The EU4Innovation East programme has launched a new Call for Project Proposals aimed at strengthening Armenia’s startup ecosystem through the support and expansion of existing talent generation and pre-incubation initiatives.
Funded by the European Union, co-funded by the France Government, and implemented by Expertise France, the programme seeks to foster entrepreneurial mindsets, innovation skills, and startup creation opportunities among young people in Armenia.
Objective of the Call
This call aims to support organizations capable of designing and delivering high-quality pre-incubation and entrepreneurship programmes that contribute to building a sustainable and inclusive startup pipeline in Armenia.
Selected projects are expected to:
- Strengthen existing talent generation initiatives;
- Promote entrepreneurial skills and innovation-driven thinking among youth;
- Support participants in identifying and validating real-world market problems;
- Encourage multidisciplinary collaboration and startup team formation;
- Facilitate the development of early-stage startup concepts.
Available Funding
- Total available budget: EUR 60,000
- Maximum grant amount: EUR 60,000
- Required co-financing: Minimum 15% of the total eligible project budget (from non-EU sources)
Up to one grant will be awarded under this call.
Eligible Applicants
Applicants must:
- Be legally registered entities in Armenia;
- Have at least two years of experience implementing startup pre-incubation, entrepreneurship, or talent generation programmes in Armenia;
- Demonstrate experience working with EU-funded or donor-funded projects.
Applicants may apply individually or in partnership with other organizations.
Eligible Activities
Projects may include:
- Entrepreneurship training programmes;
- Pre-incubation initiatives;
- Startup bootcamps;
- Ideathons and hackathons;
- Venture-building activities;
- Innovation challenges;
- Entrepreneurship awareness and community-building initiatives.
The selected organization will implement four cohorts of the pre-incubation programme, engaging approximately 160 participants in total.
Key Programme Components
Activities are expected to include:
- Entrepreneurship and innovation training;
- Mentorship and coaching;
- Guest speaker sessions with startup ecosystem leaders;
- Problem identification and market validation exercises;
- Team-building and multidisciplinary collaboration;
- Startup concept development;
- Final pitching or Demo Day events.
The programme may also provide limited financial support in the form of motivational prizes for high-performing startup teams during Demo Day sessions.
Project Duration
Projects may last up to 24 months.
Information Session
An online information session for applicants will take place on:
- Date: 2 June 2026
- Time: 13:00 (Paris time)
Application Deadline
- Submission deadline: 21 July 2026, 16:00 (Paris time)
Applications must be submitted electronically via the POPS platform and in English.
Evaluation Process
Applications will be evaluated in two stages:
- Evaluation of Concept Notes;
- Evaluation of Full Applications.
Assessment criteria include:
- Relevance to programme objectives;
- Quality and coherence of the proposed action;
- Expected impact and sustainability;
- Business model feasibility;
- Cost-effectiveness.
Visibility Requirements
Selected beneficiaries must ensure clear visibility of:
- The European Union;
- The French Government;
- Expertise France;
- EU4Innovation East
across all project communication and promotional materials.
For full application guidelines and annexes, applicants should consult the official Call for Project Proposals documentation.