The University of Cádiz (UCA) actively promotes joint research and innovation with its SEA-EU partner universities through a dedicated seed funding mechanism, integrated directly into its Institutional Research and Knowledge Transfer Programme ("Plan Propio de Investigación y Transferencia"). This model does not require a separate application process. Instead, it automatically provides additional financial support to projects that meet the standard eligibility criteria of the Plan Propio and involve active collaboration with one or more SEA-EU partner institutions. The main objective of this funding is to serve as initial capital to support the start-up costs of collaborative research projects, facilitating the creation of international teams and the preparation of joint proposals. In particular, UCA provides extra financial support for two strategic areas: the preparation of international or European research proposals that include SEA-EU partners, and research projects led by early-career researchers who establish collaborations within the SEA-EU network. These targeted incentives aim to strengthen long-term scientific cooperation and foster the integration of emerging researchers into international research communities. This direct incentive system is designed to be a flexible and effective tool to promote scientific collaboration between UCA researchers and their SEA-EU counterparts, reinforcing a shared European research ecosystem.