A complete SME journey
Selected SMEs will join a free 25-hour blended capacity-building programme followed by Living Lab testing, pitching and marketplace positioning.
SAge-Hub Call for SMEs · Smart Ageing & Digital Health
Test, validate and scale your Smart Ageing solution across Europe.
SAge-Hub invites SMEs working in digital health and Smart Ageing to join a practical capacity-building, Living Lab testing and investment-readiness programme designed to help companies move from regional innovation to interregional growth.
Selected SMEs will be able to work with the SAge-Hub ecosystem beyond their home region. Depending on the solution, maturity level and testing needs, SMEs may test in any participating Living Lab and, where relevant and feasible, in more than one Living Lab in parallel.
- ✓For SMEs developing digital health, care, wellbeing, prevention, independent living, or Smart Ageing solutions.
- ✓For companies established in the participating SAge-Hub regions.
- ✓For teams ready to test, refine, connect with new ecosystems, pitch their value proposition and prepare for scale-up.
Testing is not limited to your home region.
See how Living Labs work
Selected SMEs may be matched with any SAge-Hub Living Lab and, where relevant and feasible, test in more than one region in parallel.
Are you an SME developing a digital health or Smart Ageing solution?
SAge-Hub can help you test your solution with Living Lab methods across participating European regions, understand market and regulatory needs, connect with regional ecosystems, pitch to relevant stakeholders, and prepare for marketplace visibility and interregional scale-up.
Free of charge for selected SMEs
Participation in the SAge-Hub programme is free for selected SMEs. The application deadline is 12 June 2026.
This call is for you if...
You are ready to test, refine, connect and scale.
The call is designed for SMEs that want to validate their solution with real stakeholders, connect with new ecosystems, pitch their value proposition and prepare for interregional scale-up.
Smart Ageing or digital health
Your solution supports ageing well, health, care, autonomy, prevention, wellbeing, older adults or carers.
SMEs in eligible regions
You are established in a participating SAge-Hub region and qualify as an SME under the EU definition.
Ready to scale beyond home region
You want to explore partnerships, pilots, market access, funding or investment opportunities across Europe.
Why apply?
A practical programme, not a theoretical training course.
SAge-Hub Call is designed for SMEs that want to understand real market needs, validate their solution with relevant stakeholders and become better prepared for interregional partnerships, funding and investment opportunities.
01
Test and validate in Living Lab environments
Click to read moreWork with real users, care and health stakeholders, innovation experts and regional ecosystems to understand how your solution performs in realistic contexts. SMEs are not limited to the Living Lab of their home region. Depending on the solution, testing objectives and available users or partners, selected SMEs may test in any SAge-Hub Living Lab and may run parallel testing in two regions when this adds value and is feasible. Living Lab testing helps identify adoption barriers, improve usability, strengthen user acceptance and reduce market risk before scaling.
02
Improve market access and regulatory readiness
Click to read moreReceive structured guidance to better understand digital health and Smart Ageing market requirements, compliance expectations, procurement realities, ethical considerations and adoption pathways in European regions. This helps you move from a promising solution to a more market-ready offer.
03
Connect with networks, partners and investors
Click to read moreGain visibility within the SAge-Hub ecosystem and connect with organisations that can support pilots, partnerships, market entry and investment readiness. The programme helps SMEs understand who to approach, how to present their value proposition, and how to position their solution for European growth.
04
Prepare for interregional scaling
Click to read moreUse SAge-Hub as an entry point to understand needs across participating regions and adapt your business model for cross-border replication. Support may include value-chain mapping, scale-up strategy, partnership development, Living Lab evidence and preparation for future marketplace visibility.
05
Increase visibility for funding and investment opportunities
Click to read moreSAge-Hub helps SMEs become more visible to the ecosystem by improving their positioning, pitch, partnership logic and understanding of European needs. Through pitching opportunities and marketplace presence, SMEs can become easier for partners, investors and funding actors to discover. The programme does not replace fundraising, but it helps companies become better prepared to access relevant funding and investment opportunities.
Participation in the programme does not automatically guarantee funding, investment, commercial contracts or pilot implementation. It is designed to improve readiness, validation, visibility and access to relevant opportunities.
Participation in the programme does not automatically guarantee funding, investment, commercial contracts or pilot implementation. It is designed to improve readiness, validation, visibility and access to relevant opportunities.
Participation in the programme does not automatically guarantee funding, investment, commercial contracts or pilot implementation. It is designed to improve readiness, validation, visibility and access to relevant opportunities.
Participation in the programme does not automatically guarantee funding, investment, commercial contracts or pilot implementation. It is designed to improve readiness, validation, visibility and access to relevant opportunities.
Who can apply?
We are looking for SMEs that meet all of the following conditions.
Applicants should develop or provide a relevant solution, have Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 or above, be established in an eligible region, qualify as an SME and be ready to engage in the full programme.
Core eligibility conditions
- Develop or provide a solution relevant to Smart Ageing, digital health, care, prevention, wellbeing, autonomy, independent living, or support for older adults and carers.
- Have a solution at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 or above, meaning the solution has moved beyond concept stage and has initial validation or prototype evidence.
- Are established in one of the participating regions: North-East Romania; Thessaly, Greece; Catalonia, Spain; Canary Islands, Spain; Norte or Centro, Portugal; Finland.
- Qualify as an SME under the EU definition.
- Have the operational capacity to participate in the full programme and engage in interregional collaboration.
- Want to scale beyond their home region and explore partnerships, pilots, market entry, funding or investment opportunities.
Eligibility checklist
Check your readiness before applying.
Tick each item below. This checklist follows the eligibility questions from the call and helps you quickly assess whether your SME fits the programme.
Select the checklist items to see your readiness status.
Apply Now
Living Labs
What is a Living Lab and why does it matter for SMEs?
A Living Lab is an innovation environment where solutions are explored, tested and refined with the people and organisations that may use, buy, recommend or implement them.
Why it matters for SMEs
For Smart Ageing and digital health SMEs, this is especially important because successful adoption depends not only on technology, but also on trust, usability, workflow integration, regulation, ethics and real-life needs.
Who may be involved
Through the SAge-Hub ecosystem, SMEs may work with users, older adults, carers, health and care professionals, researchers, innovation organisations, regional stakeholders and business-support actors, depending on the maturity of the solution and the testing objective.
Testing is not restricted to the home region
If the testing need is better matched elsewhere, the SME may be connected to another SAge-Hub Living Lab. In some cases, a solution may be tested in two regions in parallel, for example to compare user needs, validate transferability, or prepare cross-border replication.
- Understand whether the solution responds to a real need in ageing, care or digital health.
- Identify usability, accessibility and adoption barriers early.
- Collect feedback that improves the product, service model or value proposition.
- Generate stronger evidence for future pilots, partners, buyers, investors or funders.
- Compare how the same solution performs across different regional, cultural or care-system contexts.
- Reduce the risk of entering new markets with assumptions that do not match local needs.
Programme structure
Workshops > Testing > Pitching > Marketplace
Workshops
Selected SMEs join a 25-hour blended Smart Ageing Skills Workshop. The sessions help companies refine their value proposition, understand market and regulatory needs, map interregional opportunities, and prepare for Living Lab testing.
Testing
SMEs use Living Lab methods to test, validate or refine their solution with relevant users, care and health stakeholders, innovation actors and regional ecosystems. Testing can take place outside the SME home region and may involve two regions in parallel when useful and feasible.
Pitching
SMEs prepare and present a clearer value proposition and scale-up case to relevant ecosystem actors, such as regional partners, investors, innovation intermediaries, potential pilot partners or funding stakeholders.
Marketplace
Validated or better-positioned solutions gain visibility through the SAge-Hub marketplace and wider ecosystem communication, supporting future matchmaking, partnership development, market entry and investment-readiness pathways.
Workshop details
25 hours over 5 days
Duration25 hours in total, delivered over 5 days of 5 hours each
FormatBlended delivery combining online sessions and on-site workshops where relevant
ParticipantsMinimum 20 SMEs per region
PriorityDecision-makers or team members responsible for strategy, partnerships, product development, market access or investment readiness
DatesTo be confirmed after selection in consultation with participants and SAge-Hub partners
Programme method
Applied work on real SME cases
The programme will combine expert input, facilitated group work and applied exercises using real SME cases. Participants are expected to attend the full programme and actively work on their own scale-up challenges.
Workshop content
What will SMEs work on?
Topics covered
- Digital health and Smart Ageing market trends.
- Needs of older adults, carers, health and care providers, regions and procurers.
- Living Lab testing and user validation approaches.
- Regional matching for Living Lab testing, including testing beyond the SME home region.
- Regulatory, ethical and compliance pathways for digital health solutions.
- Interregional scaling and cross-border replication.
- Business model adaptation for new regional markets.
- Investment readiness, funding positioning and partnership development.
- Pitch preparation and storytelling for investors, partners and ecosystem stakeholders.
- Peer learning and case-based exchange with other SMEs.
What participating SMEs should gain
- A clearer value proposition for Smart Ageing and digital health markets.
- A practical understanding of user, care-provider and ecosystem needs in participating regions.
- A Living Lab testing or validation plan, potentially involving more than one region.
- A first interregional scale-up or market-access roadmap.
- Improved pitch and positioning for partners, investors, pilots or future funding opportunities.
- Greater visibility in the SAge-Hub ecosystem, marketplace and future matchmaking activities.
How to apply
Prepare your company, contact and solution information.
1
Check eligibility
Use the checklist above to confirm your SME status, region, solution relevance and Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3+ maturity.
2
Prepare information
Prepare the required company, contact and solution information.
3
Complete application
Complete the online application form or downloadable application template made available through the official SAge-Hub application process.
4
Submit application by 12 June 2026
Submit the application through the official channel before the deadline. You will receive confirmation that your application has been received.
Application guidance
Before applying, be ready to describe:
- Your solution.
- Your target market.
- Your current development stage.
- Your relevance to Smart Ageing or digital health.
- Your motivation to participate.
- Your interest in interregional collaboration.
- Your preferred testing needs.
- Your commitment to the full 25-hour programme.
Selection
Selection process and criteria
Eligibility
SME status, eligible region, Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3+, relevance to Smart Ageing or digital health.
Strategic relevance
Clear link with ageing, care, prevention, autonomy, wellbeing or digital health challenges.
Scale-up potential
Ambition and realistic potential to collaborate or grow beyond the home region.
Living Lab fit
Potential to benefit from testing with relevant users, stakeholders or ecosystems in one or more SAge-Hub regions.
Commitment
Ability to participate fully in the 25-hour programme and apply the learning to the company case.
Ecosystem fit
Potential to benefit from peer learning, Living Lab feedback, pitching, networks, partners or marketplace visibility.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is participation free of charge?
Yes. Participation is free for selected SMEs.
Is this a grant programme?
No direct grant is promised. The programme improves readiness, visibility and access to ecosystem, funding and investment opportunities.
Do I need to have a product already on the market?
No. SMEs at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 or above may apply. This includes validated concepts, prototypes, pilots and commercially available solutions.
Can more than one person from my company participate?
Yes, where possible. At least one participant should be able to make decisions or apply the programme outputs inside the company.
Will I test only in my home-region Living Lab?
No. Selected SMEs may test in any SAge-Hub Living Lab, depending on solution fit, user group, testing needs and feasibility. Testing may also happen in two regions in parallel where this adds value and can be organised.
Will I test my solution with real users?
The programme is connected to Living Lab methods and ecosystems. The exact testing or validation activities will depend on region, solution maturity, ethical and regulatory requirements, available users and programme design.
What happens after the workshops?
The suggested journey is Workshops > Testing > Pitching > Marketplace. After the skills workshop, SMEs may move into Living Lab testing or validation activities, prepare their pitch and build visibility through the SAge-Hub marketplace and ecosystem channels.
What happens after selection?
Selected SMEs will be contacted by the regional partner with the workshop schedule, preparation requirements and next steps.
Who can I contact?
Use the official SAge-Hub contact channel or contact the programme manager: adina.serediuc@digital-innovation.zone.