Yoda’s EU Grant Finder for Solopreneurs: Powered by Bright Data

This is a submission for the Bright Data Web Scraping Challenge: Scrape Data from Complex, Interactive Websites

What I Built

I created Yoda’s EU Grant Finder for Solopreneurs, a curated dataset (and minimal front-end demo) that pulls relevant EU funding opportunities specifically tailored to solo entrepreneurs and microbusinesses.

• Core Value: It’s tough for small innovators to find relevant grants amidst vast, complex EU portals. This tool scrapes key information — titles, deadlines, eligibility criteria, funding amounts, and official links — and serves it in a clean, easy-to-download CSV (and JSON) format.
• MVP Scope: Focuses on a handful of tech-oriented and innovation-focused EU grants. Demonstrates proof-of-concept with potential to expand into a fully-fledged, AI-driven recommendation platform.

Demo

You can see a few screenshots of the working prototype below (from my local dev environment). More on Github
It includes a basic UI where users can:

• Filter grants by industry (e.g., AI, Urban Innovation, etc.).
• Search by keyword (e.g., “research,” “green tech,” “blockchain”).
• View an interactive bar chart of approximate funding values.
• Download the data as CSV with a single click.

“May the grants and funds be with you!”

You can explore the public-facing code samples in my GitHub repository, although I’m not pushing all code just yet, as I plan to expand this into a commercial AI pipeline integration.

Quick Example of the CSV Data

To illustrate how the scraped data is standardized, here’s a brief excerpt from the cordis_results.csv file:

Collection;"Record Number";"Project acronym";Title;ID;Teaser;"Domains of application";Programmes;"Fields of science";"Project start date";"Project end date";Language;"Available languages";"Last updated";URL
project;239507;TUPLES;"Trustworthy Planning and Scheduling with Learning and Explanations";101070149;"Planning and scheduling (P&S) is a core area of AI. Its aim is to build systems that assist humans in planning, organising and optimising courses of action to achieve complex objectives. Despite the pressing need for decision-support systems for P&S applications in industry...";;HORIZON.2.4,HORIZON.2.4.5;"/social sciences/sociology/governance/public services;/engineering and technology/environmental engineering/waste management;/social sciences/economics and business/economics/production economics/productivity;/social sciences/psychology;/social sciences/law";2022-10-01;2025-09-30;en;en;"2024-09-06 19:45:02";https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101070149
project;241318;AI4EOSC;"Artificial Intelligence for the European Open Science Cloud";101058593;"The AI4EOSC (Artificial Intelligence for the European Open Science Cloud) delivers an enhanced set of advanced services for the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) models and applications in the European Open Science Cloud...";;HORIZON.1.3,HORIZON.1.3.1;"/natural sciences/computer and information sciences/artificial intelligence/machine learning/deep learning;/natural sciences/chemical sciences/catalysis;/natural sciences/computer and information sciences/data science/data processing";2022-09-01;2025-08-31;en;en;"2022-09-04 13:17:37";https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101058593
project;241951;TERAIS;"Towards Excellent Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at a Slovak university";101079338;"The TERAIS project aims at transforming the Department of Applied Informatics (DAI) at COMENIUS UNIVERSITY in Bratislava (UKBA) to a workplace of international academic excellence and an outstanding example for other HEIs in Slovakia. To achieve this, the project aims to: (1)...";;HORIZON.4.1.2,HORIZON.4.1;;2022-10-01;2025-09-30;en;en;"2023-03-10 20:13:04";https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101079338
project;239421;ConnectomesToANNs;"From reconstructions of neuronal circuits to anatomically realistic artificial neural networks";101069192;"Artificial neural networks (ANNs) have found applications in a wide variety of real-world problems. Despite this tremendous success, artificial intelligence systems still face major challenges due to their reliance on extensive training and large datasets. Recent reports...";;HORIZON.1.1;"/natural sciences/physical sciences/optics/microscopy/electron microscopy;/natural sciences/computer and information sciences/artificial intelligence/frugal artificial intelligence;/natural sciences/computer and information sciences/artificial intelligence/machine learning/deep learning;/natural sciences/computer and information sciences/artificial intelligence/computational intelligence";2022-07-01;2023-12-31;en;en;"2024-09-06 19:45:03";https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101069192
project;240032;EMERGE;"Emergent awareness from minimal collectives";101070918;"Awareness in biological agents has converging definitions when considering local states describing content-related consciousness from an agent-specific perspective. However, it becomes highly debated when it comes to global states. The issue magnifies when considering...";;HORIZON.3.1;"/natural sciences/computer and information sciences/internet;/engineering and technology/nanotechnology";2022-10-01;2026-09-30;en;en;"2022-08-23 23:41:12";https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101070918

How I Used Bright Data

The Challenge

EU funding portals (like the Funding & Tenders Portal or CORDIS) are laden with complex pagination, filter options, and dynamic elements. Building a custom scraper often requires:

• Handling JavaScript-driven pagination.
• Navigating multi-step search forms.
• Parsing unstructured text spread across multiple iframes or tables.

The Solution

1. Bright Data’s Web Scraper

   • I used Bright Data to efficiently handle dynamic content. Their built-in flow for rotating proxies helped avoid potential IP blocks and ensure uninterrupted data extraction.

2. Automated Scheduling & Pagination

   • By combining Bright Data’s capabilities with my Node.js scripts, I iterated through multiple pages (often behind session tokens).

3. Data Cleaning & Normalization

   • Titles, deadlines, and funding amounts often appeared in varying formats. I wrote a small pipeline to standardize them (e.g., turning 31-12-2023 into 2023-12-31).
   • Where official data was missing or in progress, I labeled it as N/A.

4. Accessibility

   • Once scraped, the data was saved into both CSV and JSON formats for maximum reuse potential.
   • The front-end interface (using plain JavaScript / chart libraries) references these files, offering a quick snapshot of which grants might be relevant.

Why It Fits Prompt #1

• My primary deliverable is a brand-new, solopreneur-focused dataset — something that doesn’t currently exist in a single, easily downloadable location.
• It demonstrates Bright Data’s robust scraping capabilities to build a meaningful resource for an underserved audience.

(Qualifying for Other Prompts Too?)

• Prompt #2: I provide a minimal front-end with an interactive chart. A future expansion could deepen these insights (like advanced analytics or AI recommendations).
• Prompt #3: My scraping overcame complex, dynamic pages with multiple filtering options — but the dataset creation (Prompt #1) remains the central focus.

Technical Highlights

• Front-End: A lightweight React/Vanilla JS interface (run via npx live-server) that visualizes the data in bar charts and searchable tables.
• Back-End: Node.js scripts for scraping (run via npm run dev), leveraging Bright Data to handle concurrency, proxies, and session-based pages. Note: Sensitive configuration data, such as API keys, is managed securely through .env files, which are not public for security reasons.
• Data Visualization: Simple charting library (Chart.js or D3) for dynamic bar graphs.
• Branding: Yoda-themed design and microcopy for a fun, memorable user experience.

Future Plans

• AI Integration: Tying this data into my “Yoda AI Pipeline” for personalized grant recommendations.
• Expanding Sources: Adding more EU programs (Horizon Europe, Startup Europe) plus local government grants.
• Commercialization: Offering deeper data analysis or specialized filtering for a subscription fee or via one-time dataset purchases.

Team & Credits

• Developer: Hans Schulte
• Email: [e-mail]
• GitHub: PastSmartLink
• DEV.to: @PastSmartLink

Security Practices:

• Data security is paramount in our project. Environment variables containing sensitive information are managed through private .env files, ensuring that API keys and credentials are never exposed publicly. This approach adheres to best practices in software development security.

No other teammates have contributed code directly, though the Bright Data community has been a great resource for best practices.

One byte is equivalent to eight bits. No bits or bytes were harmed during the making of this scraping development!

Conclusion

Yoda’s EU Grant Finder for Solopreneurs aims to simplify the journey for small innovators who are typically overlooked. By leveraging Bright Data’s web scraping capabilities, we’ve transformed fragmented, hard-to-find data into a concise dataset — the perfect launchpad for future AI pipelines, real-time updates, and commercial data sharing.

“Follow me on X.com/pastsmartlink. May the Force (and Funding) be with you!”

Thanks for checking out my submission! Questions or feedback? Feel free to reach out via email or on social media.

Yoda for AI Pipelines
Frontend showcase with interactivity - zoom and click on "chart"

In the mid-2000s, it was clear that Europe’s next wave of innovation would involve data-driven insights and community-focused solutions. Today, this vision is stronger than ever: entrepreneurs across the EU use powerful tools like web scraping and machine learning to tackle societal challenges.

A big part of this shift is the increased accessibility of public data, supported by initiatives like the Bright Initiative. Through community engagement, education, and philanthropy, programs like this ensure that data technology serves not just large organizations but also small businesses and solopreneurs.

My project, Yoda’s EU Grant Finder for Solopreneurs, aligns with this vision. It scrapes and consolidates EU funding info so even micro-entrepreneurs can spot and apply for relevant grants—leveling the playing field by giving them equal access to critical resources.

When data is open and responsibly used, every innovator has a shot at turning big ideas into real impact. By uniting tech, open data, and social responsibility, we’re shaping a more inclusive, forward-thinking Europe—one grant at a time.

May the Force (and Funding) be with you!

Join the Force: Let's Amplify EU Funding Access Together!

With Bright Data's exciting growth and commitment to empowering data access, there's a unique chance to take Yoda's EU Grant Finder for Solopreneurs to new heights:

• Expand the Horizon: Imagine a tool that covers every EU funding program, making it a one-stop resource for every solopreneur in Europe.
• AI-Powered Insights: Let's make grant hunting not just easier, but smarter with AI recommendations tailored to each innovator's unique project.
• Build a Community: Beyond tools, let's create a movement of empowered entrepreneurs, sharing knowledge, resources, and success stories.

But there's more! We could explore:

• EU Funds for Bright Data Spin-offs: Why stop at solopreneurs? We could leverage this platform to seek EU funding for Bright Data spin-off projects, driving innovation directly from your tech community.

Are you ready to be part of this journey? I'm looking to collaborate with Bright Data to:

• Scale This Project: Turn it into the definitive resource for EU grants.
• Showcase Innovation: Use this as a case study to highlight Bright Data’s impact.
• Secure Funding: Explore opportunities to fund this expansion and potentially secure EU funds for Bright Data's innovative initiatives, making data-driven innovation more accessible.

Future Directions and Collaboration Opportunities

• Decentralized Storage: We're integrating web3.storage for our data, which not only secures but also democratizes access to EU grant data. This could be a model for future Bright Data initiatives looking into decentralized solutions.

Let's Make a Difference Together! If you're from Bright Data or share this vision, reach out:

• Email: [e-mail]
• X.com: @pastsmartlink

Join the Force: Let's Amplify EU Funding Access Together!

May the public EU Grants be With and FOR ALL!

• Secure and Responsible: We also practice responsible data management, keeping sensitive configuration details secure. This ensures that our project remains both innovative and trustworthy, perfect for collaboration or scaling with entities like Bright Data.