by InTrieste
The Friuli Venezia Giulia regional government announced an additional allocation of more than €3.2 million to support research and development initiatives aimed at advancing technological innovation in the region. The funding is part of the “PR FESR 2021–2027 – A1.3.1.” program, which provides non-repayable grants for the realization of Proof of Concept (PoC) projects.
Alessia Rosolen, regional councillor for Labor, Education, Training, and Research, highlighted that the initiative is intended to consolidate previous R&D results and increase the technological readiness of innovative products and services. “We continue to invest in research and development projects to strengthen and expand the innovation potential of outcomes from prior activities,” she said.
The new call, which opened on September 16, is available to regional businesses—including start-ups, SMEs, and university spin-offs—as well as public and private research institutions. Applicants can seek funding for projects aligned with the region’s Smart Specialization Strategy (S4) in designated areas of development. Eligible projects should target either reaching Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6, progressing from TRL 6 to 7, or from TRL 7 to 8, with the goal of bringing innovative products and services to market.
According to Rosolen, the program launched earlier this year and has already supported 131 applications across three previous calls, totaling nearly €14 million in funding. The fourth call increases the total investment to over €17 million.
Applications can be submitted online through the regional portal until 4:00 p.m. on November 15, 2025. Each applicant may submit a maximum of one request, with grants capped at €150,000 for projects reaching TRL 6, €200,000 for projects advancing from TRL 6 to 7, and €250,000 for projects moving from TRL 7 to 8. Eligible costs include personnel expenses calculated using simplified standard unit cost tables. Applications are evaluated in chronological order until available funds are exhausted, with decisions issued within 120 days of the call’s closing.
More information is available at https://tinyurl.com/bando-4POC.
