Public Call - ExpoTech

In accordance with the Amendment to the Work Program of the Innovation Fund for 2025, No. 1-01/461-140-22, and the Amendment to the Financial Plan of the Innovation Fund for 2025, as well as the provisions of the Law on Innovation Activity (“Official Gazette of the RS”, No. 129/2021), the Law on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2025 (“Official Gazette of the RS”, No. 94/2024), and the Program on the Allocation and Use of Subsidy Funds for Public Non-Financial Enterprises and Organizations for 2025, which is an integral part of the Conclusion of the Government of the Republic of Serbia No. 05 401-12938/2024 of December 24, 2024,

 

Innovation Fund

 announcement

Public Call for the ExpoTech Program

 

The objective of the ExpoTech Program is to provide financial support to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises for the development and demonstration of innovative solutions in the areas of immersive technologies and cognitive city technologies, which will be presented during the international specialized exhibition EXPO 2027 Belgrade.

The Program supports the development of solutions applicable within the EXPO 2027 framework and provides an opportunity for startups and innovative enterprises to present their achievements to a global audience of investors and partners, contributing to positioning Serbia as a regional center of innovation. The Program also aims to strengthen the connection of domestic innovative enterprises with international markets and to enhance the competitiveness of the national innovation ecosystem.

Financial Support

  • Maximum grant amount per project: up to 12,000,000 RSD
  • Innovation Fund participation: up to 70% of the total project budget for micro and small companies, or 60% for medium-sized companies
  • Applicant’s participation: at least 30% (micro/small) or 40% (medium) of the total budget, in cash, from private sources independent of the Fund
  • Project duration: between 6 and 9 months
  • The support awarded under this Program is subject to de minimis state aid rules.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Applicants are micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) that are majority privately owned and registered in the Republic of Serbia.

The following are not eligible to apply:

  • companies affiliated with large enterprises (domestic or foreign), or
  • companies more than 10% owned by a large enterprise.

Each company may submit only one application under this Public Call.

Areas of Support

Projects eligible for financing include:

Immersive Technologies (Immersive Tech): Virtual, Augmented, Mixed, and Extended Reality (VR/AR/MR/XR); Metaverse experiences; sensory and haptic technologies; and interactive exhibits.

Cognitive City Technologies (Cognitive City Tech): AI visitor management systems, IoT solutions, smart transport systems, safety and security technologies, Big Data analytics, digital twins, sustainable urban services, and personalized mobile services.

Eligible Costs

  • Human resources (up to 450,000 RSD gross 2 per team member per month);
  • Equipment and materials (up to 30% of the total budget);
  • Research and development services;
  • Costs related to intellectual property protection and certification.

Non-financial contributions, loan interest, VAT, and any costs not directly related to the project are not eligible.

Required Application Documentation

Applications must be submitted electronically in English through the Fund’s portal, using the provided forms:

  • Applicant’s Statement
  • Business Plan
  • Project Budget
  • Project Presentation (free format)
  • CVs of Team Members (up to 5, PDF, in English)

Applications that do not use the official Fund templates or that are altered in any way will be disqualified.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on the following six criteria:

  1. Usefulness and strategic relevance of the project
  2. Level of innovation
  3. Methodology and implementation capacity
  4. Use of funds and adequacy of the budget
  5. Risk management
  6. Team qualifications

Submission Method

  • Applications must be submitted electronically only, via the Innovation Fund’s online portal.
  • Due to the international evaluation process, applications must be submitted in English.

Application deadline: December 19, 2025 (12:00 noon)

Contact: expotech@inovacionifond.rs