Summer Cascade Fundings '25

Your Monthly Dose of Grant Gems

You don't need a lot to stay on top of your funding game: Just a monthly check-in and a few curated opportunities to fuel your startup journey.

🔥 Hottest Cascade Fundings This Month

Deadline: July 1, 2025
Perfect for: GreenTech solutions with Technical Readiness Level (TRL) 6+, so still building the dream with beta testing beginning! Some limited features are out in the wild for friendly users but you’re still watching it closely and hand-holding wherever you can.
What: 4-month equity-free acceleration program for European SMEs/startups
Apply: Immediately - very short deadline, but doable

Deadline: July 6, 2025
Perfect for: Automotive, energy, supply chain, sustainability startups ready for international expansion
What: 2-month hybrid acceleration program with market entry support

Deadline: July 28, 2025
Perfect for: Digital solutions for Blue Economy (aquaculture, maritime, ocean monitoring)
What: 6-month program using AI, IoT, Blockchain, Big Data, or Robotics

Deadline: August 17, 2025, 12:00
Funding: €55k
Perfect for: Cybersecurity, advanced materials, energy, construction, blockchain solutions across 17 challenge areas, as described in the guidelines from pages 13 to 35 here: https://www.openhorizonsproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Open-Horizons-OC1-Guidelines-for-applicants-2.pdf

🧠 Brain Food

Quick Guide to Cascade Funding for Startups (scroll down in the article for the english version)

All the opportunities above use "cascade funding," a faster route to EU money through intermediary organizations rather than direct EU applications.

  • Faster access to validation funding

  • Lower bureaucracy than direct EU applications

  • Stepping stone to larger funding opportunities

  • Personalized mentoring throughout the process

Most cascade programs can be completed in 2-6 months versus 12-18 months for major EU calls. Read more in the article linked above.

🗓️ Event Pick

Date: July 9, 2025, 14:30-15:40 CEST

Perfect for: Early-stage deep-tech startups in Widening Countries
Why attend: Learn about this new pilot program bridging the gap to EIC Accelerator funding

After 100+ conversations with our community, we've realized something important: finding grants was not the whole problem.

The real challenge? Getting the right chunk of funding expertise when you need it most.

🐝 Introducing GrantHive

GrantGPT officially becomes GrantHive, a smart marketplace connecting you with specialized, pre-vetted funding consultants and collaborative tools like our grant database.

Think more than "AI research”: personalized expert guidance, sized and timed to your needs, and paired collaborative tools.

🚀 What this means for you

Founders: Access specialized bite-sized expertise precisely when you need it, with seamless collaboration tools.

Consultants: Connect with already qualified leads in your domain while saving 16+ hours monthly on repetitive tasks.

Early access coming soon!!!

Know a funding consultant? I would appreciate it if you could let us know who they are, so we can reach out to them. 

 If you enjoy this newsletter, forward it to that one person with whom you are chatting about your start-up over a cup of coffee – everything is easier together!

For more updates, let’s connect on LinkedIn.

Here's to your next funding breakthrough,

Your GrantHive team

European Grants • Expert Guidance • Collaborative Platform