BEFuture, an initiative co-financed by the Single Market EU Programme (SMP), dedicated to shaping the future of Europe’s business event sector, has launched a €2.4 million call for innovative SME-driven projects under its Acceleration Programme. The funding scheme supports projects contributing to BEFuture’s key objective of steering the sector towards more sustainability, resilience and inclusivity. 

About the Call for projects 

The BEFuture Acceleration Programme provides up to €30 000 in funding per selected project, along with technical support and access to an international network. Under the call, which has a total budget of €2.4 million, BEFuture will select at least 80 projects driven by SMEs from Belgium (Flanders), France, Germany, Italy, Spain (Catalonia) and the Netherlands. 

The Call is open from 5 December 2024 to 5 February 2025 (17:00 CET).  

“We need SMEs and other organisations to pitch fresh ideas that can take the business events sector forward. The development and scaling of innovative products, processes, services, and business models are key to making the sector greener, more inclusive, and more resilient,” said Sònia Serracarbassa, Director of the Catalunya Convention Bureau at the Catalan Tourist Board which coordinates the BEFuture project. “We are eager to invest in cutting-edge innovation and to partner with organisations that are ready to make a lasting impact.”  

“We are looking for innovations and solutions that could help tackle some of the business event sector’s most pressing challenges, such as climate change, skills and inclusion, better experiences and more impact,” highlighted Marta Rojas, Co-founder and Partner of B.Link and Project Manager of the BEFuture Acceleration Programme. “The programme also seeks to foster synergies with other fields impacting business events, such as the digital, energy, mobility and technology sectors.” 

Innovation categories 

The Acceleration Programme supports projects across four categories of innovation: 

• Radical: Creating new markets or transforming existing ones. 

• Disruptive: Leveraging cutting-edge technology to push boundaries. 

• Substantial: Significantly improving an existing offering. 

• Incremental: Offering upgrades that boost efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness. 

Call for mentors 

In addition to the financial support made available, the programme provides hands-on expert coaching and training to successful applicants. A separate Call for mentors was launched in October to create a pool of experts and consultants who can accompany SMEs from the first steps until finalisation of their projects. The costs of the mentoring sessions are funded through the financial support received under the Acceleration Programme. 

More information 

To submit your project under the BEFuture Acceleration Programme, visit the application portal.  

Explore our web pages for further details on the Call for mentors and on the Acceleration Programme in general. 

About BEFuture 

BEFuture is a three-year project co-funded by the European Commission under the Single Market Programme aiming to transform the business events sector and make it future-ready by harnessing the power of digitisation and fostering continuous innovation. Our goal is to create a new business model that strengthens the sustainability, digitalisation and resilience of the sector. By co-designing solutions with the entire business events ecosystem, we aim to make a positive and enduring impact. 

BEFuture is implemented by a partnership of 8 partners from 6 countries: Catalan Tourist Board/Catalan Convention Bureau (Spain), Tipik Communication Agency (Belgium), Visit Flanders (Belgium), Linkeus (France), Verband der Veranstaltungsorganisatoren (Germany), NHL Stender/European Tourism Futures Institute (Netherlands), UNIMIB – Milano University (Italy) and B.Link Barcelona Strategic Projects (Spain).