Open innovation starts from a simple idea: not every good answer is inside your own company. Sometimes the solution to an operational, technological or strategic challenge is in a startup, a small company, a university, a research institute or a partner who sees the problem from another angle.

That is where open innovation calls come in. In Brazil they are known as editais, structured public calls that connect an organization with a real challenge to companies that can propose a solution. Instead of building everything in-house, the organization opens space for the market to bring technologies, methods and products that can be tested, validated and, in many cases, contracted.

We are in a spring of innovation calls

There have never been so many doors open at the same time. In 2024, Brazil's development bank (BNDES) and its innovation agency (Finep) together approved R$ 29.6 billion in innovation funding, the highest figure since 2010. Finep alone accounts for R$ 36.4 billion in innovation projects contracted over three years. And the Mais Inovação program, part of the Nova Indústria Brasil policy, plans R$ 66 billion for the coming years, run by BNDES and Finep.

Part of this money is a grant, meaning it does not have to be paid back. In one recent cycle, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and Finep launched 13 economic-subsidy calls, totaling R$ 2.5 billion and more than 200 contracted projects. Embrapii, which backs projects between companies and research centers, set a record: R$ 1 billion across 610 projects in a single year.

This is not just for large companies

Here is the point that excites me the most. The opportunity does not open by company size.

In Embrapii's project portfolio, the share of micro and small companies rose from 56% in 2023 to 64% in 2024. Brazil's Startup Legal Framework (Complementary Law 182 of 2021) even created a way for the government itself to publish a challenge and contract the innovative solution, the Public Contract for an Innovative Solution. Corporate open innovation calls, such as one from Petrobras with Sebrae, reached R$ 16 million, with awards of up to R$ 1 to 2 million per selected solution.

The door is open. What separates who gets in from who stays out is almost never size. It is organization.

The same pattern in the United States

This is not only a Brazilian story. In the United States, the closest equivalent is America's Seed Fund, the umbrella name for the SBIR and STTR programs (Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer). Coordinated by the Small Business Administration and funded by 11 federal agencies, it channels more than US$ 4 billion a year into small companies through over 6,000 awards. This money is non-dilutive: it does not take equity and does not have to be repaid.

Beyond that, federal agencies run prize competitions and open challenges to source solutions from outside, and specific opportunities are posted on portals such as SBIR.gov, Grants.gov and SAM.gov. The logic is the same as in Brazil. Public and corporate demand looking outward for answers, and rewarding the companies that show up prepared.

A call is more than an application form

An open innovation call should not be treated as a form to fill in. It is a strategic document. It sets the rules of the game: who can take part, which challenges must be solved, which criteria will be used, which documents are required, what the deadlines are and how selection will run.

For applicants, attention to detail is decisive. A good solution can be left behind if the proposal does not answer the challenge clearly, if the business model is not a fit, or if the company cannot show real capacity to deliver. Many programs move through application, technical review, interviews, bootcamps, proof of concept and a final presentation. Each stage demands preparation. An interesting idea is not enough. You have to show that it solves a concrete pain and fits the context of whoever launched the challenge.

Open innovation also requires process

Taking part in these calls demands internal organization. The company needs to know which opportunities make sense, who tracks the deadlines, which documents are up to date, how the proposal will be built and which technical and commercial information must be gathered.

Without this minimum of method, participation becomes improvisation. And improvisation, in this environment, is expensive: missed deadlines, incomplete proposals, generic answers and wasted opportunities.

The good news is that this process does not have to be complex. It starts with a simple flow for monitoring and deciding: where the calls appear, who watches them, how you decide whether to apply, and how a proposal is assembled when the answer is yes. It is the same principle we defend in any operation. Before chasing the tool, organize the path. A company that sees its own flow clearly responds faster and makes fewer mistakes when the right opportunity shows up.

What to check before applying

Before submitting a proposal, a few points deserve attention:

These questions help separate a real opportunity from a distraction. A well-chosen call accelerates growth, builds relationships with large organizations and validates a solution in a real setting. A poorly chosen one drains time, team and energy without a matching return.

Where to find the calls

Opportunities show up in many channels. It is worth following the innovation portals of large corporations, hubs, technology parks, accelerators and public funding institutions. In Brazil, the most frequent public-sector names are Finep, Embrapii, Sebrae, BNDES, the state innovation departments and the state research foundations. In the United States, the equivalents are the SBIR and STTR programs (America's Seed Fund) and federal portals such as SBIR.gov, Grants.gov and SAM.gov, alongside corporate open innovation programs. Many calls also circulate through newsletters, LinkedIn, specialized groups and ecosystem events.

More than searching for a call, the ideal is to keep a monitoring routine. Open innovation rewards those who are already paying attention before the urgency arrives.

An opportunity for prepared companies

Open innovation calls are not only a way to raise funds. They are a gateway to new markets, strategic partnerships and validation of solutions on real problems.

But the opportunity favors those who arrive prepared. Companies that know their value proposition well, organize their processes, keep documentation current and can translate their solution into measurable impact tend to stand out. And that is within reach of any company that decides to get organized, whatever its size.

In the end, open innovation is not about presenting the prettiest idea. It is about showing, with clarity, method and execution, that you solve a problem that matters.

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