EU ACCESS announces the opening of AGILE competitive Call for Proposals under two complementary grant schemes designed to support innovative European businesses, accelerate investment and strengthen the competitiveness, technological capacity and integration of European companies within the EU Single Market and the wider European innovation ecosystem. The 2026 Call places particular emphasis on high-impact innovation, technological scale-up, market deployment, strategic technologies and investments capable of strengthening European competitiveness, industrial resilience and technological leadership. The Call also seeks to support emerging innovation areas relevant to the development of Europe's new generation of rapid innovation instruments, including technologies and industrial capabilities aligned with the objectives of the forthcoming Programme for Agile and Rapid Defence Innovation. The strategic objective of the Call is to accelerate the development, demonstration, commercialisation and market deployment of innovative technologies, products, services and business models with significant European growth potential. Projects should contribute to one or more of the following objectives: accelerate the development and market uptake of innovative and breakthrough technologies; support companies in moving from validated technology towards demonstration, commercialisation, industrialisation and scale-up; facilitate access to the EU Single Market and integration into European industrial and innovation value chains; increase the investment readiness and international competitiveness of European companies; strengthen Europe's technological and industrial capabilities; reduce critical technological or supply-chain dependencies; mobilise additional private and institutional investment; support cooperation between industry, innovative companies and the European research and innovation ecosystem; strengthen the commercial exploitation of research and technological results; enable faster deployment of innovative solutions responding to strategic European economic, industrial, security or societal needs. Particular consideration may be given to projects involving emerging, disruptive, strategic or dual-use technologies with strong potential for European deployment and scale-up. These may include, without being limited to, artificial intelligence, advanced digital technologies, quantum technologies, autonomous and unmanned systems, robotics, cybersecurity, advanced sensing, communications, space technologies, advanced materials, energy technologies, manufacturing technologies and other strategic or disruptive innovations.
GRANT SCHEME 1 — INNOVATION & MARKET ACCESS The Innovation & Market Access Grant Scheme supports innovative organisations seeking to accelerate technology development, demonstration, commercialisation, investment readiness and entry into European and international markets. Projects should demonstrate a credible pathway from innovation to market. Supported activities may include technology maturation, validation and demonstration; development of market-ready products or services; pilot and demonstration activities; industrialisation and scale-up preparation; certification and regulatory preparation; intellectual-property and freedom-to-operate activities; market validation; business-model development; commercialisation; development of European partnerships and value chains; and activities necessary to prepare the innovation for investment and market deployment. Successful proposals will be expected to demonstrate: a clear technological or business innovation; credible competitive advantage compared with existing solutions; a significant addressable market; realistic commercialisation and scale-up potential; measurable European economic, industrial or strategic impact; a capable implementation team; appropriate management of technological, market, financial and regulatory risks; and a credible implementation and financing strategy.
GRANT SCHEME 2 — EU INVESTMENT CO-FINANCING The EU Investment Co-Financing Grant Scheme supports investments that enable European companies and innovation actors to scale production, deploy innovative technologies, expand technological or industrial capabilities and accelerate market growth. Eligible projects may receive co-financing of up to 50% of eligible investment costs, subject to the conditions established in the final Grant Agreement. Applicants must demonstrate that the proposed investment is economically and technically viable and that grant support will have a significant additional effect by accelerating, increasing or enabling an investment that would otherwise be delayed, reduced in scope or subject to significant financing constraints. Projects should demonstrate a credible capacity to mobilise the remaining financing required for implementation. Priority will be given to investments generating strong additional European value, including increased technological capability, innovation, productivity, competitiveness, strategic autonomy, industrial capacity, employment, market expansion or integration into European value chains.
