Deadline: September 23, 2025
The FITT-NESS project has launched a call for Expressions of Interest to support SMEs and intermediaries in the furniture sector through a series of collaborative Twinning Actions across Murcia (Spain), North (Portugal), and Sicily (Italy).
The focus of this opportunity is to facilitate stakeholders mobility among three ecosystems to Murcia (Spain), North (Portugal), and Sicily (Italy), to support the exchange of best-practices and participation in workshops offering advisory services and mentorship for business development, and to boost the innovation capacity of furniture sector SMEs and their intermediaries.
The FITT-NESS Expression of Interest specifically invites SMEs and clusters from the three regions to take part in three interconnected Twinning Actions scheduled between January 2026 and September 2026. Each selected entity will participate in exchanges that include thematic workshops, advisory services, and mentorship designed to enhance their innovation capacity and interregional collaboration.
Selected participants will benefit from financial support through travel vouchers covering the cost of participating in two Twinning Actions outside their home region. The vouchers are valued at €984 for Murcia, €864 for North Portugal, and €1,065 for Sicily. Up to 10 entities per region will be chosen to take part in the program.
The initiative emphasizes business support workshops focusing on digitalization, circularity, sustainability, and investment strategies, alongside online advisory and mentorship services tailored to business planning, funding access, innovation management, technology transfer, and scaling-up strategies. Participants may attend up to three online sessions, with at least one being mandatory.
Beyond the Twinning Actions, FITT-NESS also offers additional activities to a wider audience, including a training program for SMEs and intermediaries, a long-term FITT-NESS Community to promote cross-border cooperation, and a readiness level assessment to provide consultancy on improving business models.
Eligibility is limited to SMEs and intermediaries in the furniture sector from Murcia, North Portugal, and Sicily, including businesses engaged in furniture design, smart home technologies, lighting, textiles, and sustainable materials production. Applications must be submitted in English exclusively via the F6S platform before 23 September 2025 at 17:00 CEST.
For more information, visit FITT-NESS.
