Why SMEs Can Succeed in COST Without Their Own Laboratory

Many small and medium-sized enterprises associate European research with large university consortia, their own laboratory and a lengthy application process. COST Actions work differently: they are European research networks in which companies can contribute valuable expertise without having to operate their own laboratory.

The decisive factor is not the number of instruments a company owns. What matters is whether it can bring a real-world challenge, operational data, a technology requirement, access to customers or an environment in which results can be tested.

What does COST finance – and why does that matter?

COST primarily supports collaboration through:

• working groups,
• expert meetings,
• training schools,
• conferences and dissemination of results.

It does not finance a production line or routine in-house development. That is not a weakness of the programme. This form of support allows a company to build relationships before preparing a major European project. A well-functioning network accelerates the exchange of know-how, aligns partners’ needs and creates a shared research agenda that can continue after the Action ends.

How can an SME bring real value to a COST network?

Companies often understand where a research idea meets operational reality. They can identify a customer’s technical problem, provide data from real-world operations, open up a pilot environment or explain which standards, regulations and commercial conditions the final solution will need to meet.

This input has concrete value for the network. It helps research teams decide what to work on, while giving the company an opportunity to influence the final solution without having to bear the full cost of development itself. Its role could include defining user requirements, preparing a testing scenario or validating a prototype in practice.

The strongest position is held by a company that does not simply say, “We want to be involved.” It should be able to explain briefly what it can offer, which problem it wants to address through the collaboration and what could change as a result of its participation.

Should you join an existing Action or create your own?

If an existing Action covers a topic close to your expertise, joining it is usually the faster and safer route. Actions remain open to new participants throughout their lifetime.

Submitting a new proposal makes sense when a specific topic is missing from existing European networks and the organisation can build a consortium of partners from several countries. Simply collecting contacts is not enough. The partners must share a question that none of them can answer sufficiently on their own.

Open Call 2026

Proposals for the COST Open Call 2026 can be submitted until 28 October 2026. The conditions require an international network to be assembled in time and young researchers to be involved. In addition, one person may participate in only one proposal in the given call.

Late October is therefore not the right time to start contacting partners. Before drafting the proposal, clarify the common topic, the role of each organisation, the planned outputs and how the network will remain active throughout the Action. A formally correct proposal without this shared logic can quickly turn into a collection of unrelated activities.

COST as preparation for future funding

COST can open the door to larger European research and innovation projects. A company can use the network to test how well it works with potential partners and to define its own role before committing to a more demanding application.

For many SMEs, this is the main strategic value of COST. The programme does not replace investment funding, but it can help create the relationships, shared priorities and evidence of cooperation needed for future European projects.

Would you like to assess whether joining an existing Action or preparing your own proposal is the better option? Contact us. We can help you evaluate the opportunity and define the next steps for a strong European project.