Call for Project Proposals: Incubation Programmes in Armenia

The EU-funded programme EU4Innovation East is launching a new call for project proposals to establish full-fledged incubation programmes in Armenia, focused on four high-value sectors: cybersecurity (CyberTech), aerospace (SpaceTech), agriculture (AgriTech), and financial services (FinTech).

With a total budget of €800,000, the call will award up to €200,000 per incubation programme, supporting organisations ready to deliver structured, sector-focused incubation over up to 24 months. Applicants must ensure a minimum co-financing contribution of 15% of the total eligible project budget, secured from their own resources or other funding partners.

Each programme is expected to support up to 27 early-stage startups per sector.

By combining European expertise with local ecosystem engagement, the initiative aims to strengthen Armenia’s startup pipeline and help innovative teams progress from early ideas to market-ready ventures.

The deadline for applications is 23 March 2026, 16:00 (Paris time).

The information session is scheduled for 4 February, 2026.The overall objective of this call for project proposals is to strengthen Armenia’s startup and innovation ecosystem by supporting the establishment and delivery of full-fledged, sector-focused incubation programmes in four high-value domains: Cybersecurity (CyberTech), Aerospace (SpaceTech), Agriculture (AgriTech), and Financial Services (FinTech).

• Armenia
• Deadline 23.03.2026

Through structured incubation support, European collaboration, and strong engagement with local ecosystem actors, the call aims to transform early-stage innovative ideas into viable, market-ready startups. The initiative seeks to enhance entrepreneurial and technical capacities, support product–market validation, and build a sustainable pipeline of startups ready to progress toward acceleration, investment, and international growth—thereby contributing to Armenia’s economic resilience, technological advancement, and global competitiveness.

Specific Objectives of the Call

Sector-Focused Incubation Programmes

• Design and implement high-quality incubation programmes tailored to one of the four priority sectors: CyberTech, SpaceTech, AgriTech, or FinTech.
• Support early-stage startups from team formation and problem–solution fit through to product–market fit, using structured curricula, mentoring, and milestone-based progress tracking.

Structured Startup Support & Capacity Building

• Deliver hands-on incubation cycles combining expert mentoring, technical and business training, peer learning, and practical experimentation.
• Provide startups with access to sector-specific expertise, tools, and networks necessary to validate and develop innovative solutions.

European Collaboration & International Alignment

• Establish active partnerships with relevant European incubators, innovation hubs, clusters, or expert institutions in the selected sector.
• Co-design, co-deliver, or co-evaluate programme components to ensure alignment with European best practices and offer exposure opportunities for Armenian startups.

Ecosystem Engagement & Stakeholder Coordination

• Strengthen collaboration with Armenian ecosystem actors, including mentors, investors, universities, corporates, and public institutions.
• Foster coordination and knowledge-sharing to improve ecosystem coherence and programme effectiveness.

Post-Incubation Continuity & Investment Readiness

• Support startups in transitioning from incubation to acceleration, investment, or strategic partnerships through demo days, investor meetings, and tailored follow-up support.
• Improve startup readiness for fundraising and integration into local and international innovation value chains.

Sub-Granting to High-Potential Startups

• Allocate seed sub-grants to startups that successfully complete the incubation programme, supporting MVP development, market validation, and early traction.
• Use transparent, performance-based selection and monitoring mechanisms in line with Expertise France regulations.

Impact Measurement & Sustainability

• Track startup and programme performance using clear KPIs and regular reporting.
• Design a sustainability model to ensure the continuation and scaling of incubation activities beyond the EU4Innovation East funding period, through institutional anchoring, public-private partnerships, or blended financing models.

Thematic Lots

This Call for Proposals is structured into four thematic lots, each corresponding to one priority sector:

• Lot 1: CyberTech Incubation Programme
• Lot 2: SpaceTech Incubation Programme
• Lot 3: AgriTech Incubation Programme
• Lot 4: FinTech Incubation Programme

Applicants must clearly indicate the lot under which they are applying. Separate applications must be submitted for each lot.

1.1 Total Amount of Financial Support

The indicative total amount of financial support made available under this call for project proposals is EUR 800,000.
Expertise France reserves the right not to allocate all available funds.

Grant Amounts

Up to four (4) grants will be awarded under this call, with the following financial limits:

• Maximum grant per project (per lot): EUR 200,000
• Project duration: up to 24 months

Co-Financing Percentage

Applicants must ensure a minimum co-financing contribution of 15% of the total eligible project budget, secured from own resources or other funding partners.

Note: Co-financing must be funded by sources other than the European Union budget.

Application Procedure

The objective of this grant mechanism is to support locally anchored, high-quality incubation initiatives that address structural gaps in Armenia’s startup ecosystem and align with the strategic priorities of EU4Innovation East.

To ensure relevance, quality, and impact, the call follows a competitive, multi-stage evaluation process:

Stage 1 – Concept Note Evaluation

Applicants are required to submit a Concept Note outlining the strategic relevance, sector focus, core approach, and expected outcomes of the proposed incubation programme.
Concept Notes are evaluated based on relevance, coherence, and alignment with the objectives of the call.

Stage 2 – Full Application Evaluation

Shortlisted applicants will have their Full Applications evaluated in detail, including the implementation plan, European partnership, budget, operational capacity, sub-granting mechanism, and sustainability strategy.

Only applications that successfully pass the Concept Note evaluation will be considered for final grant award.

The informative session will happen on February 4, 2026.

The deadline for Concept Note submission is March 23, 2026.