Who can apply for funding under national calls and European Union programs?

Funding opportunities are open to a wide range of applicants - private enterprises, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, scientific and educational institutions, as well as partnerships between them. Each fund, each call or procedure has specific conditions and requirements, so it is important to analyze the eligibility and potential of the applicant in advance.

What does "eligibility of costs" mean and why is it important?

The eligibility of costs is one of the most strictly controlled aspects of any project. Only costs that are directly linked to the activities carried out within the eligible period and supported by correct documentation can be recognized.NORTAN experts perform detailed verification and ensure compliance with the requirements of the governing authorities, which reduces the risk of financial corrections.

What are the main stages in managing an EU-funded project?

The project cycle goes through several key phases:Analysis of client needs and identification of suitable financing opportunities;Development of a project idea and preparation of a proposal;Assessment and approval by the Managing Authority;Implementation, monitoring and control of activities;Final reporting and sustainability of results.NORTAN Ltd offers comprehensive support at every stage - from concept to successful completion of the project.

What are the most common reasons for project proposals being rejected?

Among the most common errors are incomplete or incorrect documentation, a mismatch between the project objectives, the scope and priorities of the program, as well as incorrect budget structuring, which includes expenses for remuneration, the purchase of equipment and other external services.Our team conducts a thorough analysis before submitting the project proposal to ensure full compliance and increase the likelihood of approval.

How does the project reporting and control process work?

Reporting includes the presentation of detailed technical and financial reports that demonstrate the implementation of activities and the achievement of results.NORTAN provides methodological and expert support throughout the entire process, from documentation preparation to communication with governing bodies, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and legality at the completion of each project.NORTAN Ltd. experts, with proven experience in writing technical and financial reports, provide full support in their preparation and reporting to the competent institutions.

What is cascade funding?

Cascading Funding is a mechanism where the European Commission provides funds to a lead beneficiary (usually a consortium), which then distributes part of these funds to third parties (SMEs, start-ups, NGOs, researchers) through open calls for applications.This type of funding is widely used in programs such as Horizon Europe and Digital Europe and is also known as Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) .

Do you work with municipalities?

Yes, we work with municipalities and municipal enterprises , providing expert support in project development and implementation, including strategic planning, application and subsequent management.

Do you work with non-governmental organizations (NGOs)?

Yes, we work with non-governmental organizations , including foundations and associations, in preparing and implementing projects in areas such as social activities, education, culture, innovation and sustainable development.

Do you work with other organizations?

Yes, in addition to SMEs, municipalities and NGOs, we also work with:universities and scientific organizations;public institutions and agencies;startups and innovative companies;consortia and partnerships on international projects.

What does co-financing mean?

Co-financing is the part of the project budget that is not covered by European funding and is provided by the beneficiary or other sources.

What are eligible costs?

These are costs that:are directly related to the project;were made within the eligibility period;comply with the rules of the relevant program;are duly documented.

AI on Demand: funding of up to EUR 60,000 for AI products

Apr 11
2 min read

The AI on Demand for the private sector call under the DeployAI project will support innovators in artificial intelligence (AI) who wish to contribute to the accelerated adoption of trustworthy, ethical, and transparent AI.

The call is open to projects by providers with mature AI products — at least TRL 7* — that can be integrated into the AI-on-Demand platform. Beneficiaries will be able to validate their business model and deploy their solutions with the support of real users.

The call is implemented under the DeployAI project, which is developing an AI deployment platform offering trustworthy tools, resources, and collaboration opportunities for enterprises of different sizes, as well as public sector organisations.

Funding

The procedure is funded under the European program Digital Europe 2021–2027 and has a total budget of EUR 1.3 million.

The support will be provided in the form of grant funding — lump sums — with a maximum amount of EUR 60,000 per AI product provider. The funding will be distributed in three competitive phases as follows:

Solution presentation – EUR 5,000 each for 50 providers;
Platform integration – EUR 35,000 each for 20 providers;
Deployment of the AI product in a real use case – EUR 20,000 each for 10 providers. In this phase, providers will form consortia with real-user organisations that will implement the solutions. Each real-user organisation will be able to receive up to EUR 15,000.

In addition to the grant funding, providers will be able to benefit from technological resources for integrating their solution into the AI-on-Demand platform, expert mentoring, and market visibility opportunities through participation in pitching events.

Beneficiaries

Eligible beneficiaries under the procedure are AI product providers — small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), mid-caps, and research organisations registered in EU Member States.

Applicants approved for Phase 3 will be required to form a consortium with a real-user organisation.

Eligible activities and costs

Approved AI product providers will participate in a three-phase competitive programme:

Solution presentation – improving the business plan in line with the AI-on-Demand platform, providing initial feedback on the platform, and presenting the solutions during an industry event held in person;
Platform integration – full integration of the solutions into the platform and beta testing;
Deployment of the AI product in a real use case – deployment of the AI product in a real use case together with a user organisation. At the end of the projects, measurable impact and achieved results must be demonstrated.

Eligible costs will include research and technological development, testing and validation, project management, travel costs, as well as communication and promotional activities.

Evaluation

Project proposals that pass the administrative eligibility check will be evaluated by two experts according to criteria related to the solution concept, team and expertise, implementation plan, ambition, and scalability.

The approved applicants will be announced in August.

Deadline

The duration of the projects is up to 8 months: 1 September 2026 – 30 April 2027.

The deadline for submitting project proposals is 8 June 2026, 17:00 CET.

Applications are submitted here.