basic parameters
Call open for proposal submissions:
September 10 – October 27, 2025
Announcement of call results: by March 31, 2026
Expected amount allocated to the call: CZK 10 million
Maximum amount of support per project: CZK 730 000
Maximum funding rate (intensity) per project: 70 %
Applicants: enterprise (small)
News
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SIGMA Programme: Announcement of the 18th call for proposals SIGMA – Sub-objective 1, Support for commercialisation of R&D&I+
Published 9. 9. 2026
On 9 September 2026, the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (hereinafter referred to as „TA CR”) announced the 18th call in the Programme for Support of Applied Research and Innovation SIGMA – Sub-objective 1, Support for commercialisation of R&D&I+ (hereinafter referred to as “SIGMA – Support for commercialisation of R&D&I+”).
The announcement of the public call was published by TA CR in the Commercial Bulletin and the Information System for Research, Experimental Development, and Innovation.
SIGMA – Support for commercialisation of R&D&I+ is aimed at supporting the commercialisation of breakthrough deep-tech innovative solutions (product, service, etc.) at a minimum level of TRL 4, as well as supporting the growth and development of small enterprises and startups based in the Czech Republic that aspire to succeed in the European Commission’s EIC Accelerator.
The main objective of the call for proposals is to verify applied research outputs/results in terms of their practical application and to prepare their subsequent commercial exploitation or use for societal needs. The output of the projects will be feasibility studies prepared in English.
TA CR will offer applicants the option of a special project evaluation for synergistic purposes. Thanks to receiving certification from the European Commission (EC) for the scheme following up on the GAMA 2 programme within the SIGMA programme, successful projects will be eligible, after an overarching evaluation, to apply to the 2nd round of the EIC Accelerator; specifically, TA CR will submit them to the EC via the Plug-in mechanism for inclusion in the 2nd round. Applicants must mandatorily indicate their interest in these follow-up synergistic activities (EIC Accelerator Plug-in) upon submission of the project proposal directly in the SISTA information system, without which it will not be possible to submit the project proposal. TA CR will provide support services to the funded projects in the form of coaching.
The project proposal (which also includes the annexes to the project proposal) shall be submitted through the SISTA information system in English.
TA CR recommends switching the language in SISTA to English via the “EN” button in the top right corner screen after logging in.
The project proposal also includes a mandatory annex in the form of a functional link to a video of a maximum length of three minutes, presenting the uniqueness of the project proposal in the required Full HD quality (1920×1080 px, 30–60 fps), which must be prepared in English. The link must allow the video to be opened and played immediately upon opening in a web browser without any additional steps (e.g., logging in).
Another mandatory annex to the project proposal is the proof of TRL 4 achievement, demonstrating that the technology under development reaches at least technology readiness level TRL 4 (i.e., laboratory verification) at the time of project proposal submission. This proof refers to documentation clearly demonstrating the laboratory functionality of the proposed solution, such as laboratory testing reports, development logs, technical specifications, or drawing and schematic documentation. The proof of TRL 4 achievement must be prepared in English. If this proof is not provided, the project proposal will not be accepted into the call for proposals.
The Call Period begins on September 10, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. and ends on October 27, 2026, at the times indicated below:
- 16:29:59 – This is the latest possible time to submit a project proposal through the SISTA information system;
- 23:59:59 – This is the latest possible moment to send the documents to prove eligibility, which must be sent by each applicant separately.
Data box ID TA CR: afth9xp
The 18th Call for Proposals of the SIGMA Programme will be announced in the TA CR shared information system – SISTA. Please note that all calls for proposals will be announced in SISTA only. To submit a project proposal, applicants must meet the new technical requirements of the system. This includes registering their organization and designating an administrator. Without completing the organization registration and adding administrators, it will not be possible to submit a project proposal or receive public funds for applied research projects. In this article, we describe all the new technical requirements in detail and recommend reading it carefully.
Detailed information necessary for the preparation and submission of the project proposal, including details on the evaluation method and criteria, can be found in the Call documentation and other documents associated with the call for proposals. The SISTA information system includes help sheets to assist applicants in completing the project proposal.
TA CR will not hold a webinar for this call for proposals. During the call period, we will publish an information presentation on our website summarizing the terms and conditions of the call for proposals.
TA CR further informs applicants that it will only accept such project proposals whose main applicants:
- publish the financial statements in the public register – for entities that have this obligation for a period of three years (2022, 2023, 2024);
- do not meet the definition of an undertaking in difficulty;
- are registered in the register of beneficial owners by the end of the call period, i.e., by October 27, 2026;
- meet the other conditions set out in the Call documentation.
ELIMINATION OF CORRUPTING INFLUENCES
In order to eliminate corrupt influences during the call process, TA CR asks all applicants to inform the company immediately of any alleged corrupt activity of which they become aware. Notification, together with a description of the relevant facts, can make it much easier for the TA CR to identify and eliminate possible corrupt efforts. Complaints concerning suspicions of corrupt practices or other unfair activities may be reported according to the procedure on the website of TA CR.
DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE 18th CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Call documentation
Related documentation and forms
Additional documentation
Handbooks
The public call was announced in accordance with Act No. 130/2002 Coll., on support for research, experimental development, and innovation from public funds and amendments to certain related acts, in accordance with the Framework for State Aid for Research, Development, and Innovation 2022/C 414/01 and in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014 of 17 June 2014.