EXTERNAL EVALUATORS

Open Call for External Evaluators

Help us shape the future of sustainable manufacturing in Europe!

The MANTRA project is seeking qualified external evaluators to assess proposals submitted by manufacturing SMEs aiming to adopt advanced technologies for green and digital transformation.  As an evaluator, you will contribute to selecting transformation projects across strategic sectors such as machinery, food, textiles, plastics, ceramics, and metals.  Your evaluation will directly support the growth and innovation capacity of SMEs driving Europe’s industrial transition. You can be one of the external evaluators that helps us choose the selected SMEs to begin their transformation journey. 

Open call launched 16 June 2025
Deadline for submissions 15 September 2025
🔍What we are looking for:

We welcome applications from experts with experience in at least one of the following areas:

  • Manufacturing Technologies
  • Sustainable and Green Manufacturing
  • Enterprise Mentoring
  • Digital Transformation
  • Business Development
  • Business Consulting
  • Enterprise Mentoring
  • Innovation Management
  • Decarbonization
  • Other areas related to digital transformation and sustainable industrial practices

Your role will include:
  • Reviewing proposals submitted via the MANTRA platform
  • Scoring applications based on predefined criteria
  • Providing short, constructuce feedback for applications
  • Participationg in evaluation panels (online)

💼 What you will get:
  • A chance to support Europe’s industrial transformation
  • Visibility as a trusted innovation evaluator
  • Receive financial compensation for each completed evaluation
  • Access to the MANTRA ecosystem and digital platform
 
For further details, download the guidelines for External Evaluators

For any questions or clarifications related to the External Evaluators, please contact the Helpdesk at: info@mantra-project.eu

 

SECPhO is a cluster based on Spain that brings together more than 180 organisations that promote technological innovation through deep tech in all sectors of our economy. They contribute to the assessment and advisory services for SME’s, including due diligence assessments, matchmaking non-tech SMEs with tech SMEs, co-creation labs, and tailored, value-added advisory services.

Rina-C is a global network specializing in energy transition, ESG, and digitalisation, based in Italy. They are responsible for providing assessment and advisory services to the selected SMEs undergoing digital and technological transformation. This includes due diligence assessments, matchmaking tech-savvy and traditional SMEs, share best practices in co-creation labs, and offering tailored solutions and recommendations for practical implementation as part of the advisory services.

Babele is a social enterprise based in Romania, that acts as a catalyst for systemic innovation, uniting a global network of universities, corporations, NGOs, and social entrepreneurs to co-create impactful solutions to address global issues such as climate change and poverty, while fostering resilience in the face of its effects. They are responsible for developing, building, and managing the digital platform for SME recruitment, overseeing the capacity-building and support program, and connecting innovation communities, EU networks, and SME support initiatives. The platform will function as a hub for knowledge exchange and a community of practice.

Greenovate! Europe is a not-for-profit network of organisations dedicated to sustainable innovation. It develops sustainability projects and provides innovation support to researchers, companies and policymakers. The project partner based in Belgium, is responsible for the communication and dissemination activities of the MANTRA project. Their goal is to maximize the project’s impact by raising awareness, building a stakeholder community, and sharing open project results in a way that ensures they are actionable and exploitable by stakeholders.

INES TEC is a research & development institute located on the campus of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, located in Portugal. They oversee the role of identifying the needs and barriers of SMEs to create the most favorable capacity-building support services. They will connect European specialised business support structures, networks, and organizations to build-up an innovative value-added support ecosystem for SMEs.

EIT Manufacturing is a public-private partnership located in Italy, co-funded by the European Union and established in 2019 that connects manufacturing players by promoting talent and entrepreneurship to accelerate sustainable innovation in Europe. They provide coaching programs and capacity-building support to enhance the competitiveness and innovation of SMEs. Building on the SME Alliance projects and EITM initiatives, they oversee the SME ecosystem, facilitating the exchange of best practices, and enable that traditional SMEs gain from dedicated peer-learning activities, learning directly from leaders in their sector.

EIT Manufacturing is a public-private partnership located in Italy, co-funded by the European Union and established in 2019 that connects manufacturing players by promoting talent and entrepreneurship to accelerate sustainable innovation in Europe.
They provide coaching programs and capacity-building support to enhance the competitiveness and innovation of SMEs. Building on the SME Alliance projects and EITM initiatives, they oversee the SME ecosystem, facilitating the exchange of best practices, and enable that traditional SMEs gain from dedicated peer-learning activities, learning directly from leaders in their sector.

Cetim is a technological accelerator dedicated to industrial transformation. It brings the best of research to French industries and offers a comprehensive solution combining consulting and engineering services. They contribute to the assessment and advisory services for SME’s, including due diligence assessments, matchmaking non-tech SMEs with tech SMEs, co-creation labs, and tailored, value-added advisory services.

Zabala Innovation is an international consultancy firm specialising in consultancy services for both R&D and Innovation management, based in Spain. As project coordinators for MANTRA, Zabala ensures smooth project management and defines the criteria to select and prioritise the manufacturing SME projects that will be funded through the project to unlock their digital and technological potential and build sustainable business models.