The CoDEPlugin project (COnnecting the Dots – Embedding Plug-In within national innovation support schemes) aims to enhance the alignment of national and regional innovation programs with the European Innovation Council's (EIC) Plug-in scheme. This novelty under Horizon Europe, is designed to streamline the process for innovation-driven companies—startups and SMEs—to access support under the EIC Accelerator. However, many countries still face challenges in certifying their programs, resulting in unequal access to this European-level support. CoDEPlugin responds this issue by analyzing the gaps between national support programs and the Plug-in scheme's requirements. The project will conduct an in-depth assessment of the needs of startups and SMEs, the state of certified and uncertified programs, and the barriers hindering wider certification across the EU. The CoDEPlugin develops policy recommendations and practical guidelines to help innovation agencies design programs that align with Plug-in standards. Key activities include knowledge exchange among stakeholders, including Plug-in contact points, policymakers, and innovation agencies, and the creation of a Design Options Paper. It will provide actionable recommendations for aligning national programs with the Plug-in scheme and will be piloted to test its applicability. Fostering collaboration and sharing best practices lead to a more coherent and efficient European innovation support ecosystem. The CoDEPlugin consortium is well-represented by a diverse group of countries: strong innovators like FR, DE, moderate (IT, PT), which have successfully certified their programs. In contrast, Poland (emerging innovator), the largest of widening countries, ‘s not achieved certification. The consortium ensures a comprehensive analysis of the challenges and opportunities across stages of Plug-in implementation, providing a robust response to the needs of both well-established and underperforming innovation systems.

ESIL will establish an EU Framework for capacity building for early-stage investors in Europe, facilitating the take up of Angel Investing, overcoming obstacles related to market outreach and engaging key actors e.g. entrepreneurs, unconventional early stage investors and crowdfunding. To maximise impact ESIL will deliver dedicated actions, tools and mobilise expertise for every investor at any given stage of his/her experience, from awareness to actual investment to "bring on board” local and international investment capacities, increasing the conversion rate in the journey from the awareness raising to the actual investments ESIL will use state of the art on line material and best in class technology platform, but at the same time will engage top Business Angels in intimate events with local champions boosting the process in an informal, peer2peer fashion especially in countries with a younger Angel market The potential is huge, even if we want to count on the most optimistic estimates of 250k business angels today active in Europe this is still far from e.g. the 3mln HWNI Europe can count on ESIL will take special care of less developed market, transferring and adapting all the knowledge of its partners but will also work on improving the more developed market that have big challenges such as illiquidity and co-investments ESIL will target all the members of local BA groups, as well as individual investors, successful entrepreneurs, institutional players in EU28 and H2020 Associate Countries Connecting ecosystem actors (including policy makers) and investors and demonstrating how this pays off will contribute to short-term impact and sustainability. The interaction among different communities and typology of stakeholders (for profit and not for profit, conventional and unconventional, etc.) made possible by the nature of the consortium partners, will promotes cross-fertilization, mutual understanding and open up opportunities for further cooperation and take up.

WHO: The proposal involves 40 National Funding Authorities and/or Agencies under the Umbrella of Eureka and is coordinated by the Eureka Secretariat in Brussels. Founded in 1985, Eureka is a global network, with 48 Member States plus the European Commission. It includes nearly all countries of the European continent as well as international members like Israel, Turkey, Korea, Canada, Singapore, South Africa, Argentina and Chile. The Consortium also benefits from the fact that is has successfully run the Eurostars 1 and 2 programs. WHAT: The proposed European Partnership on Innovative SMEs will comprise two main instruments (Eurostars 3 and Innowwide) as well as measures to connect to existing EU programs, initiatives and other European partnerships. EUROSTARS 3 (E*3) is an instrument that supports the international cooperation of SMEs in the field of non-military collaborative innovation projects. An E*3 project consortium must be composed of at least 2 independent entities from at least two participating countries and must be led by an innovative SME. The E*3 instrument benefits from accompanying measures that strengthen SMEs’ ability to access foreign markets like the INNOWWIDE instrument, which has already been piloted with the support of some Eureka network members in recent years. WHY: The biggest challenges for innovative SMEs are the access to international cooperation and to enter international markets as well the ability to receive funding. E*3 through its coordination of national innovation programs will in addition support the further development of a European Research Area. HOW: The Eureka Secretariat will organize two joint transnational calls per year for E*3 and one call per year for Innowwide. National Innovation Agencies actively support the implementation of E*3 via national funding and support measures as well as services to applicants and promotion of the program.

The Idealist2027 vision is to supply the National Contact Points (NCPs) responsible for digital destinations in Horizon Europe with the tools, knowledge and expertise they need to better serve the digital research community applying for funding from Horizon Europe. Through transnational collaboration, synergies with other digital programs and other cluster 4 NCPs networks, and special network activities Idealist2027 will enhance NCP capacities to facilitate stronger, more impactful European projects. The project focuses on four key objectives: 1.Bringing NCPs to a common understanding of the EU digital landscape, future digital trends, policies, and funding opportunities. 2.Lowering barriers for newcomers, particularly SMEs and widening countries, ensuring broader engagement in digital initiatives and creating better impact on the digital landscape. 3.Connecting digital communities to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders. 4.Integrating the components of Cluster 4 to benefit NCPs, applicants, and stakeholders through synergies across Digital, Industry, and Space. Idealist2027 introduces new services, such as the Horizon Intelligence task, which will analyze Evaluation Summary Reports (ESRs) to provide data-driven insights to NCPs, enabling them to better guide proposers, and will continue to offer very successful services such as Idea check and proposal check. By building on the experience of previous Ideal-ist projects and fostering cooperation within Cluster 4, Idealist2027 will create a more cohesive and supportive environment for NCPs and their stakeholders. The project will ensure compliance with the FAIR principles for data management and will collaborate closely with other Cluster 4 NCP projects. Idealist2027 aims to strengthen the European digital research community, paving the way for successful participation in Horizon Europe and the next Framework Programme.

The European Union leads globally in sustainable and climate technologies, yet maintaining this leadership necessitates ensuring broad accessibility across all Member States for GreenTech, AgriTech, and ClimaTech innovators. Despite significant potential, disparities persist in gender inclusivity and resource distribution, risking the exclusion of certain regions and stakeholders without intervention. The WE-RISE project addresses these challenges by empowering underrepresented female entrepreneurs in GreenTech, AgriTech, and ClimateTech. Through a strategic blend of funding and tailored support, the consortium aims to amplify the market presence of high-potential women-led startups, particularly from emerging European economies. The project's pillars include amplifying market presence through targeted funding and investor matchmaking, integrating startups into the ecosystem through cross-border acceleration activities, and providing a holistic growth program. By prioritising inclusivity, diversity, and systemic change, WE-RISE seeks to enhance the impact and visibility of Green-Women-led startups, contributing to the broader advancement of the European innovation ecosystem towards sustainability.