The BEFuture Acceleration Programme

Candidates must apply online through the dedicated page on the BEFuture platform. The Call for submissions will open on 5 December 2024 and close on 5 February 2025. Register now to be notified when the Call for submissions opens to ensure you don’t miss it.  

The application procedure is organised in two steps: 

• Step 1: Complete the registration and administrative information, including general details about the partner(s), to pass the eligibility check. 

• Step 2: Prepare a technical description of the project using the application form.  

After submission, your application will be checked against the admission criteria (eligibility and adherence to procedure) and the award criteria (see below). Following the evaluation and selection process, at least 80 innovative projects will be chosen to join the Acceleration Programme. 

Applications will be judged against the following award criteria: 

• Relevance 
• Innovation potential 
• Feasibility 
• Replicability and transferability 
• Participants’ capacity, competence, and commitment
• Cost effectiveness

Each criterion is assessed from 0 to 100, being a minimum of 50 points in each criterion the threshold to be eligible. 

If your application is successful, you will be asked to sign a contract and provide the requested documents. Projects are expected to start by 1 April 2025 and last for 8 months, until 30 November 2025.  

Selected projects will be required to show commitment towards the BE industry’s transformation, accomplish all the requirements specified in the contract and take part in BEFuture activities, namely the showcase event organised as part of IBTM 2025. 

The financial support will be disbursed through two payments: 40 % at the contract signature and 60 % after the final report approval, depending on the performance and deliverables’ quality. During the project implementation, you will be required to supply documentation and information to facilitate the project monitoring, namely an inception and mid-term questionnaire, and a final report.

• Opening of the Call for applications: 5 December 2025 
• Deadline of the Call for applications: 5 February 2025 
• Notification of results: 28 February 2025* 
• Starting date of projects: 1 April 2025* 
• Closing date of projects: 30 November 2025* 

*Please note that these dates are subject to change. 

You can find out more on award criteria and the overall application process on our dedicated page on the BEFuture Platform. 

We will hold two dedicated information sessions: 

• 18 November 2024 (during the Global Innovation Forum in Barcelona) 
• 10 December 2024 (online webinar) 

If you would like to participate in one of the sessions, please contact the BEFuture team at call-inquiries@be-future.eu. 

Local info sessions will be organised in partnering countries in November and December. Precise dates will be announced shortly. 

If you have any questions relating to the BEFuture Acceleration Programme, please write to us at call-inquiries@be-future.eu.

Applications can be submitted by a single SME – as defined in EC Recommendation 2003/361/EC – or a consortium of up to four entities. All entities must be based in Belgium (Flanders), France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands or Spain (Catalonia), and both the lead applicant and their partners must be located in the same country. 

The activities of at least one of the applying entities should be relevant to the European Business Events (BE) sector. The programme also seeks to foster synergies with other sectors impacting BE, such as the digital, audio-visual, construction, energy, catering, mobility, and technology sectors.

Innovative projects under this programme are financed as a lump sum, a simplified form of funding by which payments are done based on committed results such as deliverables, rather than incurred costs. Projects can request a minimum of 20 000€ and up to 30 000€ in funding.

We offer support for four categories of innovative projects, based on their impact and novelty:

• Radical innovative projects: These projects create new markets and transform existing ones by introducing ground-breaking technologies or models that challenge and redefine industry standards.
• Disruptive innovative projects: These projects involve significant technological or methodological advancements that substantially improve performance or efficiency over existing solutions, leveraging cutting-edge technology to push the boundaries of what is currently possible.
• Substantial innovative projects: These projects enhance existing products, services, or methods to significantly boost performance and efficiency, contributing to increased productivity and competitiveness.
• Incremental innovative projects: These projects introduce improvements or upgrades to existing products, services, processes, or methods that enhance efficiency, productivity, and competitive differentiation.

Applicants will be asked to identify which category their project fits into and demonstrate how their innovation meets the criteria for that category. In all cases, innovations should align with the overarching goals of the BEFuture project.

Please refer to the SME definition according to the EU recommendation 2003/361. You can also refer to the user guide and the self-assessment tool.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of activities that can be reimbursed as part of the Acceleration Programme funding: 

• Hiring technical expertise to implement a business idea, such as product development, market studies, business plan development and analysis, or intellectual property development. 

• Hiring specialists for promotion and communication activities, including marketing and public relations. Maximum 10 % of the budget. 

• Training staff through professional development workshops and certification courses. Maximum 15 % of the budget. 

• Purchasing software and licenses. 

• Registering for and obtaining certification in schemes like EMAS, the EU Ecolabel, and other recognised certification programmes. 

Additionally, all selected projects must include a minimum of 20-hour mentorship fee and travel costs for IBTM World 2025 (Barcelona) in their budget breakdown, according to the rates suggested in the budget template.

BEFuture Acceleration Programme mentors will help Programme participants refine their project strategies and overcome technical challenges. Each beneficiary will need to select a mentor from the Pool that will be created through the Call for mentors and undergo a minimum of 20-hours mentorship throughout the project.
The costs of these mentoring sessions are funded through the financial support received under the Acceleration Programme.

Candidates are invited to apply to this Call by submitting their application online using the form available on this page, filling in all the required fields.

They will need to provide their CV and can optionally provide further supporting documentation to showcase or justify their expertise, such as a service portfolio.

After submission, applicants who have been verified will receive an e-mail confirming their admission to the Pool of mentors.

Applicants will be admitted until one month after the start of the BEFuture Acceleration Programme (May 2025).

The information contained in the application form (except attached documentation like CVs and other supporting documents) will be made available to SMEs selected under the BEFuture Acceleration Programme. All applicants need to give their explicit consent for this during the application process.

Project beneficiaries can choose their desired mentor from the Pool of admitted profiles. Only one mentor by project can be chosen.

Project beneficiaries and mentors sign a collaboration agreement indicating the tasks that will be carried out, the value of the contract, the duration of the service provision and payment conditions.

The mentors’ place of work will be agreed on with the beneficiaries. The work can be carried out remotely, at the premises of the beneficiary, or at any other agreed location.

Yes, mentors can be selected for several projects.

The Call opened on 3 October 2024. The deadline for the submission of applications is 15 May 2025.
Mentors will be notified of their admission to the pool within 30 days of their application.

Assignments by SME will start at the earliest on 25 April 2025 when the BEFuture Acceleration Programme kicks off. Assignments will end with the Acceleration Programme on 30 November 2025 at the latest.

You can find more information on the following pages of the BEFuture platform:

• General information on the BEFuture project
• Information on the Acceleration Programme
• Information on the upcoming Call for projects
• Information on the Call for mentors

An online information session for potential applicants was organised on 17 October 2024 at 15h CET. You can watch the recording here and view the presentation here.

For any questions, please do not hesitate to email the BEFuture team at call-inquiries@befuture.eu.

Profiles admitted under the Call include experts or consultants that accompany SMEs, providing expertise, advice or services to support their innovative projects from their first steps until the finalisation.

The Call is aimed at individual professionals. They can be employed by companies, but will be selected based on their individual profiles under this Call.

The aim of the Call is solely to create a pool/short-list among which SMEs and organisations will be able to choose their mentor. The admission into the Pool of mentors does not entail an automatic right or guarantee to be contracted by SMEs under the BEFuture Acceleration Programme.

To be admitted into the BEFuture Pool of mentors, individual professionals must fulfil the following admission requirements:

• Minimum 3 years of experience supporting SMEs and other stakeholders within the business events industry and related sectors, through innovation processes.
• Being a resident of the European Economic Area (= EU countries + Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein) or Switzerland.
• Have appropriate working knowledge of English (minimum B1). Knowledge of other languages of the project (Spanish, Catalan, French, Flemish, French, Dutch, German, Italian) is an asset.