Developing and demonstrating core technologies for Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0 (IA) (Virtual worlds Partnership)

The HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-HUMAN-01 grant focuses on developing and demonstrating core technologies for Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0, with a total budget of €30 million. This opportunity, part of the Horizon Europe initiative, is designed as a single-stage grant application process with an opening date on January 15, 2026, and a deadline of April 15, 2026.

Eligible applicants include legal entities from EU Member States, Iceland, Norway, Canada, Israel, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Notably, entities from China are explicitly excluded to ensure EU strategic interests.

The grant encourages innovative projects in areas such as extended reality (XR), immersive visualization technologies, haptic feedback systems, and generative AI. It aims to advance user interaction in virtual environments, driving the integration of these technologies with the Telco-Cloud-to-Edge framework. Projects should illustrate their outputs through real-world demonstrators to validate effectiveness and facilitate commercialization.

Funding per project ranges from €4 million to €5 million, with seven projects expected to be funded. Proposals must include collaboration among multiple partners to foster an interdisciplinary approach that integrates technology and social sciences, ensuring that developments address societal impacts.

The submission process involves two assessment stages: an admissibility check followed by a quality assessment based on criteria such as scientific quality, implementation feasibility, and potential societal impact. Although specific success rates are not disclosed, competitive evaluation patterns suggest a moderate probability of funding based on historical data.

Overall, this initiative seeks to strengthen Europe's leadership in digital technologies, ensuring the development of human-centric, interoperable virtual worlds that can serve diverse sectors including industry, education, and healthcare. The overarching goal is to promote innovation that aligns with EU values and strategic objectives, enhancing the region's technological sovereignty and competitiveness in the global digital landscape.

This EU funding opportunity focuses on developing and demonstrating core technologies for Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0, specifically targeting HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-HUMAN-01. It falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the DIGITAL (HORIZON-CL4-2026-04) call. The action type is HORIZON-IA (HORIZON Innovation Actions) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement. This is a forthcoming, single-stage deadline model opportunity.

The planned opening date is January 15, 2026, and the deadline for submission is April 15, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcome of projects funded under this topic is to contribute to the advancement of eXtended Reality (XR), immersive, and interactive technologies. These technologies should bring about the full integration of Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0. The primary objective is to pave the way for the next generation of virtual worlds, enhancing immersive visualization and interaction experiences, and placing users at the center of Virtual Worlds applications, enabling seamless interaction and data exchange. The next generation of Virtual Worlds technologies will propose a deeper and closer-to-reality immersion, stimulating all senses to accurately capture and interpret user movements and environmental data, while providing realistic multi-modal tactile and kinesthetic haptic and force-feedback, retroactions for engaging and lifelike experiences. Real-time user interactions should be favored by minimizing latency, increasing responsiveness and naturalness of interactions. The developed technologies will also dynamically respond to users’ inputs and environmental changes.

The scope of the proposals should focus on and address several key areas:

1.  Asset and scene creation technology: Evolving in parallel to enable the generation of human-centric, highly detailed, and realistic environments for interaction.
2.  Use of Generative AI: For more personalized and natural experiences within virtual worlds.
3.  Visualization and interaction: Through innovative immersive technologies to enhance the user experience via seamless, inclusive, and immersive involvement.
4.  Full integration and interoperability: Of XR and immersive domains and applications, including Digital Twins.
5.  Integration of XR applications: With Telco-Cloud-to-Edge Continuum components, addressing challenges related to resource availability, reliability, rapid response time, spatial computing, contextual awareness, and smart network functions.

Proposals should also advance the development of technological standards, common data formats, and protocols that would enable real-time, seamless, and intuitive user interaction and exchange of information between different systems and platforms, as stepping stones towards Web 4.0.

This topic necessitates the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines, involving SSH experts and institutions, and including relevant SSH expertise to produce meaningful and significant effects that enhance the societal impact of the related research activities.

Proposals must include demonstrators of the developed technologies in real-world scenarios. These demonstrations should illustrate the usefulness and efficiency of emerging technologies in Virtual Worlds within industrial and societal contexts, exploiting the Telco-Cloud-to-Edge Continuum and the 3C pilots on converged Telco Edge Cloud Infrastructure.

Proposals should demonstrate future synergies, provisions for future collaboration, and complementarity with other relevant actions carried out under call HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-DATA-08: Demand-side 3C pilot demonstrators on converged Telco Edge Cloud Infrastructure. A project duration of approximately 36 months is considered appropriate, although other durations are not precluded.

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on Virtual Worlds.

The destination of this topic is to promote digital and industrial technologies driving human-centric innovation (2026-27). Through the European Partnership on Virtual Worlds, Europe aims to drive investment in advanced hardware, immersive interaction, and seamless integration across the Telco-Cloud-to-Edge continuum, enabling lifelike multisensory experiences and fully interoperable platforms. These efforts are intended to enhance Europe’s capacity to innovate, deploy, and scale trustworthy virtual worlds, thereby strengthening competitiveness, resilience, and alignment with EU values. A robust Web 4.0 architectural framework, underpinned by open-source solutions and shared standards, is essential to ensure interoperability, decentralization, and trust.

Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination.

The general conditions for this funding opportunity include:

1.  Admissibility Conditions: The proposal page limit and layout are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2.  Eligible Countries: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may exist for non-EU/non-Associated Countries, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3.  Other Eligible Conditions: Participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States, Iceland, Norway, Canada, Israel, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Entities from other countries that may become associated with Horizon Europe during 2026 and 2027 may be eligible if their country is identified as eligible at the time of application submission. Association agreements must be in place by the grant agreement signature. Entities controlled by non-eligible countries may be restricted unless they can demonstrate that their participation would not negatively impact the Union’s strategic interests.
4.  Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5.  Evaluation and award:
 *  Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
 *  Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
 *  The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6.  Legal and financial set-up of the grants: As described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

The application and evaluation forms, as well as the model grant agreement (MGA), include:

*  Application form templates: Available in the Submission System (Standard application form for HE RIA, IA).
*  Evaluation form templates: Standard evaluation form for HE RIA, IA (used with necessary adaptations).
*  Guidance: HE Programme Guide.
*  Model Grant Agreements (MGA): HE MGA.
*  Call-specific instructions: Ownership Control Declaration Annex (new template to be added in January 2026).

Additional documents include:

*  HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
*  HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 7. Digital, Industry and Space
*  HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
*  HE Programme Guide
*  HE Framework Programme 2021/695
*  HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
*  EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
*  Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
*  EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
*  Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
*  Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
*  Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

The budget overview for this topic (HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-HUMAN-01) is as follows:

*  Budget: EUR 30,000,000
*  Stages: Single-stage
*  Opening date: 2026-01-15
*  Deadline: 2026-04-15
*  Contributions: EUR 4,000,000 to EUR 5,000,000
*  Indicative number of grants: 7

There are 3 partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

Potential applicants are encouraged to read all provisions carefully before preparing their application. The Online Manual serves as a guide for procedures from proposal submission to grant management. The Horizon Europe Programme Guide provides detailed guidance on the structure, budget, and political priorities of Horizon Europe. The Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ addresses frequently asked questions, and the Research Enquiry Service can answer questions about European research. National Contact Points (NCPs) offer guidance and practical information, and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) provides advice to businesses, especially SMEs. The IT Helpdesk is available for technical questions, and the European IPR Helpdesk assists with intellectual property issues. CEN-CENELEC and ETSI Research Helpdesks advise on standardisation in project proposals. Partner Search tools are available to help find partner organizations.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to foster the development of advanced virtual world technologies, with a focus on creating more immersive, interactive, and human-centric experiences. It encourages collaboration between various stakeholders, including researchers, industry experts, and SSH specialists, to ensure that the resulting technologies are not only innovative but also socially relevant and beneficial. The projects should contribute to the establishment of a robust Web 4.0 framework and enhance Europe’s competitiveness in the global digital landscape. The funding supports innovation actions, requiring projects to demonstrate practical applications and synergies with other relevant initiatives, with a typical project duration of 36 months and a budget ranging from 4 to 5 million EUR.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are legal entities established in Member States, Iceland, Norway, Canada, Israel, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, entities from third countries that may become associated with Horizon Europe during 2026 and 2027 may be eligible if the third country is identified as eligible at the time of application submission. However, legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs). Entities directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or entity may also be restricted unless guarantees are provided and assessed.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA).

Consortium Requirement: This opportunity appears to require a consortium, as it is a Research and Innovation Action and Innovation Action, which typically involves multiple partners. Partner Search announcements are available to help find collaborators.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States, Iceland, Norway, Canada, Israel, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Participation is limited to legal entities established in these countries.

Target Sector: The target sector is digital, industry, and space, specifically focusing on virtual worlds, Web 4.0, eXtended Reality (XR), immersive technologies, Generative AI, Telco-Cloud-to-Edge Continuum, and related areas. It also requires the effective contribution of SSH (Social Sciences and Humanities) disciplines.

Mentioned Countries: Iceland, Norway, Canada, Israel, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, China.

Project Stage: The project stage is development and demonstration, with a focus on illustrating the usefulness and efficiency of emerging technologies in Virtual Worlds in real-world scenarios. The projects are expected to include demonstrators.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic. For example, HORIZON-CL4-2026-04-HUMAN-01 has a budget of EUR 30,000,000 with contributions ranging from EUR 4,000,000 to EUR 5,000,000, and an indicative number of 7 grants. Other topics have different budget allocations and contribution ranges.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support their research and innovation activities.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential success rate.

Co-funding Requirement: The information provided does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the DIGITAL program (HORIZON-CL4-2026-04), aims to foster the development and demonstration of core technologies for Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0. It seeks to advance eXtended Reality (XR) and immersive technologies, enhance user interaction, and promote the integration of virtual worlds with the Telco-Cloud-to-Edge Continuum. The call is structured around several specific topics, each with its own budget and focus, ranging from Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) to Innovation Actions (IA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). Eligible applicants include legal entities from EU Member States, Iceland, Norway, and other associated countries like Canada, Israel, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Projects should contribute to creating more human-centric, realistic, and interoperable virtual environments, with a strong emphasis on real-world demonstrations and the involvement of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines. The call also aims to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and technological sovereignty in the digital realm, while adhering to EU values and strategic interests.