Next-Level Innovation: New Calls, Key Actions & What’s Ahead

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity here at RIF, and I am thrilled to share what we have been up to! From launching new calls to building meaningful collaborations, we continue to take bold steps toward shaping the future of innovation across Cyprus and beyond.

€23.2M Unleashed to Drive Innovation and Commercialization Across Cyprus

In the last two weeks we launched,

• STEP: Funds production lines for innovative products and associated services. Through this new first-of-its-kind funding programme we support businesses to move to the next decisive step, from new innovative product development to production, turning innovation into a tangible business outcomes, aiming at a dynamic presence in international markets. It offers up to €2M.
• SEED: Designed for startups, it offers up to €500K to support the development of breakthrough ideas.
• INNOVATE: Targeting established enterprises, focused on developing and refining their innovative products or services. It offers up to €1M to accelerate growth and global reach.

We also just closed the first cut-off of the BOOST blended finance programme, with a second submission deadline coming in December 2025.

In the coming days, we will be launching the AI in Gov’t Call, aimed at groundbreaking AI solutions that have the power to transform public services and government operations starting with challenges faced by the Department of Meteorology in Cyprus.

And we have a new and simplified Innovation Vouchers Call in the pipeline, which will support SMEs in accessing innovation services, as well as a brand new programme for aspiring startup founders, designed to turn bold ideas into viable ventures.

And that’s not all!

More than €10.5M Fuelling Excellence in Research & Infrastructures

We recently launched OPENINFRA, offering up to €500K for research organisations to acquire cutting-edge infrastructure. Funded equipment will be accessible to both the research and business communities, promoting shared use and broader impact. This Call was made possible through additional funding secured by RIF from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, a clear vote of confidence in RIF’s credibility and proven effectiveness in delivering impactful R&D investments.

Our Proof of Concept Call is also currently open, providing €40K per project to support the early validation of research results with commercial potential. This is an excellent opportunity to bridge the gap between lab and market by exploring the practical applications of promising ideas.

To further support our research community’s international competitiveness, we also have continuously open Calls such as Vision ERC, 2nd Opportunity ERC and ERC Visiting Research Fellowships, which help researchers become more competitive in the European Research Council (ERC) calls under Horizon Europe.

Looking ahead, we are also preparing to launch new Post-doc and Excellence Hubs Calls, to support outstanding research talent and ideas.

Collaborating Beyond Borders

In support of global partnerships, we also have two international calls open:

• PRIMA, which fosters cross-border collaboration in agri-food and water research in the Mediterranean.
• CONCERT Japan, focused on joint R&I initiatives between European and Japanese institutions on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Last week, I also had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Anastasios Gaitanis, Secretary General of the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation in Greece. We discussed how to maximise the impact of the Cyprus–Greece Bilateral Call which attracted 86 proposals, currently under evaluation. These proposals form a solid foundation to deepen our cooperation with Greece and strengthen joint participation in Horizon Europe.

The RIF is spearheading a bold, well-funded, and strategically aligned push to take Cyprus to the next-level of innovation.

Whether it’s building state-of-the-art infrastructures, fund frontier research, helping startups skyrocket, enabling established enterprises to scale, or facilitating cross-border collaborations, we are committed to making sure Cyprus can someday lead the way in the global innovation race.

Now is the time to get involved! The journey ahead is filled with opportunities, and we are here to help you seize them.

Let’s make it happen!