What is cascade funding?

Cascade funding (also called financial support to third parties) is money the European Commission gives to an EU-funded project, which the project then passes on to startups, SMEs, researchers or other organisations through its own open calls. You apply to the project, not to the Commission, and the project's own call rules apply.

Each call sets its own eligibility in its call document: usually organisations established in an EU member state or a Horizon Europe associated country, often startups and SMEs. Check the call's eligibility section and the official guide before you apply.

Do I need a consortium?

Most cascade calls accept single applicants, which makes them one of the easiest ways into EU funding. Some calls ask for small teams; the call document says which.

How large are the grants?

Typically tens of thousands of euros per applicant and rarely more than €200,000, because the EU rules for financial support to third parties keep amounts per recipient modest. The exact maximum is in each call.

Can I combine it with other EU funding?

Yes, as long as the same costs are not funded twice. Many startups use a cascade grant to build evidence before applying to larger programmes such as the EIC Accelerator.

FIERCE 2nd Open Call for the Financial Support Programme…

FIERCE 2nd Open Call for the Financial Support Programme

This round is closed. The next round and similar open calls are listed below. Open call run by the EU-funded project FIERCE (Financing and Innovation Ecosystems for SMEs to innovate for Raw materials and Circular Economy solutions and using downstream space technologies). You apply to the project, not to the European Commission. Synced from the EU Funding & Tenders Portal on 9 November 2026.

On this page · 8 sections→

01Open now
02The project
03Consortium
04Similar calls
05Cascade funding FAQ
06Call scope
07Eligibility & conditions
08Official source

Open now: calls like this one

This call is closed. These open or upcoming calls fund the closest work.

The project running this call: FIERCE

Financing and Innovation Ecosystems for SMEs to innovate for Raw materials and Circular Economy solutions and using downstream space technologies

The European Space Programme (EUSpace) holds vast potential to fulfil the EU green and digital (twin) transition, but SMEs’ limited uptake and technological capacity is preventing them from fully unlocking the green and digital transformation. FIERCE aims to address these limitations by mobilising 140 SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups with specialised technical and business advisory to design business solutions and engage in process innovation using downstream space data in areas such as circularity, raw materials, environmental monitoring and corporate sustainability (space-enabled green solutions). We mobilise 2.5 million EUR in financial support providing 70 SMEs with access to market services and key infrastructure to realise their vision through Transformation Projects, supporting ideation, scaling up and commercialization of space-enabled solutions, accelerating SMEs journey to the…

EU contribution

€5.0M

Runs

1 Nov 2024 to 31 Oct 2027

Programme

Horizon Europe

Funded under the EU call HORIZON-CL4-2024-RESILIENCE-01-41. Official project record ↗

Who runs it: the consortium

9 organisations in the project. The coordinator usually manages the open call and its evaluation.

Q-Plan International Advisors Pc · Greece · SMECoordinator
Novaspace GmbH · Germany · SMEPartner
Draxis Research Ventures Astiki Mi Kerdoskopiki Etairia · Greece · SMEPartner
Fundingbox Communities SL · Spain · SMEPartner
EIT Raw Materials GmbH · GermanyPartner
Tech Tour Global Eood · Bulgaria · SMEPartner
Fundingbox Accelerator Sp Zoo · Poland · SMEPartner
Novaspace SRL · Belgium · SMEPartner
Europa Media Szolgaltato Non Profit Kft · Hungary · SMEPartner

Similar open calls from EU projects

Other cascade calls on related topics that you can apply to now.

Cascade funding: what to know before you apply

What is cascade funding?: Cascade funding (also called financial support to third parties) is money the European Commission gives to an EU-funded project, which the project then passes on to startups, SMEs, researchers or other organisations through its own open calls. You apply to the project, not to the Commission, and the project's own call rules apply.
Who can apply?: Each call sets its own eligibility in its call document: usually organisations established in an EU member state or a Horizon Europe associated country, often startups and SMEs. Check the call's eligibility section and the official guide before you apply.
Do I need a consortium?: Most cascade calls accept single applicants, which makes them one of the easiest ways into EU funding. Some calls ask for small teams; the call document says which.
How large are the grants?: Typically tens of thousands of euros per applicant and rarely more than €200,000, because the EU rules for financial support to third parties keep amounts per recipient modest. The exact maximum is in each call.
Can I combine it with other EU funding?: Yes, as long as the same costs are not funded twice. Many startups use a cascade grant to build evidence before applying to larger programmes such as the EIC Accelerator.

Cascade funding in the glossary · All open cascade calls

What this call funds

This Programme supports the contracting of External Service Providers to help beneficiaries design/upscale/commercialise space-enabled green solutions.

Applications accepted via https://opportunities.getonepass.eu/opportunities/financial-support-program/2nd-open-call

Who can apply

Single entities: Self-employed individuals, Micro Enterprises, Small Enterprises, Medium-sized Enterprises.

Registered in EU Member State and its Overseas Countries and Territories or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Eligibility & conditions+

Detailed information and all support documents can be found here: https://2nd-financing.project-fierce.eu/

*A thorough reading of the Guide for Applicants is essential for the preparation and submission of a proposal.

For help, please contact: helpdesk@project-fierce.eu

More information about our Project can be found on https://project-fierce.eu/

Official source

Confirm the current call documents and submission conditions with the funding authority.

View on EU portal ↗

Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal · synced 2026-11-09

On this page · 8 sections→

01Open now
02The project
03Consortium
04Similar calls
05Cascade funding FAQ
06Call scope
07Eligibility & conditions
08Official source

Open now: calls like this one

This call is closed. These open or upcoming calls fund the closest work.

The project running this call: FIERCE

Financing and Innovation Ecosystems for SMEs to innovate for Raw materials and Circular Economy solutions and using downstream space technologies

EU contribution

€5.0M

Runs

1 Nov 2024 to 31 Oct 2027

Programme

Horizon Europe

Funded under the EU call HORIZON-CL4-2024-RESILIENCE-01-41. Official project record ↗

Who runs it: the consortium

9 organisations in the project. The coordinator usually manages the open call and its evaluation.

Q-Plan International Advisors Pc · Greece · SMECoordinator
Novaspace GmbH · Germany · SMEPartner
Draxis Research Ventures Astiki Mi Kerdoskopiki Etairia · Greece · SMEPartner
Fundingbox Communities SL · Spain · SMEPartner
EIT Raw Materials GmbH · GermanyPartner
Tech Tour Global Eood · Bulgaria · SMEPartner
Fundingbox Accelerator Sp Zoo · Poland · SMEPartner
Novaspace SRL · Belgium · SMEPartner
Europa Media Szolgaltato Non Profit Kft · Hungary · SMEPartner

Similar open calls from EU projects

Other cascade calls on related topics that you can apply to now.

Cascade funding: what to know before you apply

What is cascade funding?: Cascade funding (also called financial support to third parties) is money the European Commission gives to an EU-funded project, which the project then passes on to startups, SMEs, researchers or other organisations through its own open calls. You apply to the project, not to the Commission, and the project's own call rules apply.
Who can apply?: Each call sets its own eligibility in its call document: usually organisations established in an EU member state or a Horizon Europe associated country, often startups and SMEs. Check the call's eligibility section and the official guide before you apply.
Do I need a consortium?: Most cascade calls accept single applicants, which makes them one of the easiest ways into EU funding. Some calls ask for small teams; the call document says which.
How large are the grants?: Typically tens of thousands of euros per applicant and rarely more than €200,000, because the EU rules for financial support to third parties keep amounts per recipient modest. The exact maximum is in each call.
Can I combine it with other EU funding?: Yes, as long as the same costs are not funded twice. Many startups use a cascade grant to build evidence before applying to larger programmes such as the EIC Accelerator.

Cascade funding in the glossary · All open cascade calls

What this call funds

This Programme supports the contracting of External Service Providers to help beneficiaries design/upscale/commercialise space-enabled green solutions.

Applications accepted via https://opportunities.getonepass.eu/opportunities/financial-support-program/2nd-open-call

Who can apply

Single entities: Self-employed individuals, Micro Enterprises, Small Enterprises, Medium-sized Enterprises.

Registered in EU Member State and its Overseas Countries and Territories or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Eligibility & conditions+

Detailed information and all support documents can be found here: https://2nd-financing.project-fierce.eu/

*A thorough reading of the Guide for Applicants is essential for the preparation and submission of a proposal.

For help, please contact: helpdesk@project-fierce.eu

More information about our Project can be found on https://project-fierce.eu/

Official source

Confirm the current call documents and submission conditions with the funding authority.

View on EU portal ↗

Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal · synced 2026-11-09

FIERCE 2nd Open Call for the Financial Support Programme

Open now: calls like this one

The project running this call: FIERCE

Who runs it: the consortium

Similar open calls from EU projects

Cascade funding: what to know before you apply

What this call funds

Official source

Get told when calls like this open.

FIERCE 2nd Open Call for the Financial Support Programme

Open now: calls like this one

The project running this call: FIERCE

Who runs it: the consortium

Similar open calls from EU projects

Cascade funding: what to know before you apply

What this call funds

Official source

Get told when calls like this open.