First Open Call

The project running this call: NASCHA

NORTH ADRIATIC SMART COMMUNITIES HYDROGEN ACCELERATOR

The North Adriatic Smart Communities Hydrogen Accelerator (NASCHA) aims to accelerate transnational innovation in the North Adriatic Hydrogen Ecosystem by validating and demonstrating renewable hydrogen (H2)technologies in 3 territories: Croatia, Slovenia, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Italy). NASCHA pilots solutions for H2 value chain, advancing bankability and investor readiness through: a) 3 Smart Communities of Practice, demonstrating hydrogen applications via local actor networks; b) 2 cross-cutting pilots on hydrogen storage and retail distribution, scalable across the communities; c) 1 feasibility study. NASCHA builds on the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley (NAHV) and NACHIP initiatives, targeting 3 value chains: i) Transportation & mobility; ii) Urban areas; iii) Sustainable irrigation. The project integrates regional Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) from Croatia, Slovenia, and…

Official project record ↗

Who runs it: the consortium

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

• Area di Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica di Trieste · ItalyCoordinator
• Meta Group SRL · ItalyPartner
• Etra Proizvodnja, Trgovina Storitve Doo · Slovenia · SMEPartner
• Associazione Italiana Degli Investitori Informali In Rete Italian Business Angels Network Association · ItalyPartner
• Obcina Ajdovscina · SloveniaPartner
• STEMwise d.o.o. · CroatiaPartner
• Gm Circularity Svetovanje In Inovacije Doo · SloveniaPartner
• Cts H2 S.r.l. · Italy · SMEPartner
• Grad Cres · CroatiaPartner
• Rijecka Razvojna Agencija Porin Doo · CroatiaPartner
• Slovenski Institut Za Standardizacijo · SloveniaPartner
• Ecubes Tehnologije D.o.o. · SloveniaPartner
• Inkubator Doo, Ekonomske, Organizacijske In Tehnoloske Storitve, Sezana · SloveniaPartner
• Patria Composite D.o.o · CroatiaPartner
• Sveuciliste U Zagrebu Fakultet Elektrotehnike i Racunarstva · CroatiaPartner
• Energetika Celje Javno Podjetje Doo · SloveniaPartner
• Institut Jozef Stefan · SloveniaPartner
• Mestna Obcina Celje · SloveniaPartner
• INCOM Proizvodno trgovsko podjetje d.o.o. Ajdovscina · SloveniaPartner
• Otocna Razvojna Agencija Doo Za Ocuvanje Otocja Cres-Losinj, Istrazivanje, Razvoj i Ostale Poslovne Djelatnosti · CroatiaPartner

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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