SYSTEMEU: up to €2.2 million per consortium for digital innovation, deadline 16 November

The European SYSTEMEU project has opened a €7.55 million call for consortia that develop and test digital solutions in real-world conditions in health, energy and mobility. Start-ups, SMEs, large companies, universities, public authorities, hospitals and NGOs from across Romania can take part, alongside partners from other regions of the project. A project can receive up to €2.2 million, and applications must be submitted by 16 November 2026, 17:00 (Brussels time).

In brief

• Programme: SYSTEMEU – call for financial support to third parties (FSTP), published on the European Commission's EISMEA page
• Beneficiaries: consortia made up of start-ups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities and research organisations, public authorities, hospitals and NGOs from the five participating regions
• Total budget: €7,550,000, of which €1,650,000 for Romania
• Value per project: up to €750,000 (small project), €1,100,000 (medium project) or €2,200,000 (flagship project); maximum €600,000 for a single entity
• Funding intensity: 100% for start-ups, universities and non-profit research organisations, public authorities and NGOs; 70% for SMEs; 50% for large enterprises
• Submission period: 15 September – 16 November 2026, 17:00 (Brussels time)
• Status: call open, single-stage submission

Who can apply and how must the consortium be formed?

SYSTEMEU funds only interregional projects. Partners must come from the participating regions: Bavaria (Germany), Castilla y León (Spain), Norte (Portugal), Tuzla Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Romania. For Romania, the whole country is eligible (NUTS-0 level), not just a particular region.

The call has three types of project:

• Small project: 2–3 entities from at least 2 regions, including at least one for-profit start-up or SME; up to €750,000.
• Medium project: 3–5 entities from at least 3 regions, including at least one university or research organisation and one for-profit entity; up to €1,100,000.
• Flagship project: 5–8 entities covering all 5 regions, including at least one research organisation, one company and one public authority; up to €2,200,000.

Each partner must receive at least €50,000. One entity can receive no more than €600,000 in total, regardless of how many projects it takes part in. At least 60% of a project's budget must go to start-ups, SMEs, public authorities, NGOs, universities and research organisations.

What types of project are funded?

The call has three strands:

• Health: for example, AI-assisted diagnosis and the digitalisation of clinical workflows;
• Energy: smart grids and decentralised energy;
• Mobility: intelligent transport systems and charging infrastructure.

The call does not fund ideas. The project must start from a technology at TRL 6 or above, meaning validated as a prototype in a relevant environment, and reach TRL 8, meaning a complete solution demonstrated in operational conditions. Projects last 15–18 months and must end by 31 August 2028 at the latest. The project also states that it will select at least one project in each of the three sectors.

How and by when do you apply?

The application is submitted online, on the platform indicated by SYSTEMEU, by 16 November 2026, 17:00 (Brussels time), which is 18:00 in Romania. Submission is a single-stage process. According to the project website, results are due to be announced on 20 January 2027, and the selected projects are expected to start on 1 March 2027.

To help you find partners, the project provides the OpenHubs community, a frequently asked questions page and information sessions. All the links are on the official call page.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: the call suits companies that already have a working product, such as a telemedicine platform, software for energy grids or a mobility app, and that need a real pilot. The ideal pilot partner is a hospital, a city hall or a transport operator.

• Form your consortium early. There are roughly six weeks left. For a small project, a partner from just one other region is enough, so it is the most realistic option for anyone without existing contacts abroad.
• Watch the co-financing. SMEs receive 70%, so the remaining 30% must be covered from your own resources. Start-ups receive 100%, so it is worth checking whether your company meets the start-up definition in the guide.
• Document your TRL. Evaluators will want evidence that the technology has already been validated, for example test reports, earlier pilots or customers.
• The budget for Romania is small. The €1.65 million will stretch to only a few Romanian partners, so competition will be tight.

City halls, as public authorities, can take part with 100% funding as test sites. For them it is a chance to obtain digital solutions without co-financing from their budget. For hospitals, the call does not separately specify the funding intensity, so you need to check which category they fall into. If you are not sure which programme your project fits, you can take the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can companies from any county of Romania apply?

Yes. The official call page states that the whole of Romania is eligible (NUTS-0 level), not just one development region. However, the company must be part of a consortium with partners from at least one other SYSTEMEU region.

Can I apply alone, without partners?

No. The smallest type of project requires 2–3 entities from at least two participating regions, and one of them must be a for-profit start-up or SME.

How much can an SME from Romania receive?

No more than €600,000 per entity and at least €50,000 per partner. For SMEs, the funding covers 70% of costs.

Does it fund ideas or early-stage research?

No. The project must start from at least TRL 6, meaning a prototype validated in a relevant environment, and reach TRL 8, a complete solution demonstrated in operational conditions.

When will the results be known?

The project website announces results for 20 January 2027, and projects are expected to start on 1 March 2027.

Official sources

• EISMEA – SYSTEMEU project: Open Call for Interregional Innovation Proposals
• SYSTEMEU – FSTP Open Call (conditions, budgets, timeline)
• SYSTEMEU call submission platform

Information checked on 7 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.