Any European industrial SME can apply for the STAGE Sustainability Transition Programme recruitment call.

The call process will require the completion of the inquiry form on the STAGE Platform, powered by GND: https://gnd.one/operator-inquiry?_ga=2.29332922.761682221.1684482252-2034921708.1684482252

 Once registration is confirmed, the SME needs to log on to the Platform and complete the Initial Assessment online. 

Initial eligibility check is performed based on the information provided in the Initial Assessment form. All companies that meet the eligibility criteria can benefit from the advisory support under the STAGE Sustainability Transition Programme. A separate Call aiming to attract Sustainability Advisors to the STAGE ecosystem is available at https://stagepartners.eu/call-for-advisors 

 The following eligibility rules will apply:

 1.      The company is an SME. A legal entity (enterprise) is considered an SME if complying with the European Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC and the SME qualification guide: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2873/255862 .

In summary, the category of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is made up of enterprises which employ fewer than 250 persons and which have an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million, and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million.

2. The company has its headquarters in an EU member state or in an eligible Horizon Europe country: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine.

Eligible SMEs can benefit from the STAGE Programme sustainability assessment, training and advisory services and apply for grant under The STAGE Financial Grant Programme (separate calls are published). More information can be found at: https://stagepartners.eu/call-for-enterprises

 Note: At this stage of the admission process, eligibility is checked based on the data declared by the applicant. Additional eligibility check and selection criteria shall be applied only for the companies selected for the STAGE Financial Grant Programme.

The admission to the STAGE Sustainability Transition Programme will be done on a first-come first-served basis (i.e., assessments will be processed in the order in which they were received).

Up to 2000 SMEs will be guided by Sustainability Advisors to benefit from the sustainability transition assessment tools and develop a Sustainability Transition Plan.  

Up to 500 SMEs will benefit from the STAGE sustainability training courses.

Up to 100 SMEs will be awarded a financial grant to develop their investment projects (separate open calls are published).

Up to 20 SMEs will receive additional financial advisory support.