In today’s competitive landscape, innovative companies thrive through the support of an ecosystem that provides additional capabilities, data, customers and knowledge. Network connectivity within and between innovation ecosystems greatly contributes to sustainable business growth with high societal value. An ecosystem focused on the meeting concrete needs of companies helps them to stimulate their expansion at European and global level and lead to accelerated growth.

This destination aims at strengthening and expanding cooperation between innovation players to better support the next generation of innovative companies whose solutions will lead the shift towards a more competitive EU and a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient world.

The actions of this destination will help innovation ecosystems to support companies to better sustain their growth and gain new competitive advantage. Besides stronger innovation performance, increased competitive sustainability and more rapid transitions to a green and digital society, ecosystem integration can provide companies with access to new markets and customers and contribute to disruptive strategies. By being actively engaged in their local, national and European networks, companies can increase their overall growth potential.

Expected impact

Proposals for topics under this destination should set out a credible pathway to contributing to elevating the scalability potential of business, and more specifically to one or several of the following impacts:

• Enhanced network connectivity within innovation ecosystems by reinforcing their capacity to support existing and emerging innovators and companies;
• Strengthened and expanded cooperation between innovation ecosystems worldwide;
• More inclusive and gender equal innovation ecosystems.

Proposals are invited against the following topics:

Online Manual is your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant.

Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe.

Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – find the answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management.

Research Enquiry Service – ask questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular.

Enterprise Europe Network – contact your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding.

IT Helpdesk – contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc.

European IPR Helpdesk assists you on intellectual property issues.

CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk –  the European Standards Organisations advise you how to tackle standardisation in your project proposal.  

The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment– consult the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers.

Partner Search Services help you find a partner organisation for your proposal.