Horizont Impuls supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Lower Saxony that intend to participate in the EU research framework programme Horizon Europe. The programme provides financial support for the use of external services to prepare high-quality European project applications in SME-relevant areas of Horizon Europe, particularly in Pillar 2, “Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness”, and Pillar 3, “Innovative Europe”, limited here to the EIC Accelerator. The funding is intended to help SMEs access professional expertise for proposal preparation and thereby improve their chances of successfully participating in European research, development and innovation projects.

The call funds external consultancy and service providers that support SMEs in preparing applications for project coordination in Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe, participation as a project partner in a Pillar 2 consortium application, or the preparation of the second stage full application for the EIC Accelerator under Pillar 3. The support is designed for companies that already have a suitable Horizon Europe call or, in the case of the EIC Accelerator, have successfully completed Phase 1. Before applying, companies must take part in an explanatory and advisory meeting with the EU specialist advisory service of the Enterprise Europe Network at NBank.

Eligible applicants are micro, small and medium-sized enterprises with a registered office or operating site in Lower Saxony. The planned EU project must relate to one of the priority fields of the RIS3 strategy, including mobility, life sciences, energy technologies and systems, agriculture and food, new materials, production technology, maritime economy, or digital economy. The programme does not fund services that are already financed free of charge or partly financed by the EU, the federal government, or the State of Lower Saxony, nor services provided by company employees, affiliated companies, spouses, registered partners, or first-degree relatives of the applicant.

The funding is provided as a non-repayable grant covering up to 60% of eligible expenses, with a maximum grant amount of 30,000 Euro per SME. The applicant must secure the overall financing, and payment is generally made according to the reimbursement principle after submission and review of the relevant receipts. Applications must be submitted through the NBank customer portal before the project begins. For funding applications submitted after 01.01.2026, projects with expenses below 100,000 Euro may start from the date of application receipt by NBank, although this is at the applicant’s own risk and does not create a legal entitlement to funding.

Opening: 09.12.2025