Category: Public Calls

HAMAG-BICRO has launched a public call for election the most innovative startup in Croatia for 2026, aimed at teams that want to present their solution, increase visibility and open up new growth opportunities.

The competition is conducted at the regional level for the areas of Adriatic, Pannonian and Northern Croatia, while the application for the the National Grand Prix Award, available to startups from all Croatian regions.

Who can apply?

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that:

• were established after 1 January 2020
• develop innovative products, services or technologies
• contribute to strengthening regional innovation ecosystems and value chains
• operate in accordance with the Smart Specialisation Strategy of the Republic of Croatia (S3) and the Industrial Transition Plans

What do selected startups get?

Selected startups will have the opportunity to:

• present their solutions at leading startups and technology conferences
• make contacts with investors, partners and mentors
• be included in promotional brochures and video materials
• increase its national and international visibility
• open new doors for business development and growth

How is the selection carried out?

Registered startups will be evaluated according to predefined criteria of quality and innovation, and the best will win the titles of the most innovative startups of their regions and the national Grand Prix award.

Deadline and method of application

Applications are open until 1 September 2026, and are received here.

---

More information, application form and tender documentation are available here.

Applications are open for the new generation Marc Impact Programme 2026/2027, an international support programme for organisations developing business models with a positive social and environmental impact.

The program in Croatia is implemented Entrepreneurial Center of Krapina-Zagorje County, intended for social enterprises, start-ups with a social or green mission and non-profit organisations developing market-sustainable activities.

What is the Marc Impact Programme?

Marc is a regional programme aimed at organisations from Central and Eastern Europe that want to strengthen their financial readiness, improve the business model and increase your social or environmental impact.

The aim of the program is to help organizations that create positive change to simultaneously develop sustainable business and increase their impact.

What does the program offer?

Support is available to participants through:

• individual mentoring and counselling,
• education and development of business capacities,
• preparation for financing and investment readiness,
• access to a regional network of mentors, investors and experts,
• networking with organisations active in the field of social innovation.

A special focus is placed on the development of:

• business model;
• financial planning;
• business scalability,
• social and environmental impact measurements.

Who is the program for?

The program is open to:

• social enterprises;
• startups with a social or environmental mission,
• non-profit organisations with business activities,
• organisations developing innovative solutions with a positive impact on the community or the environment.

Deadline and method of application

Applications are open by 15 September 2026 at 23:59, and are received here.

---

More information about the program and the application is available here.

Applications are open for TRANSFORMER, educational accelerator program intended for owners and key decision-makers in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and organisations that want to systematically improve their business, increase efficiency and better respond to future challenges.

What is a TRANSFORMER?

TRANSFORMATOR is an educational accelerator program that is implemented in its third edition, and the participants helps to understand where their business is currently located and what are the key steps to strengthen resilience and efficiency.

The program takes place in hybrid format from September to November 2026, through national bootcamps, thematic webinars, regional bootcamp in Bucharest and connecting with experts and companies from the region.

What areas are we working on?

The programme focuses on four key business areas:

• Operations and automation
  Analysis of business processes, identification of bottlenecks and defining steps to simplify and automate everyday work.
• Costs and resource efficiency
  Identify where costs are incurred, where resources are lost and how to set priorities for a more stable business.
• Revenue and growth
  Mapping revenue structure and defining growth directions through products, markets and customers.
• Talents and organisation
  Taking stock of how people, responsibilities and teams are organised and defining steps for a more reliable functioning of the organisation.

What do participants get?

By participating in the program, participants receive professional support tailored to the needs of their own business, analysis of the current situation, practical tools and strategies, and support in the development of an action plan.

The programme also includes live sessions with experts, two national bootcampas, thematic webinars, regional bootcamp in Bucharest and networking with entrepreneurs and experts from Central and Eastern Europe.

For participants it is Full Scholarship It covers the entire cost of the programme for a value of EUR 3,000, including transport and accommodation for participants outside Zagreb.

Who is the program for?

The program is intended Owners and decision-makers in small and medium-sized enterprises and organisations with at least three years of activity, wishing to:

• improve business efficiency
• adapt processes to changes
• take decisions that ensure continuity and growth;
• Explore sustainable solutions using existing resources
• connect with other entrepreneurs and professionals

Deadline and applications

You can apply via these links to 28 June 2026 at 23.59.

---

More information is available via e-mail: transformator@huki.hr

A call ‘Demonstration of an innovative concept – First call’ was launched for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and research organisations developing innovative products, processes or services and wishing to verify their technical and market potential before commercialisation.

Subject of the call

The call supports the award of grants for conducting research in the early stages of the development of an innovative product, process or service in order to identify the potential for commercialization, direct further development and reduce investment risk.

Objective of the call

The call aims to increase readiness to develop new products and processes by strengthening the research and development and innovation capacities of companies and research organisations.

Purpose of the call

The call focuses on technical and business validation activities of innovative solutions before the commercialisation phase. The aim is to help applicants assess the sustainability and market potential of innovation through research, testing and validation before investing more in development and market entry.

Financial allocation

The total available grant amounts to EUR 5,304,291.67.

Amount of aid per project:

• minimum: €26,500
• Maximum: €70,000

Co-financing rate

• 50% 70% Eligible project costs

Eligible applicants

You can apply:

• micro-enterprises
• small businesses
• medium-sized enterprises
• Research organisations

Partnership under this Call is not allowed.

Eligible activities

The call shall support activities related to the technical and business validation of innovation, including:

• Research (TRL 3-4)
  • Prototyping and/or
  • demonstration of technical feasibility
• Business validation
  • Consultation related to the management and protection of intellectual property and preliminary search of patent bases, verification of assumptions and analysis related to the targeted use, users and the market for the solutions developed by the project and identification of the following key points in development and commercialization as well as drawing up a plan on how to achieve them in case of confirmation of the concept.
  • Creating documents such as: market analysis, feasibility studies, development of a concept and/or strategy for product development and/or commercialisation (commercialisation study or plan), IP verification and protection, IP strategy analysis, patent search, idea validation, market needs validation.
• Project management
• Promotion and visibility of the project
• Implementation of horizontal activities

Eligible costs

The eligible costs shall be those related to the implementation of R&D activities and business validation of innovation, including the costs of prototyping, testing, professional services, market analysis, intellectual property protection and other activities defined by the call rules.

Deadline and method of submission of applications

• Start receiving project applications: 16 June 2026 at 11 a.m.
• Deadline for submission of applications: 15 September 2026 at 11 a.m.

Project applications are submitted through the system eCohesion in electronic form by an authorised person of the reporting person.

Questions and Answers

Applicants have the right to ask questions related to the Call continuously from the moment of publication of the call, and no later than 14 days before the deadline for submission of project proposals.

Questions with a clearly indicated reference to the Invitation can only be sent via e-mail to the address poc@mzom.hr, and the answers to the questions will be published on the website https://eufondovi.gov.hr/ within the scope of the corresponding call.

---

More information about the call is available here, and for the preparation of the project application, please contact us here.