Deadline Date: June 12, 2026
The Standards and Awards for SMEs offers to support small and medium-sized enterprises obtain recognised standards or awards and strengthen their business competitiveness.
The scheme focuses on improving SME competitiveness and credibility through internationally recognised certifications or national excellence awards, strengthening alignment with industry standards and best practices, promoting quality, efficiency, sustainability, and innovation in business operations, facilitating entry into new markets, encouraging continuous improvement and business excellence, and supporting the enhancement of internal management frameworks and operational structures rather than regulatory compliance or product-specific certification requirements.
The Standards and Awards for SMEs scheme is designed to fund advisory services that help enterprises prepare for and achieve recognised standards or awards. It aims to strengthen business performance by improving internal systems and operational capacity.
The initiative supports SMEs in building stronger management frameworks and adopting best practices that improve overall efficiency and sustainability. It is intended to help businesses develop a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
The scheme falls under broader European policy objectives focused on promoting innovative and smart economic transformation, entrepreneurship, and the sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs, including job creation and productive investment.
The programme will remain active until 31 December 2026, subject to available funding. It has an allocated budget of €500,000 and offers grants covering part of eligible costs, with a maximum of €15,000 per application. In cases where applicants seek multiple standards or awards through a single provider, funding may increase up to €20,000.
Eligible applicants include micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises engaged in economic activity, provided they have been actively trading for at least one year at the time of application and meet the required legal registration conditions.
For more information, visit FONDI.eu.
