Call: Supporting Competitive and Sustainable Growth in the Tourism Sector

COSME is the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) running from 2014 to 2020 with a planned budget of 2.3 bn. €.

Accessing finance

COSME aims to make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access finance in all phases of their lifecycle – creation, expansion, or business transfer. Thanks to EU support, businesses have easier access to guarantees, loans and equity capital. EU ‘financial instruments’ are channelled through local financial institutions in EU countries. To find a financial institution in your country, visit the Access to Finance portal.

Opening markets

COSME helps businesses to access markets in the EU and beyond. It funds the Enterprise Europe Network that helps SMEs find business and technology partners, and understand EU legislation; the Your Europe Business portal that provides practical information on doing business within Europe; and the SME Internationalisation Portal for companies who want to develop their activities outside Europe. It also finances a number of IPR (intellectual property rights) SME Helpdesks.

Supporting entrepreneurs

COSME supports entrepreneurs by strengthening entrepreneurship education, mentoring, guidance and other support services. Actions support specific groups who may find it difficult to reach their full potential, such as young people, women and senior entrepreneurs. The programme also aims to help businesses access opportunities offered by digital technologies.

Improving business conditions

COSME aims to reduce the administrative and regulatory burden on SMEs by creating a business-friendly environment. COSME also supports businesses to be competitive by encouraging them to adopt new business models and innovative practices. This complements actions in areas with high growth potential such as the tourism sector.  

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.

 

The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) manages COSME on behalf of the European Commission.