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.

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.
• 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

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.

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!