A total of 250 proposals were submitted to the call, of which 88 successfully passed the pre‑scoring threshold and advanced to the expert evaluation phase. At the end of this process, 11 projects—one for each challenge—were selected for funding.

The funded pilots cover a wide range of innovation areas aligned with the territorial challenges identified in the project.

For Challenge 1, dedicated to developing an information system for tracing agrifood production in Val di Sole, the selected project is MUU-CHAIN, submitted by ITC Innovation Technology Cluster, Slovenia.

Challenge 2, focused on a pasture ecosystem monitoring system for the same region, was awarded to SAGE by Regrowth, Italy.

For Challenge 3, which targeted an AI chatbot for personalized tourist experiences in Sóller/Tramuntana, the selected project is SAVIA by IURBAN DIGITAL TOURISM S.L., Spain.

Challenge 4, addressing the development of an AI tool for micro‑farming management in Sóller/Tramuntana, went to NeuroFarming by Eight Bells Ltd. (8BELLS), Cyprus.

In Northern Ostrobothnia, Challenge 5, centered on creating a SMART Economy Service Platform, selected LocalTrustLink by BINARE Oy from Finland.

Challenge 6, also in Northern Ostrobothnia and dedicated to AI‑assisted conceptualization of rural businesses using deep local knowledge, was awarded to TAIKA-RC by Midnight Forge Oy, Finland.

For East Herzegovina, Challenge 7, focused on a smart B2B platform for the agro‑tourism sector, selected SAT by Saakuru technologijos, UAB from Lithuania, while Challenge 8, aimed at developing a SMART platform for personalized tourism experiences in the same region, chose SMART-HERZ by Positive d.o.o. Novi Sad from Serbia.

In Šmarje–Padna, Challenge 9, which sought the development of a mobile app for mobility on demand, selected ToyotaGo 3.0 by Toyota Adria d.o.o. from Slovenia.

In the Devetaki Plateau, Challenge 10, focused on an AI GP Support System, went to RuralMed-AI submitted by SYNDESIS LTD Research and Innovation in Healthcare from Greece.

Finally, Challenge 11, dedicated to the creation of a map‑based digital platform for tourist information, promotion, and tailor‑made trips for the same region, selected Travel2Devetaki by TRAVEL2FIT PRIVATE COMPANY, Greece.

The strong participation and high quality of submissions demonstrate the relevance of the challenges and the commitment of innovators across Europe to contribute to smarter, more resilient, and more sustainable regional development.

Read here the full report.

Cover photo by Jake Ingle on Unsplash