SMEs in the lead in defining research
In January 2026, the second edition of the SME Hightech call will open. Through this call, we invite entrepreneurs to work together with research organisations over a period of two years on innovative projects that align with our innovation domains. With a total budget of €5 million, the call supports industrial research aimed at the development and application of key technologies. In doing so, Holland High Tech strengthens the knowledge base and R&D capacity of SMEs, enabling innovations to reach the market more quickly and effectively. The call was developed by Holland High Tech and is specifically designed to engage and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). During the first edition in 2024, 13 projects were awarded. The full call text will be published in mid-November.
Contact
Do you have any questions about the SME Hightech call 2025? Ask our expert:
Daniëlle Kroonenburg (mail)
Programme manager
The call at a glance
Status: preliminary announcement
Budget: €5 million
Submission: Mon 5 January 12:00 – Fri 9 January 12:00, 2026
Information session: webinar Wed 10 December 12:30 – 13:30, 2025
Quickly to
Innovation domains
In the SME Hightech call, you as an SME entrepreneur are challenged to work on an innovative project together with a research organisation for two years. This leads to increasing the knowledge and R&D capacity of the SME, which gives SMEs more manpower and resources to convert knowledge and innovations into products or services faster and better. The research is industrial and fits within one of the innovation domains below:
Target group: hightech SMEs
This call is aimed at high-tech SME participants. These are innovative micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that focus on the development of technologies and applications of advanced (key) technologies in the innovation domains. More requirements and information can be found in the full call text. Please note: an SME assessment from RVO is required for this call.
Budget
For the 2025 edition of the SME high-tech call, Holland High Tech has a total budget of €5 million available. Of this, €3.3 million is intended for SME participants. The available budget falls within the framework of the PPP-Innovation allowance scheme (PPP-I) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
What can be applied for:
- SME (or the consortium of SME companies): maximum €300,000 for two years (maximum one application per main applicant)
- Research organization: maximum €150,000 for two years per project
- SMEs (or the consortium of SMEs) may finance up to 50% of their own eligible costs, with in-kind co-financing permitted
- Research organisations may finance up to 80% of the eligible costs
- SMEs (or the consortium of SMEs) must incur at least twice the costs of the participating research organisation(s)