Nicosia: The Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) has unveiled its programming for the main funding calls for 2025, with a total budget exceeding £45.3 million. The funding aims to enhance the innovation ecosystem through a series of targeted programs.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the 2025 funding calls will, for the first time, include programs that focus on financing production lines for innovative products and developing Artificial Intelligence solutions to tackle challenges in the public sector. A fast-track development program is also introduced to support the rapid commercialization of new products and services. These initiatives align with RIF’s five key priorities: Research, Knowledge Transfer and Collaboration, Innovation, Internationalization, and Infrastructure and Capabilities.
The scheduled calls are strategically distributed across the four quarters of 2025. In the first quarter, programs such as Innovate, Seed, and Innovation Support Structures will be launched, along with New Product Development-Capacity Building and STEP, which focuses on setting up facilities for manufacturing innovative products and services. Other notable first-quarter initiatives include Fast Track Innovation, European Partnership – EUROSTARS, Vision ERC, Horizon Europe – 2nd Opportunity – MSCA, AI in the Public Sector, R and I Internships, and Events Sponsorships.
The second quarter will see the launch of Research in Enterprises (ENTERPRISES), Proof of Concept, Excellence Hubs (EXCELLENCE), Post-Doc, and Cybersecurity Capability Enhancement programs. Finally, the fourth quarter will feature the BRIDGE2HORIZON initiative, further supporting the foundation’s strategic goals for innovation and research development.