Successful research makes Europe a better place to live by improving healthcare, developing sustainable agriculture methods and creating innovative products and services.
Every year the EU supports more than 200,000 businesses through business loans, microfinance, guarantees and venture capital.
Small and medium business funding
Accessing funding is an issue all small and medium businesses (SMEs) face during their development. Europe’s programme for SMEs, COSME, is designed to make it easier to access finance in all phases of business development, from creation to expansion.
The EIC Accelerator allows Europe's brightest and boldest entrepreneurs to step forward and request funding for breakthrough ideas with the potential to create new markets or revolutionise existing ones.
The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) has a dedicated SME window offering up to a total of €5.5 billion of either funding resources or guarantee capacity.
Financing tools and advisory services for innovators are also provided by InnovFin, a joint initiative launched by the European Investment Bank Group (EIB) and EIF in cooperation with the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme for research and innovation.
COSME, Europe’s programme for small and medium-sized enterprises
European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI)
InnovFin finance for innovators
Research funding
Research funding plays a key role in innovating to achieve the European Commission's sustainability goals outlined in the Green Deal and the EU's digital transition.
Horizon 2020 is the main financial instrument that puts research investment at the heart of the EU’s drive for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and jobs. The next EU research and innovation investment programme, Horizon Europe, should have a budget of around €100 billion.
As well as funding business-based research, the EU supports researchers at all stages of their careers and academic training.
EU research funding programmes and calls