EU Programme · 2021–2027

Single Market Programme funding

Single Market Programme (SMP)

Supports SME competitiveness, consumer protection, and market surveillance. Includes the former COSME programme for SME access to finance and market access.

Budget: €4.2 billionPeriod: 2021–2027
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Part of our complete EU funding guide.

Who Single Market Programme (SMP) is for

Typical eligible applicant profiles. Each guide links through to open calls and eligibility notes.

How to apply

The standard EU funding process. Each Single Market Programme (SMP) call publishes its own detailed requirements.

  1. 1

    Find open calls that match your profile

    Search by country, sector, applicant type, and deadline. EU funding is published across dozens of portals, so consolidation saves significant time.

  2. 2

    Check eligibility before investing effort

    Review applicant mode (single vs consortium), entity type requirements, geographic restrictions, and co-financing obligations. Disqualify early to protect team bandwidth.

  3. 3

    Build your consortium if required

    Many Horizon Europe calls require partners from multiple EU countries. Identify complementary organisations early — consortium formation often takes longer than proposal writing.

  4. 4

    Write and submit your proposal

    Follow the call documentation precisely. Most EU proposals require a work plan, budget breakdown, impact statement, and consortium description. Submit via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

  5. 5

    Evaluation and grant agreement

    Proposals are evaluated by independent experts against published criteria. Successful applicants negotiate a grant agreement that defines deliverables, reporting, and payment schedule.

Common questions

What does the Single Market Programme fund?

SMP funds activities across six strands: SME competitiveness (former COSME), consumer protection, food safety, statistics, financial reporting standards, and internal market governance. The largest SME-relevant strand is the former COSME budget for access to finance, market access, and entrepreneurship.

Who can apply for Single Market Programme funding?

SMEs, business support organisations (chambers of commerce, clusters, accelerators), public bodies, and consumer organisations are the main beneficiaries. Many calls target intermediaries who deliver services to end-beneficiary SMEs rather than funding SMEs directly.

What is the difference between SMP and COSME?

COSME (2014–2020) was the dedicated EU SME competitiveness programme. From 2021, COSME activities were folded into the broader Single Market Programme as the SME pillar. The Enterprise Europe Network and the EU Single Loan Guarantee Facility (now part of InvestEU) are direct continuations.

Does SMP fund SMEs directly?

Mostly indirectly. SMP grants typically fund intermediary organisations (clusters, EEN partners, accelerators) who then deliver services to SMEs. Direct SME funding for innovation typically routes through the EIC Accelerator or national agencies, not SMP.

Where are Single Market Programme calls published?

SMP calls are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal under the SMP programme code. Specific strand pages on the European Commission website (DG GROW, DG SANTE, DG JUST) provide context on annual priorities and indicative timelines.

Other EU programmes

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