Seal of Excellence

The Seal of Excellence is a quality label awarded by the Commission to proposals that could not receive funding due to lack of budget. All projects with Seal of Excellence certificate have been assessed in a call for proposals under an EU funding programme and have been deemed excellent as they meet the quality requirements of the specific EU programme. These projects are judged to deserve funding and are recommended to receive support from other EU or national/regional sources.

The Seal of Excellence certificate recognises the value of the proposal and helps other funding bodies take advantage of the high-quality Commission evaluation process.

The Seal of Excellence certificate indicates basic information on the proposal, the call and the applicant. It is unique and safe and is digitally sealed against fraud, as is the project proposal and evaluation summary report.

Currently the following EU programmes award Seal of Excellence. You can visit their dedicated pages for more specific information on their calls:

•  Horizon Europe
•  Digital Europe Programme
•  LIFE
•  Erasmus+
•  Connecting Europe Facility – Digital

All applicants who are eligible for Seal of Excellence receive their certificate together with the evaluation results letter. There is no separate application for Seal of Excellence. For the specific evaluation criteria see the relevant EU programme pages above.

The Seal of Excellence certifies the high-quality of your project proposal can build the reputation of your project and your business gives an opportunity to your project to attract investments on local, regional, national, and international level. 

We advise you to diversify your search for funding in terms of sources (public or private) and type (grants / financial instruments). You can also try to combine grants with financial instruments (loans, equity, etc.). In addition to the Seal of Excellence certificate, consider making all documents at your disposal available to the funders you approach.