The SMURF project has just wrapped up its Second Cascade Funding Call, marking a significant milestone in strengthening the capacities and visibility of small forest owners’ organisations across Europe. Building on the success of the first call, this second round expanded participation, deepened collaboration with forest stakeholders, and reinforced the adoption of innovative tools and governance models for Small Forest Holdings (SFHs).
Running from April 9 to July 2, 2025, this call made €825,000 available for forest owners’ associations, cooperatives, federations, and confederations across all EU Member States. Thanks to strong sector engagement and rigorous evaluation procedures, SMURF successfully awarded €823,000 — 99.8% of the total budget — funding 58 organisations from the 17 countries that submitted proposals. Grant amounts ranged from €3,500 to €48,000, depending on the activities proposed.
In total, the call received 67 applications, representing a 22% increase over the first call (44 applications). Of these, 58 entities were selected for award — 23 more than in the first call, reflecting a growing interest in capacity-building, innovation, and cooperation across Europe’s small-scale forestry sector.
Notably, Finland, Germany, and Hungary participated for the first time, illustrating SMURF’s expanding reach. In contrast, Bulgaria and Ireland, which had participated previously, did not submit applications in this round.
Distribution of Applications Across Activities
Interest was strong across all six offered activities:
- Activity 1: Participation in the Final SMURF Project Conference and Joint Dissemination Efforts received the highest number of applications, with organisations showing strong demand for capacity-building and training opportunities.
- Activity 4: Participation in a Close to Nature Silviculture (CNS) training session, also attracted substantial interest, confirming the importance of cooperation and networking actions for small forest owners.
- Activity 6: Participation in a National or Regional Working Group on Small Forest Holdings, which supports digitalisation initiatives and practical tools for small-scale forestry, was similarly popular.
Activities number 2 – Implementation of a Pilot Project on an innovative new business opportunity for Small Forest Holdings, 3 – Setup of a Close to Nature Silviculture (CNS) demonstration stand, and 5 – Development of a new Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) Pilot Carbon Project had moderate but meaningful levels of participation, indicating a balanced demand across the thematic areas of innovation, governance, and local engagement.
To ensure a fully objective, fair, and transparent selection process, all applications were assessed by SMURF’s independent Evaluation Committee, composed of qualified experts with no conflict of interest in the proposals submitted. The committee followed a rigorous scoring methodology and applied the evaluation criteria consistently across all activities. This structured and impartial review process guarantees that the awarded organisations were selected solely based on merit, relevance, and the expected impact of their proposed actions, reinforcing SMURF’s commitment to responsible and transparent funding management.
Countries With the Highest Application Rates
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Spain led with 14 applications (21%)
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Italy followed with 9 applications (13%)
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France submitted 8 applications (12%)
This reflects strong engagement from Southern and Western Europe, consistent with broader forestry sector dynamics.
Funding Allocation: 99.8% of the Total Budget Awarded
The results from the selection process really showcase how effective and impactful the second call was. SMURF managed to award an impressive 99.8% of its available budget, which is a significant jump from the first call, when only 87.5% of the funding was allocated.
The financial support given to the organizations that received funding varied quite a bit, ranging from €3,500 to €48,000, depending on the scope and complexity of their activities.
Success Rates by Activity
The success rate varied across activities, reflecting different levels of competition:
- Activities with the highest demand, such as Activity 1 and Activity 6, achieved notably high success rates due to the larger number of awards available for these categories.
- More specialised activities, such as Activity 2 and Activity 5, had lower success rates, as the number of awards available was intentionally smaller.
- Activities focused on collaboration and governance (Activities 3 and 4) demonstrated moderate success rates, balancing demand with quality of submissions.
Geographical Reach: All Participating Countries Receive Funding
A key highlight of this second call is the balanced and inclusive distribution of awarded organisations. All 17 participating countries received funding.
Spain once again led in terms of beneficiaries, with 13 funded organisations, accounting for 22% of the total. Italy followed with 16%, and France with 10%, showing strong engagement across Western and Southern Europe.
The distribution by macro-regions, according to EuroVoc classifications, further confirms the diversity of the funded organisations:
- Southern Europe received the highest share of beneficiaries (45%),
- followed by Central and Eastern Europe (24%),
- Western Europe (24%),
- and Northern Europe (7%).
This spread demonstrates the wide relevance of SMURF’s support mechanisms for forest owners’ organisations across varied forest management contexts and regional needs.
Key Features of the Second Call
Several structural factors supported the success of the second cascade funding call:
- A total budget of €825,000, significantly larger than the first call.
- A portfolio of six targeted activities, addressing innovation, governance, cooperation, digitalisation, and capacity-building.
- A simplified lump-sum funding format, ensuring easy access and reduced administrative burden.
- A generous application window of nearly three months, helping organisations prepare high-quality proposals.
- A set of support tools, including information sessions, updated Q&A resources, and templates, that guided applicants throughout the process.
Conclusion: A major step forward for small forest owners in Europe
The Second Cascade Funding Call of SMURF has demonstrated growing demand for support, training, and innovation among Europe’s small forest owners’ organisations. With an increase in applications, wider geographical participation, and near-total allocation of available funds, SMURF continues to play a critical role in empowering these organisations.
The activities funded will help accelerate the adoption of innovative practices, strengthen governance mechanisms, enhance cooperation, and support the digital transformation of small-scale forestry. As implementation begins, the supported organisations will contribute to more sustainable, resilient, and well-connected forest management across Europe — reinforcing SMURF’s long-term vision of a thriving network of Small Forest Holdings.
👉 See the complete list of beneficiaries: https://www.smurfproject.eu/cascade-funding-2nd-call/