The EIT Higher Education Initiative (EIT HEI) Call for Proposals 2026 will support higher education institutions and their innovation ecosystem partners in strengthening the capacity to transform STEM talent, research and knowledge into deep-tech and manufacturing innovation and entrepreneurship.

The call focuses on strengthening HEIs as drivers of innovation by improving entrepreneurship and intellectual property capabilities, knowledge valorisation and technology transfer, and collaboration with industry and wider European innovation ecosystems.

The SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme is an 18-month business growth programme supporting South African entrepreneurs who have already established commercially viable businesses and are ready to strengthen their operations and pursue further growth.

The programme provides tailored business support, mentoring and practical development assistance focused on strengthening leadership, financial management, operational systems, market access and overall business capability.

MANTRA 2nd Open Call – Support for Manufacturing SMEs

Overview

The MANTRA (Sustainable and Innovative Manufacturing by Ensuring Digital, Green, and Social SME Transformation) 2nd Open Call supports European manufacturing SMEs undertaking practical green, digital and social transformation projects.

The AGRIFOOD4FUTURE Open Innovation & Challenge-Based Programme, supported through the Erasmus+ AGRIFOOD4FUTURE project, connects agrifood companies facing real operational, technological and sustainability challenges with startups and research groups offering innovative solutions.

The programme supports collaboration around real agrifood needs, helping participants progress from challenge identification and solution matching to feasibility assessment and pilot-ready designs.

EIT Culture & Creativity is inviting startups and scaleups in the Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI) to apply for financial support through its Shape Acceleration Programme and Scale Post-Acceleration Programme.

The call is designed for technology-enabled, market-driven and IP-leveraged ventures that are seeking to strengthen commercial execution, improve investment readiness, attract capital and expand into European and international markets. EITCC_Open call_Financial suppo…

Funding Available

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Uganda is inviting eligible national Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) to submit information for potential partnership in delivering enterprise development and capacity-building services under the project “Building Resilient Communities, Wetland Ecosystems and Associated Catchments in Uganda.” 

The ICC TradeRoots Africa Programme, led by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Centre of Entrepreneurship, is designed to help African SMEs build the knowledge, tools, connections and capabilities needed to expand into African markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs).

The programme will support 1,000 SMEs through its first tier and provide a structured pathway from export readiness to concrete market opportunities, trade finance and export transactions. 

The Green Economy Accelerator, powered by Nedbank and delivered by Innovate Durban, is an 18-month enterprise development programme designed to support and scale green businesses operating in KwaZulu-Natal.