The Sovereignty Seal is designed to identify projects worthy of funding from European programs and funds, as well as public and private investors, in key sectors such as digital and deep tech, biotechnology, and clean technologies.
The STEP Sovereignty Seal
Governed by Regulation 2024/795, effective from March 1, 2024, the STEP Platform aims to enhance and coordinate EU investment efforts in critical emerging technologies - particularly digital and advanced technologies, clean and resource-efficient technologies, and biotechnology - mobilizing European funds from various Union instruments such as Horizon Europe, EU4Health, Digital Europe, European Defence Fund, Innovation Fund, and InvestEU.
To facilitate access to funding for projects aligned with STEP priorities, a Sovereignty Portal has been established to match projects/companies seeking funds with EU funding opportunities in the three strategic sectors of STEP. Additionally, a Sovereignty Seal is awarded to projects that score highly during competitive selection processes, enhancing their chances of accessing alternative funding for high-quality proposals not funded due to budget constraints.
130 Projects Awarded the Sovereignty Seal STEP
On December 9, the European Commission announced the publication of the list of the first 130 projects awarded the STEP seal, including projects submitted in response to the 2023 call of the Innovation Fund and projects related to a STEP-themed topic in a space research call issued in 2024 under Horizon Europe.
These projects focus on investments ranging from cutting-edge clean technologies to digital technologies for space applications. The Commission will actively promote these projects among public funding bodies and private investors.
View the Complete List of Awarded STEP Seal Projects
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