ENVELOPE 1st Open Call

The ENVELOPE 1st Open Call, part of the Horizon Europe program, aims to enhance the validation and extension of connected mobility and 5G/6G infrastructure through collaborative projects. The initiative targets the development of new functionalities or the reuse of existing features from the ENVELOPE platform, encouraging innovation across various verticals, including automotive, transportation, health, and smart cities.

Eligible applicants must form consortia of up to five legal entities, which should comprise at least 50% small and medium-sized enterprises, alongside research institutes and universities. These consortia must be based in EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories, or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Priority is given to applications involving participants from South-East Europe.

The total funding for this call is set at €1,350,000, with individual projects potentially receiving between €50,000 and €300,000, depending on specific needs and project scope. The application process includes a preliminary feasibility check from May 19 to June 15, 2025, followed by full proposal submission from June 1 to July 31, 2025. Projects are expected to start on December 1, 2025, and will last six months.

Participants will need to engage with the ENVELOPE Experimental Facility and must incorporate at least one ENVELOPE API or enabler in their proposals. The assessment of submissions will be conducted by independent experts, emphasizing adherence to the criteria established by the Horizon Europe framework.

The call encourages submissions that either validate the functionality of existing ENVELOPE features or seek to extend the platform's infrastructure to facilitate experimentation across various sectors. Overall, the ENVELOPE 1st Open Call represents a significant opportunity for innovative projects aimed at advancing connected mobility solutions while fulfilling specific eligibility and exclusion criteria.

The ENVELOPE project is launching its first Open Call to support the evaluation and validation of connected mobility in real open systems beyond 5GS. The call aims to demonstrate the reusability of ENVELOPE developed features or extend the provided infrastructure for experimentation.

The opening date for submissions is June 1, 2025, and the deadline is July 31, 2025, at 17:00 CET. Projects are expected to start on December 1, 2025, and the expected duration of participation is 6 months. The total funding available is 1,350,000.00 EUR. The project acronym is ENVELOPE, and the grant agreement number is 101139048. The topic is HORIZON-JU-SNS-2023-STREAM-D-01-01 - SNS Large Scale Trials and Pilots (LST&Ps) with Verticals Focused Topic.

The Open Call follows a single-stage deadline model. The rules for participation and funding are subject to the General Annexes to Horizon Europe for the Work Programme 2023-2024. A compulsory requirement is the use of the ENVELOPE Experimental facility for all experimenters.

Eligible applicants are SMEs, Research Institutes, and Universities. Consortia must have a maximum of 5 beneficiaries, with at least 50% being SMEs. Participants will act as technology providers and/or application providers for use case implementation. All organizations must be established in any of the EU Member States and their Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) or Horizon Europe Associated Country. Consortia with at least one member from one of the SEE (South-East Europe) nations will be favored.

A Feasibility Check is a preliminary step running from May 19 to June 15, 2025. Applicants must submit a short project summary and information about targeted features and required resources to helpdesk@lists.envelope-project.eu, using the template provided on the ENVELOPE website (https://envelope-project.eu/open-call-1/), before June 15, 2025. If the project passes the Feasibility Check, applicants can proceed to submit a full proposal.

Submissions must be made through the ENVELOPE open call management platform (https://envelope-project.eu/open-calls/application-form/) using the mandatory proposal template available on the project website at https://envelope-project.eu/open-call-1/.

Independent experts, not part of the ENVELOPE consortium, will evaluate the proposals based on criteria similar to Horizon Europe. Special attention will be given to identifying potential conflicts of interest. Evaluation, ranking, and funding decisions will be completed by the end of September 2025.

ENVELOPE partners, their affiliates, and employees, including those under employment contracts, and board members cannot be involved in the grantees’ projects.

Grants will not be awarded in cases of bankruptcy, winding up, court-administered affairs, creditor arrangements, suspended business activities, non-compliance with social security or tax obligations, or commission of grave professional misconduct.

Following the Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506, as of December 16, 2022, no legal commitments can be signed with Hungarian public interest trusts established under Hungarian Act IX of 2021 or any entity they maintain. Affected entities may continue to apply, but if the Council measures are not lifted, they are not eligible to participate in any funded role. Co-applicants will be invited to remove or replace such entities or change their status to associated partner, with tasks and budget redistributed accordingly.

Funding support is provided as a fixed lump sum per sub-project. The maximum funding per beneficiary is 60,000 EUR, and the maximum funding per sub-project is 300,000 EUR.

Proposals should target one of the following:

i) Demonstrate the reusability of ENVELOPE developed features by third-party stakeholders and potentially other verticals. Open Call beneficiaries must use at least one ENVELOPE API and/or ENVELOPE Enabler to validate the platform’s functionality.

ii) Extend the provided infrastructure for experimentation as a service with additional functionalities, possibly tailored to the needs of other verticals. The extension should target the design, development, integration, and validation of a new ENVELOPE Enabler/API.

The case study where these APIs/Enablers are applied can be related to the automotive sector or another vertical domain.

In summary, the ENVELOPE project's first Open Call seeks innovative projects that leverage or extend the ENVELOPE platform for connected mobility solutions. It encourages SMEs, research institutions, and universities to form consortia and propose projects that either reuse existing ENVELOPE features or develop new ones. The call supports experiments in the automotive sector or other vertical domains, providing funding up to 300,000 EUR per sub-project. The process involves a feasibility check, a formal submission, and evaluation by independent experts, with a focus on alignment with Horizon Europe principles. The call aims to foster innovation and collaboration in connected mobility while adhering to specific eligibility and exclusion criteria.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are SME, Research Institute, and Universities. The opportunity specifies that beneficiaries must be consortia composed of up to 5 legal entities with a minimum of 50% of them being SMEs. Participants will be acting as technology providers and/or application providers for use case implementation.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically cascade funding, with a fixed lump sum per sub-project.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required. Beneficiaries must be consortia composed of up to 5 legal entities.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and their Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT), or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Consortia having at least one member from one of the SEE (South-East Europe) nations will be favored.

Target Sector: The target sector is related to connected mobility, 5G, and potentially other verticals beyond the automotive sector. It involves the reusability and extension of the ENVELOPE platform's features, APIs, and enablers. The topic is under the broader scope of SNS (Smart Networks and Services) Large Scale Trials and Pilots (LST&Ps) with Verticals.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, Hungary, and South-East Europe (SEE) nations are mentioned. The text also refers to Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is demonstration and validation, focusing on the reusability and extension of existing infrastructure. The projects should demonstrate the reusability of ENVELOPE developed features or extend the provided infrastructure for experimentation.

Funding Amount: The maximum funding per beneficiary is €60,000, and the maximum funding per sub-project is €300,000. The total funding available for the open call is €1,350,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a fixed lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process involves two stages: a feasibility check and a full proposal submission. The feasibility check requires submitting a short project summary and information about targeted features and required resources before submitting the full proposal.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding requirements are not explicitly mentioned.

Summary:

The ENVELOPE 1st Open Call is a funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting SNS Large Scale Trials and Pilots with Verticals. The ENVELOPE project aims to foster the evaluation and validation of connected mobility in real open systems beyond 5G. This open call seeks proposals that either demonstrate the reusability of the ENVELOPE platform's APIs and enablers by third-party stakeholders, potentially in verticals beyond the automotive sector, or extend the platform's infrastructure with additional functionalities tailored to other verticals.

Eligible applicants must form consortia of up to 5 legal entities, including SMEs, research institutes, and universities, with SMEs constituting at least 50% of the consortium. The consortia must be based in EU Member States, their Overseas Countries and Territories, or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Consortia with members from South-East Europe are particularly encouraged.

The funding is provided as a fixed lump sum, with a maximum of €60,000 per beneficiary and €300,000 per sub-project. The total funding available for this call is €1,350,000. The projects are expected to last for 6 months and should start on December 1, 2025.

The application process involves a preliminary feasibility check, where applicants submit a short project summary for review by ENVELOPE internal experts. If the project passes this check, applicants can then submit a full proposal through the ENVELOPE open call management platform. Independent experts will evaluate the proposals based on criteria similar to those used in Horizon Europe, with a focus on identifying and addressing potential conflicts of interest.

This open call presents an opportunity for SMEs, research institutes, and universities to access funding and contribute to the development and validation of connected mobility solutions, leveraging the ENVELOPE platform and its resources. The call encourages innovation and the exploration of new applications in both the automotive sector and other vertical domains.