EU Funding for Startups and SMEs in 2026

EIT RawMaterials Funding Calls: A Startup Guide for 2027

TL;DR: EIT RawMaterials, the EU's innovation community for mining, processing, recycling and advanced materials, funds startups through four calls: EIT Jumpstarter for idea-stage teams, the Booster investment call, KAVA Upscaling projects of €500,000 to €2.5 million, and RIS Innovation projects of €800,000 to €1 million. None is open in late October 2026 (KAVA 14 closed on 16 October), so now is the time to prepare: KAVA money needs a consortium, TRL 5, 50% co-funding and a royalty or equity deal. Below: a status board, a decision tree, a worked budget, the scoring weights and a 90-day plan.
EIT RawMaterials funding is one of the few EU programmes where a startup can get seven-figure support to test a validated technology with an industrial partner such as a mine, a smelter or a recycler. Most search results are single call announcements, like our own old post on KAVA Call 13, that expired within weeks. This guide is the evergreen version: which call fits which stage, what each one asks of a founder, and how to be ready before the next round opens.
All facts come from EIT RawMaterials' call texts and from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Where a date has not been announced, we say so.

What EIT RawMaterials is and how it funds startups

EIT RawMaterials is one of the Knowledge and Innovation Communities set up by the EIT, an EU body funded under Horizon Europe. It connects more than 300 companies, universities and research institutes around one goal from its Strategic Agenda 2021–2027: a secure, sustainable supply of raw materials for Europe, from mining and processing to recycling, substitution and advanced materials.
For founders, four instruments matter:
  • EIT Jumpstarter, a seven-month pre-acceleration programme for students and researchers whose idea has no company yet, run together with other EIT communities.
  • The Booster call, run as the ERMA Booster call in 2025, where EIT RawMaterials invests directly in startups, scale-ups and SMEs.
  • KAVA Upscaling projects, consortium projects that take a validated technology to market. KAVA stands for "KIC added-value activity".
  • RIS Innovation projects, consortium projects reserved for organisations in countries covered by the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme.
Two things set this programme apart from a classic EU grant. Project participants must become EIT RawMaterials partners by the time a project starts, and every partner pays an annual membership fee. And EIT RawMaterials expects a return through royalties or equity if your project succeeds.

EIT RawMaterials call status board (October 2026)

CallWho it is forMoneyLast deadlineStatus on 24 October 2026
EIT Jumpstarter 2026Students and researchers with an idea, in RIS-eligible countriesPrizes of €10,000, €5,000 and €3,000 per category, no equity17 May 2026Closed, programme running
ERMA Booster call 2025Seed startups, scale-ups and SMEs, plus mining and recycling projectsUp to €0.5m, €1.5m or €2.5m by group8 September 2025Closed, no 2026 round announced
KAVA 14 UpscalingConsortia of 2–5 partners with a TRL 5 technology€500,000 a year minimum, €2.5m maximum per project16 October 2026Closed, results due by mid-December 2026
KAVA 14 RIS InnovationConsortia led from RIS-eligible countries€800,000 to €1m per project16 October 2026Closed
KAVA calls come in numbered rounds (KAVA 13 ran in 2025, KAVA 14 opened on 24 April 2026 with two cut-offs), and each call text appears on the EIT RawMaterials website and its SeedBook submission platform. No KAVA 15 or 2027 Booster round has been announced yet, so treat any date you see elsewhere with caution.

KAVA Upscaling: the big ticket, explained

KAVA Upscaling is where the large sums are. These rules from the KAVA 14 call text decide whether a startup can take part.
The technology. You need a validated technology at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 or higher on day one, and the project must take it to at least TRL 8, a prototype demonstrated in an operational environment.
The consortium. Two to five participants from at least two Horizon Europe eligible countries, covering at least two sides of the "knowledge triangle": education, research and business. A typical team is a startup, an industrial validation partner and a university.
Two phases, one application. In Phase 1 (one year) the solution owner pilots the solution with the industrial partner, then an interim evaluation decides go or no-go. Phase 2 (at most one year) scales it to industrial level and can already earn revenue. All KAVA 14 projects must finish by the end of December 2028.
The money. At least €500,000 per year and no more than €2.5 million in total. The consortium co-funds at least 50% of the total budget, mostly from industry partners, and the commercialising partners use at least 50% of the funding. Each year 60% of the grant is paid upfront and the balance follows the next year on actual costs, so you need cash reserves.
The market test. Every project must launch at least one product with documented sales of at least €10,000 during the project, name the partner responsible for commercialisation and show experienced marketing, finance and sales people on the team.
The return. The Financial Sustainability Mechanism (FSM) is mandatory: you propose royalties, preferably on company gross revenue, or an equity stake for EIT RawMaterials with a valuation and governance terms. The call text discourages equity offers from companies without incorporation or a clear legal and IP setup.

How KAVA proposals are scored

The weights tell you where to spend your writing time. At least three external experts score excellence, impact and implementation (55% of the final score), and two internal EIT RawMaterials evaluators score strategy (45%). Each criterion gets 0 to 5 points, multiplied by its weight.
BlockCriterionWeight
External (max 165)Idea: commercial potential, competitive edge, IP6
Innovation: novelty and technical feasibility7
Sectoral impact: problem size, targets, jobs9
Communication and dissemination3
Project plan: TRL path, work packages, risks5
Consortium: skills, roles, industrial partner, SMEs3
Strategic (max 135)Relevance of the business case and the team8
Strategic importance for EIT RawMaterials8
Expected return through the FSM7
Knowledge triangle and European dimension4
Co-funding 10% above the minimum earns 6 bonus points and 20% above earns 9. Proposals that address one of the four Strategic Impact Group Network themes earn up to 2 more, and likely investment cases for the European Raw Materials Alliance win ties.
The lesson for founders: sectoral impact and the business case carry the most weight. A brilliant process with a vague plan for €10,000 of sales will lose to a simpler one with a signed pilot customer.

Decision tree: which EIT RawMaterials call fits you?

Answer the questions in order and stop at the first "yes".
  1. Do you have an idea but no company yet? Watch for the next EIT Jumpstarter round: free, no equity, and it teaches you to build a business case.
  2. Is your company raising a seed or Series A round, without partners? Apply to the Booster call when it reopens. In 2025 it asked seed startups for TRL 4+ and a full-time team, and scale-ups for TRL 8, CRL 8 and €200,000+ in revenue.
  3. Do you have a TRL 5 technology and an industrial partner willing to pilot it? Prepare a KAVA Upscaling proposal for the next round.
  4. Is your lead partner based in a RIS-eligible country, and is your project smaller? Look at RIS Innovation projects.
  5. None of the above? Start with other EU funding: cascade funding open calls need no consortium, and our map of European funds for startups covers grants, equity and loans.

Worked founder example: the budget behind a KAVA project

In this made-up example, a battery-recycling startup has a hydrometallurgy process validated at TRL 5. It teams up with a recycling plant (the validation partner) and a technical university in three countries.
LineAmountRule it meets
EIT funding requested, 2 years€1,200,000€600,000 a year, within the €500,000 minimum and €2.5m cap
Consortium co-funding, mostly the recycling plant€1,800,00060% of total, 10 points above the 50% minimum, worth 6 bonus points
Total project budget€3,000,000
Startup's share of EIT funding€700,00058%, so the commercialising partner uses at least half
Year 1 pre-financing to the startup€210,00060% of its €350,000 year-one share
Year 1 balance, paid in year 2€140,000The startup has to bridge this gap from its own cash
Return to EIT RawMaterialsRoyalty on gross revenue after launchSet out in the proposal, agreed before the project starts
Two things founders miss. The €140,000 gap is real, so plan a bridge from your seed round or a bank line. And the royalty or equity deal is negotiated before funds are released, so involve your investors early.

Readiness checklist: score yourself before the next round

Give yourself one point for each line you can confirm.
EIT RAWMATERIALS READINESS SCORE (1 point per line)

[ ] Our technology is at TRL 5+ and we have test data to prove it
[ ] We have a named industrial partner willing to pilot it within a year
[ ] Our consortium covers 2+ countries and 2 sides of the knowledge triangle
[ ] Partners can co-fund at least 50% of the total budget
[ ] We can name a first customer and a path to 10,000 EUR in sales
[ ] We have people with marketing, finance and sales experience
[ ] We know whether we offer royalties or equity, and our investors agree
[ ] We can bridge 40% of each year's grant until the balance payment
[ ] We budgeted for the annual EIT RawMaterials membership fee

7-9 points:  start writing now and book a call with your regional hub
4-6 points:  fix the gaps over the next 90 days
0-3 points:  look at Jumpstarter, the Booster call or cascade funding first

A 90-day plan to be ready for the next call

KAVA 14 opened in late April 2026 with its first cut-off two months later, about eight weeks from launch to deadline, so use the quiet months now.
DaysFocusWhat to do
1–30EvidenceDocument your TRL with test reports. Draft a market analysis: size, customers, regulation, IP.
31–60PartnersApproach two or three industrial partners. Agree who co-funds and who commercialises. Register each partner's EU Participant Identification Code (PIC).
61–90Deal and planChoose royalties or equity with your investors. Sketch a two-phase work plan and a go-to-market plan.
Join the call webinars when a new round is announced; the regional innovation hubs help consortia with SeedBook. For monthly updates on new EU calls, read Mean CEO's EU Funding News on blog.mean.ceo.

Who should apply and who can skip it

Apply if you build materials technology, have a validated prototype and an industrial partner, and are comfortable sharing upside through royalties or equity. Women-led deep tech teams should also check Women TechEU.
Skip it for now if you sell software loosely linked to materials, have no industrial partner, can't co-fund half the budget, or need money within three months. KAVA results take about two months after a cut-off, and projects start two to four months later. Still choosing a funding mix? Read startup funding in Europe first.

Related EU funding guides

Not sure your idea is a business yet? The Fe/male Switch startup game lets you build one step by step with an AI co-founder before you approach any funder.

FAQ

What is EIT RawMaterials?

The EIT's Knowledge and Innovation Community for raw materials, with more than 300 partners from industry, research and education. It funds projects, invests in startups through its Booster call and runs EIT Jumpstarter.

Is there an open EIT RawMaterials call for startups now?

Not as of 24 October 2026. KAVA 14 Upscaling and RIS Innovation closed on 16 October 2026, EIT Jumpstarter 2026 on 17 May 2026, and the ERMA Booster call is closed. No next rounds are announced yet.

How much funding does EIT RawMaterials give?

KAVA 14 Upscaling: €500,000 a year minimum, €2.5 million in total maximum. RIS Innovation: €800,000 to €1 million. The 2025 Booster call offered up to €0.5 million for startups, €1.5 million for scale-ups and SMEs, and €2.5 million for mining and recycling projects.

Can a single startup apply to KAVA Upscaling?

No. KAVA Upscaling needs two to five participants from at least two Horizon Europe eligible countries, covering two sides of the knowledge triangle. A startup joins as the commercialising partner, with an industrial partner validating the technology.

Does EIT RawMaterials take equity?

It can. KAVA 14 projects must offer royalties, ideally on gross revenue, or an equity stake with an agreed valuation and governance terms, signed before funds are released.

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
2026-10-24 17:21