Follow-up: €4 Million Call for SMEs & Matchmaking Event on 20 June

In our earlier announcement, we shared the news about the upcoming €4 million Topsector ICT call aimed at boosting SME participation in public-private research and innovation projects focused on digitalisation. The call, which is expected to open in June 2025, targets projects in the areas of Cybersecurity Technologies and AI/Data. With further details now available, including an updated date for the matchmaking event, interested parties are encouraged to mark their calendars and register.

New Event Date: 20 June 2025

To support the formation of consortia, Topsector ICT is organising a matchmaking event, now scheduled for:

Friday 20 June 2025
13:30 – 17:00
Space to Create, Stationsplein 89/90, Utrecht
Followed by a light lunch

This event brings together potential applicants, research organisations, companies, and social actors active in the fields of Cybersecurity and AI/Data. It offers a platform to:

• Explore collaboration opportunities
• Exchange project ideas
• Ask questions about the call
• Network with potential partners

About the Call

The call is part of the Knowledge and Innovation Agenda (KIA) Digitalisation 2024–2027 and aligns with two key action agendas of the National Technology Strategy (NTS):

• Cybersecurity Technologies
• AI/Data

Key Conditions:

• The consortium must include at least one for-profit SME and one research organisation
• The main applicant must be an SME based in the Netherlands
• Projects must focus on industrial research (TRL 4–6)
• Duration: max. 2 years
• Max. €150,000 per year for SMEs;
  Max. €150,000 total for research organisations

Proposals will be evaluated on scientific quality, feasibility, impact, and strategic alignment with the KIA and NTS agendas.

For more info or to sign up for the matchmaking event, visit Topsector ICT.

Photo credits: iStock Blue Planet Studio