Scale-Ready is a grant for young, innovative start-ups that have the ambition and potential to scale up in the short term. The support is intended to assist them in making the transition towards becoming an innovative scale-up. The aim is not to support the scale-up phase itself but rather to make the company ‘scale-ready’.

The support amounts to a maximum of €350,000 over a period of no more than 3 years. The application covers the entire project. The grant must serve to make the company scale-ready through activities that cannot be supported via other innovation support instruments, such as feasibility studies, research projects or development projects. The projected cost must amount to at least €500,000. Payment of the grant depends on the achievement of the milestones set out in the project plan.

Scale-Ready is an experimental programme in the form of calls, with selection carried out by a panel of experts.

Timeline 2026

• Pre-registration will be open from 7 April till 30 April 2026. The submission period may be closed early if necessary, for example in the event of excessive demand.
• From 1 June to 20 August 2026, the call will be open to companies with a positive pre-registration.
• The jury interviews will take place on 14, 15, 17, 21, 22 and 28 September 2026.
• The final decision will be made in December 2026. The 15 best projects will receive support.