Deadline Date: July 31, 2026
The Internationalisation Strategy for SMEs scheme provides grant support to help eligible SMEs develop strategies for expanding their business opportunities abroad.
The scheme focuses on supporting SMEs through non-repayable grants, improving business efficiency and competitiveness, studying international opportunities, conducting market analysis and feasibility assessments, developing country-specific market entry strategies, strengthening marketing and sales planning, supporting financial and operational planning, and enhancing sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs.
The grant scheme supports SMEs by part-financing costs for external services contracted to develop an internationalisation strategy. The strategy is designed to help enterprises identify global opportunities and improve their competitiveness.
The Internationalisation Strategy can be divided into two parts. The first part focuses on studying opportunities abroad, business overview, global opportunities, market analysis, feasibility assessment, and recommendations for market focus. The second part focuses on selected countries through country-specific analysis, market entry strategy, marketing and sales strategy, financial and operational planning, and risk analysis, mitigation, monitoring, and evaluation.
The scheme falls under Policy Objective 1 of the SFC2021 Programme 2021–2027, which promotes a more competitive and smarter Europe through innovative and smart economic transformation and regional ICT connectivity.
The Internationalisation Strategy for SMEs scheme will remain operational until 31 December 2026, subject to availability of funds. The initial allocated budget for the scheme is €500,000.
The maximum grant available under the scheme is €20,000 per undertaking.
Eligible applicants include micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises engaged in economic activity, regardless of their legal form, subject to the listed exclusions. For applications under Internationalisation Strategy – Part 1, enterprises must demonstrate that they have been actively trading for at least one year as of the application date.
For more information, visit FONDI.eu.
