dAIEDGE 3rd Open Call - Collaborative Projects

The dAIEDGE 3rd Open Call for Collaborative Projects is a funding opportunity under the European Union's Networks of Excellence initiative, focusing on advancing edge artificial intelligence technologies. The call is designed to support projects that address specific industrial challenges related to micro-edge, deep-edge, and meta-edge AI. Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises, and possibly larger industry partners involved in edge AI research and development.

Funding for each successful project can reach up to 60,000 euros, structured in two phases: up to 9,000 euros for a planning phase that lasts up to one month, followed by up to 51,000 euros for an implementation phase that can last up to six months. The program encourages both individual applicants and collaborative partnerships within the dAIEDGE network.

The funding opportunity emphasizes the development of projects that have advanced to the demonstration stage, requiring deliverables such as an Individual Mentoring Plan and a Proof of Demonstration. The selection process involves several stages including declaration verification, expert evaluations, and pitch presentations to a jury, concluding with a final selection by the dAIEDGE Selection Committee.

The open call commenced on August 14, 2025, and applications must be submitted by October 14, 2025, at 15:00 Brussels time. The total funding available for this call is approximately 600,000 euros, with the aim of financing around ten projects. The dAIEDGE project is part of a larger EU initiative significantly invested in enhancing Europe's capabilities in AI and robotics. All applications must be made through a dedicated online platform, with further resources and support being available through the dAIEDGE Virtual Lab.

The dAIEDGE 3rd Open Call Collaborative Projects is a funding opportunity aimed at expanding the role of the dAIEDGE Network of Excellence in the edge AI continuum. This includes micro-edge, deep-edge, and meta-edge, with a focus on standardization, open-source contributions, and infrastructure development. The Collaborative Projects Support Programme will finance up to 10 proposals designed to solve the Industrial Challenges defined by the dAIEDGE Consortium. Beneficiaries can potentially use resources from the dAIEDGE Virtual Lab, add new resources to it, or reuse developments from the dAIEDGE project or dAIEDGE use-cases.

The opening date for this call is August 14, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is October 14, 2025, at 15:00 Brussels time. The expected duration of participation is up to 7 months. The total funding available is 60,000.00 €. The project acronym is dAIEDGE, and the full name of the EU-funded project is "A network of excellence for distributed, trustworthy, efficient and scalable AI at the Edge." The grant agreement number is 101120726. The relevant topic is HORIZON-CL4-2022-HUMAN-02-02 - European Network of AI Excellence Centres: Expanding the European AI lighthouse (RIA).

The selection process involves five steps:

Step 1: Checking proposals against the Declaration of Honour or self-declarations included in the Application Form.
Step 2: Pre-selecting the best proposals based on pre-scoring criteria (if necessary).
Step 3: Expert evaluation to assess the proposal according to the criteria.
Step 4: Inviting top-scoring applicants to pitch their projects during an online Jury Day.
Step 5: The dAIEDGE Selection Committee chooses proposals based on external evaluation results, Jury Day pitches, and the objectives of the dAIEDGE project.
The final step includes reviewing legal documents before the Sub-Grant Agreement signature. Further information can be found in Section 4 of the Guide of Applicants.

The application form is available at: https://daiedge-3oc.fundingbox.com/
The helpdesk email is: dAIEDGE.help@fundingbox.com
The project website is: https://daiedge.eu/

Each beneficiary project can receive up to 60,000 € for participating in the up to 7-month Support Programme, which includes two stages:

Stage 1: Plan Phase, where the beneficiary delivers an Individual Mentoring Plan (including challenges, research activities, and budget). This stage lasts up to 1 month, and upon completion, the beneficiary receives up to 9,000 €.
Stage 2: Implementation Phase, which should lead to a Proof of Demonstration. This stage lasts up to 6 months, and upon completion, the beneficiary receives up to 51,000 €.

In summary, the dAIEDGE 3rd Open Call offers funding for collaborative projects focused on advancing edge AI technologies. It targets projects that contribute to standardization, open-source development, and infrastructure improvements within the micro-, deep-, and meta-edge domains. The program provides financial support and mentoring to selected projects, guiding them from the planning phase to the implementation and demonstration of their solutions. The call aims to leverage and expand the dAIEDGE Network of Excellence, encouraging the use of existing resources and the development of new ones to address industrial challenges in the field of edge AI.

Eligible Applicant Types: The information provided does not explicitly state the eligible applicant types. However, the call is for "Collaborative Projects," suggesting that the applicants could be startups, SMEs, research institutes, or other entities capable of collaborative projects. Further information would be needed from the Guide for Applicants to determine the specific eligibility criteria.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically cascade funding, as indicated by the phrase "cascade funding" in the provided text. The call provides financial support to selected projects.

Consortium Requirement: While the call is for "Collaborative Projects," it is not explicitly stated whether a consortium is mandatory. It is implied that collaboration is expected, but whether a single entity can apply with a collaborative project plan or if a formal consortium is required is not clear from the provided text.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly mentioned in the provided text. Given that this is an EU funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe program (as indicated by the topic code HORIZON-CL4-2022-HUMAN-02-02), it is highly likely that the eligibility extends to EU member states and potentially associated countries. Further details would be needed from the Guide for Applicants.

Target Sector: The program targets the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector, specifically focusing on edge AI. This includes micro-edge, deep-edge, and meta-edge technologies. The focus is on standardisation, open-source contributions, and infrastructure development within the edge AI continuum.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned. However, Brussels is mentioned as the reference time zone for the deadline, indicating a European context. The EU is the relevant regional option.

Project Stage: The project stage is expected to be at the Proof of Demonstration level, as Stage 2 of the support program aims to achieve this. This suggests that the projects should be at least at the development or validation stage, ready to demonstrate their concepts.

Funding Amount: The funding amount is up to 60,000 € per project. This is further broken down into up to 9,000 € for the Plan Phase (Stage 1) and up to 51,000 € for the Implementation Phase (Stage 2).

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by "3rd Open Call." The submission is done through an application form available online.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money, as the program provides grants of up to 60,000 € per project. The support is financial, distributed in two stages based on the completion of specific deliverables (Individual Mentoring Plan and Proof of Demonstration).

Application Stages: There are five steps in the selection process, followed by a final step of legal document review: Step 1: Declaration of Honour check, Step 2: Pre-selection based on pre-scoring criteria (if necessary), Step 3: Expert evaluation, Step 4: Pitching during an online Jury Day, Step 5: Selection by the dAIEDGE Selection Committee based on evaluation results, Jury Day pitches, and project objectives, and Final step: Review of legal documents.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The provided text does not mention any co-funding requirements.

Summary:

The dAIEDGE 3rd Open Call is a funding opportunity under the HORIZON-CL4-2022-HUMAN-02-02 topic, aimed at expanding the dAIEDGE Network of Excellence in the edge AI domain. The call focuses on supporting collaborative projects that address industrial challenges related to micro-, deep-, and meta-edge AI, with an emphasis on standardisation, open-source contributions, and infrastructure development. The program provides grants of up to 60,000 € per project, distributed across two phases: a Plan Phase (up to 9,000 €) and an Implementation Phase (up to 51,000 €). The projects are expected to reach a Proof of Demonstration stage within a 7-month support program. The selection process involves multiple stages, including an initial check of declarations, expert evaluation, a Jury Day pitch, and a final selection by the dAIEDGE Selection Committee. The application deadline is October 14, 2025, at 15:00 Brussels time. The call encourages the use of the dAIEDGE Virtual Lab resources and the reuse of existing dAIEDGE project developments and use-cases. The application must be submitted through the online application form. This opportunity is relevant for entities working in the edge AI space who are looking to develop and demonstrate innovative solutions to industrial challenges.