications must be submitted in English through the MAT4EU grant platform
Applicants must provide: a screenshot of the SME self-assessment results, a screenshot of the completed financial capacity self-check simulator form, and a completed Annex Budget.
Each application is assessed by two MAT4EU project partners with a maximum score of 42 points. The highest-scoring applications will be funded within the available budget.
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