Proof of Concept: grants of up to EUR 70,000
After several months without new EU calls for innovative SMEs, an EU call for Proof of Concept (Dokazivanje inovativnog koncepta) has finally been published, with grants of up to EUR 70,000.
The call is aimed at micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and research organisations, to co-finance pre-commercial activities in the early stage of developing new products, services and technological processes, in order to establish the commercialisation potential, guide further development and reduce the investment risk.
The call finances research activities at technology readiness level (TRL) 3-4, which can be classified as industrial research.
Proof of Concept: grants of up to EUR 70,000
What is industrial research?
Industrial research is planned research or critical investigation aimed at acquiring new knowledge and skills for developing new products, processes or services, or improving existing ones. This also covers digital products, processes or services, in any field, technology, industry or sector (including, but not limited to, digital industries and technologies such as supercomputing, quantum technologies, blockchain technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, big data and cloud computing technologies).
Industrial research also comprises the creation of component parts of complex systems and may include the construction of prototypes in a laboratory environment or in an environment with simulated interfaces to existing systems, as well as small pilot lines, where necessary for industrial research and in particular for generic technology validation.
Call criteria
Who cannot apply?
- Natural persons
- Lump-sum taxed sole proprietorships (paušalni obrt)
- Large enterprises
- Associations
- Undertakings in difficulty
- Companies that did not have at least 1 employee in 2025
- Companies that are not registered for the activities in which the project is implemented
Eligible cost categories (for companies) include:
- Staff costs (employee salaries)
- Costs of external research services
- Depreciation costs of instruments and equipment necessary for implementing the project
- Costs of materials and small inventory for the project; costs of consumables (e.g. kits, chemicals, reagents, plastic labware, filters, samples, substrates, electronic and mechanical components) and small inventory (e.g. tools, spare components and parts, small devices) are eligible if they are directly linked to the implementation of the project’s research activities.
- Other expenses incurred solely as a result of project implementation (up to 20% of total eligible costs), e.g. costs of external project management services
- Indirect costs (e.g. accounting, cleaning, telephone services, electricity, etc.)
- Costs of external services for carrying out business validation activities and preparing a market analysis
- VAT on all costs for which the applicant is not entitled to a refund
For micro and small enterprises, aid intensities go up to 70% of eligible costs, which, with maximum aid of EUR 70,000, makes this call a useful tool for testing innovative concepts at an early stage, before possible commercialisation on the market.
For timely, high-quality project preparation, contact us at: info@omniasolutions.hr!
