Call: Supporting Competitive and Sustainable Growth in the Tourism Sector

COSME is the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
COSME supports SMEs in the following areas:

• Accessing finance
• Opening markets
• Supporting entrepreneurs
• Improving business conditions

The main aim of this call is to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of the European tourism sector by encouraging the extension of the tourism season, by diversifying the EU tourism product and by enhancing its accessibility. Given these varied targets, this year's call is divided in three themes:

1. Increasing tourism flows in low/medium seasons for seniors and youth target groups

Under this objective, the COSME programme intends to co-fund project partnerships that will facilitate the increase of tourism flows during the low and medium seasons, targeting seniors (any person over 55 years old) and the youth (aged between 15 and 29).

2. Diversifying the EU tourism offer and products - Promoting transnational thematic tourism products

Under this objective, the COSME programme intends to co-fund project partnerships that will diversify the European tourism offer by supporting transnational tourism products in the fields of a) sport and/or wellness and b) cultural or industrial heritage.

3. Enhancing tourism accessibility – improving facilities and services for tourists with special access needs

Under this objective, the COSME programme intends to co-fund project partnerships that will maintain and expand the "Tourism for All" principle of the EU treaties, by providing accessible tourism services for tourists with special access needs. 

Applicants may be partners in more than one project proposal per theme, but may act as project coordinator in only one submitted proposal per theme. Should an applicant act as project coordinator in more than one proposal per theme, all proposals within the same theme submitted by the same coordinator will be excluded.

The maximum grant per project will be EUR 250 000 for THEME 1 and THEME 2 and EUR 125 000 for THEME 3, maximum reimbursement rate of 75% of eligible costs.