First FIDELIS Open Call for Mentors and Peer-to-Peer Support Programme

The FIDELIS project (Grant Agreement 101188078) is launching an open call to fund individual mentors to co-design and deliver virtual peer-to-peer support activities for Trustworthy Digital Repositories with up to €120,000 available in this call. Selected mentors commit up to 10 days of effort and receive a fixed payment of €5,000 (€500/day) payable upon completion against deliverables including an Implementation Story. Eligible applicants are individuals residing and/or working in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries who are not beneficiaries of the FIDELIS consortium. Applications are submitted via the TRUST-Grants platform linked from the FIDELIS training and support pages and the deadline is 30 April 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time.

What it funds

Summary

Open call to recruit external mentors to co-design and deliver virtual peer-to-peer support activities for Trustworthy Digital Repositories. The first call distributes up to €120,000 (part of a total €200,000 across two calls). Each selected mentor receives up to €5,000 (€500 per day for a 10 day commitment) payable by invoice after satisfactory completion.

Eligible applicants:Individuals residing and/or working in EU or Horizon Associated Countries; applicants must not be affiliated with direct FIDELIS beneficiaries. Apply in a personal capacity; teams or small groups may be eligible if stated in the offer. ¹

1. 1Deadline: 30 April 2026, 17:00 Brussels time
2. 2Expected participation: up to 10 days between May and December 2026; delivery of each support programme within June–October 2026
3. 3Payment: standard day rate €500; total €5,000 per successful mentor paid on completion
4. 4Topics (five for first call): national/international trustworthiness; data curation/preservation policies; repository end-user engagement; technical active data curation; training approaches for repository staff and users
5. 5Apply via the TRUST-Grants platform through the FIDELIS training & support pages

Selection is by internal evaluation (three reviewers) aiming for balanced geographic, repository-type and disciplinary representation. Successful mentors co-author an Implementation Story published openly and deliver virtual workshops/meetings; financial support is conditional on contribution to the Implementation Story and completion of the programme.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call details, application form and FAQs available on the FIDELIS Training & Support webpages and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: FIDELIS Training & Support and EU Funding Portal.

FIDELIS will award cascade funding to external mentors to co-design and deliver virtual peer-to-peer support activities focused on Trustworthy Digital Repositories within the European Open Science Cloud landscape. The first open call distributes up to €120,000 and selects mentors for five thematic support activities that will run within a maximum 5 month window between June and October 2026. Successful mentors commit 10 days of effort and receive €5,000 upon successful completion, including contribution to a co-authored Implementation Story that will be published in the FIDELIS Zenodo community. Applications are submitted via the TRUST Grants platform through the EDEN-FIDELIS website. The opportunity is funded under the FIDELIS project, grant agreement 101188078, in the Horizon Europe topic HORIZON-INFRA.

Key links:EU Funding and Tenders opportunity page: First FIDELIS Open Call for Mentors EU Funding and Tenders Portal listing. FIDELIS Training and Support area with call details, FAQs, and grants access: FIDELIS Training and Support.

Call timeline and budget

Focus areas and technical scope

Mentors will be selected for one or more support activities aligned with the Transparent Trustworthy Repository Attributes Matrix and EOSC-aligned repository practices. All activities are delivered virtually and target practical knowledge exchange on policies, governance, user engagement, technical infrastructure, security, and staff capacity. For this first call, five topics are open and each may appoint up to five external mentors who will collaborate with named FIDELIS mentors to co-design sessions and outputs.

• Support activity 1: Trustworthy at national and international levels. Topics welcomed include certification and self-assessment experiences such as CoreTrustSeal, Nestor seal, ISO 16363, alignment with FAIR, CARE, and TRUST principles, development of national policies and standards, transparency of governance, policies, sustainability and workflows. TTRAM mapping: Policy and Standards. FIDELIS mentors: Data Archiving and Networked Services DANS lead, GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Gdańsk University of Technology, French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, Recherche Data Gouv.
• Support activity 2: Data curation, access and preservation policies. Topics welcomed include policy development and implementation, stakeholder engagement, resourcing and monitoring, harmonisation across repositories, transparency of policies, and alignment with funder, disciplinary and RPO policies. TTRAM mapping: Policy and Standards. FIDELIS mentors: Digital Curation Centre DCC lead, GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics SIB.
• Support activity 3: Fostering engagement between repositories and end users. Topics welcomed include gathering user requirements, improving metadata and documentation quality, promoting repository benefits, multi-stakeholder communication practices and language, depositor relationships, and community engagement planning. TTRAM mapping: External Engagement. FIDELIS mentors: The Arctic University of Norway UiT lead, University of Belgrade, Digital Curation Centre DCC.
• Support activity 4: Active Data Curation for technical repository staff. Topics welcomed include provisioning and managing resilient infrastructure hardware and software, service management, failover, load balancing, backups, curation and preservation levels, pre-publication quality control and standards compliance, discovery and metadata harvesting, controlled access to sensitive data, technical workflows for access, reuse and preservation including format conversion and metadata enhancement, monitoring community technical needs, and developing Technical Infrastructure Statements and Plans and IT Service Management methodologies. TTRAM mapping: Storage and Integrity, Technical Infrastructure, Security. FIDELIS mentors: French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, Recherche Data Gouv lead, Gdańsk University of Technology, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Belgrade.
• Support activity 5: Training approaches for repository staff and end users. Topics welcomed include competency mapping to repository functions, skill gap analysis, staff development plans and learning paths, pedagogy for trainers, making educational resources reusable and transparent, facilitating peer learning, sourcing external skills, resourcing professional development, and supporting career progression. TTRAM mapping: People and Expertise. FIDELIS mentors: Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Digital Curation Centre DCC, Gdańsk University of Technology, Data Archiving and Networked Services DANS.

Who can apply and how selection works

Eligible Applicant Types:Individuals only, applying in a personal capacity as mentors with relevant practical experience in repository trustworthiness, data curation, technical operations, policy, engagement, or training. Applicants must not be affiliated with direct beneficiaries of the FIDELIS project.

Funding Type:Cascade funding under Horizon Europe providing financial support to third parties. Modality is a fixed day rate grant paid upon successful completion against deliverables including participation and an Implementation Story.

Consortium Requirement:Single individual applications. If applying to more than one support activity, submit separate applications for each topic.

Beneficiary Scope Geographic Eligibility:Applicants must reside and or work in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country for the duration of the grant. Applicants from countries outside the EU or Associated Countries may participate as unpaid observers or unpaid mentors only where such a role is explicitly available.

Target Sector:Research data repositories and EOSC-aligned research infrastructures, data curation and preservation, open science and FAIR data, ICT infrastructure and service management for repositories, information security for repositories, research policy and governance, library and archives community training and skills.

Mentioned Countries:France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Switzerland. Regions referenced include EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Project Stage:Mentoring and knowledge exchange with practical implementation support and documentation. Activities cover co-design of a short programme, delivery of virtual sessions and workshops, and dissemination via an Implementation Story and webinar. This is not R and D but practice sharing and capacity building.

Funding Amount:Standard day rate is €500 per day. Each selected mentor commits 10 days for a total of €5,000 paid upon completion. The first call budget is up to €120,000. Across two mentor calls the total available is €200,000. Across all FIDELIS open calls, programme-level caps apply, including general caps communicated by FIDELIS for cumulative support per participant or organisation.

Application Type:Open call via the TRUST Grants platform accessible through the EDEN-FIDELIS website. Applicants must create an EDEN-FIDELIS account, access the open calls dashboard, complete the application and submit within the call window.

Nature of Support:Money and non-monetary services. Financial support to mentors up to €5,000 each. Non-monetary support includes virtual delivery infrastructure, administrative scheduling support, pedagogical support, a template and peer review process for the Implementation Story, and coordination of an open webinar.

Application Stages:Single stage submission and evaluation. Each application is reviewed by three evaluators from the FIDELIS team to assemble balanced cohorts across geography, repository type and maturity, and discipline.

Success Rates:Not specified. Selection aims for balanced representation across viewpoints and profiles rather than a fixed quota per topic.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding required. Funding is a fixed amount paid upon successful completion by invoice to the FIDELIS cascading grants coordinator Trust-IT.

What applicants must submit

Applications are topic specific and require separate submissions per support activity. Information to provide includes the selected support activity, a concise description of applicable experience and how it will benefit peers, expected personal gains, and confirmations related to eligibility and effort commitment.

• Support activity selection. If applying to multiple activities, submit separate applications for each.
• What experience you bring to the activity maximum 200 words.
• How this experience will be useful to others maximum 200 words.
• What you hope to gain through participation maximum 150 words.
• Optional additional information maximum 100 words.
• Confirmation of residence and or work in an eligible EU or Associated Country.
• Declaration that you are not a beneficiary of the FIDELIS project.
• Confirmation that you will provide 10 days of effort as outlined.

Evaluation and award

Applications are reviewed by three FIDELIS evaluators without conflict of interest. Evaluation aims to compose mentor groups with diverse and complementary experience spanning geographies, repository types and maturity levels, and disciplines. Results are not shared individually; successful applicants are published on the FIDELIS website after completion of evaluations. Selected mentors co-design the programme with at least two FIDELIS mentors and up to four external mentors per topic, define the virtual sessions and schedule, and deliver the programme and outputs.

Implementation, deliverables and payment

• Effort: up to 10 days per selected mentor spent on preparation, delivery, and promotion of outcomes between June and December 2026.
• Delivery window: each support activity runs for no more than 5 months between June and October 2026 with actual delivery likely shorter.
• Format: fully virtual mentoring and peer exchange sessions and or workshops. FIDELIS provides the technical platform and administrative support.
• Outputs: one co-authored Implementation Story per support activity, published via the FIDELIS website and Zenodo community, plus an open webinar coordinated by FIDELIS to disseminate outcomes.
• Payment: fixed €5,000 per mentor at €500 per day for 10 days, payable upon successful completion and contribution to the Implementation Story by invoice to Trust-IT.

Eligibility and compliance notes

• Open to individuals only for this mentor call. Apply in a personal capacity.
• Residency and or place of work must be within an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country for the duration of the grant.
• Individuals affiliated with direct beneficiaries of the FIDELIS consortium are ineligible for financial support in this mentor call. Such individuals may apply as unpaid mentors only if explicitly offered, or as observers in other FIDELIS support offers where allowed.
• Financial support to third parties is subject to Horizon Europe compliance including prevention of conflict of interest, confidentiality and security, ethics and values, visibility, information and record keeping. Oversight bodies include OLAF, EPPO, and the ECA.
• Programme level caps communicated by FIDELIS apply across all open calls for training and support, including overall limits to cumulative financial support per participant or organisation as stated on the FIDELIS website.

Application templates and structure

Applications are submitted through the TRUST Grants platform via an EDEN-FIDELIS website account. Drafts can be saved and edited before submission. The Implementation Story has a provided template to ensure consistent documentation across support activities and includes peer review by mentors and mentees. The Implementation Story is a public document capturing challenges, lessons learned, and key advice.

1. 1Applicant identification: name, contact details, and organisational affiliation.
2. 2Eligibility confirmations: residence and or work in eligible country, not a FIDELIS beneficiary, commitment to 10 day effort and to co-author the Implementation Story.
3. 3Support activity selection: choose one topic per application.
4. 4Experience statement: concise description of relevant knowledge and or practical experience maximum 200 words.
5. 5Relevance and benefit: how your experience will help peers maximum 200 words.
6. 6Motivation: what you hope to gain maximum 150 words.
7. 7Optional additional info: any other pertinent details maximum 100 words.
8. 8Dissemination approach: how you will share and disseminate outcomes in your wider community.
9. 9References to work: short summary of related policies, publications, tools, services, guidance, or training you helped develop.
10. 10Acknowledgement of virtual delivery: agreement to virtual sessions as designed with FIDELIS mentors.

Contact and further information

For detailed guidance, support programme descriptions, FAQs, inclusivity provisions, and the grants platform, consult the FIDELIS Training and Support pages: FIDELIS Training and Support. For any questions or to retract an application, contact training-fidelis@postit.csc.fi.

Summary and explanation of the opportunity

This is an open call for individual mentors to receive cascade funding to co-design and deliver short, virtual peer-to-peer support programmes that strengthen the trustworthiness and FAIR enabling capabilities of digital repositories across Europe and Associated Countries. The call selects mentors into five thematic areas spanning certification and transparency, curation and access policies, user engagement, technical curation and infrastructure including storage, integrity and security, and staff training and capacity building. Selected mentors collaborate with established organisations such as DANS, GESIS, DCC, Recherche Data Gouv, SIB, UiT, and others to shape programme content, run online sessions and workshops, and co-author an Implementation Story that captures practical lessons and advice for the repository community. Each mentor contributes up to 10 days between June and December 2026, with activities delivered within a maximum 5 month window from June to October 2026. Funding is a fixed €5,000 per mentor paid upon successful completion, with no co-funding required. Applications are simple and focused on demonstrable experience and potential peer value and must be submitted through the TRUST Grants platform by the deadline. The evaluation assembles balanced and diverse cohorts to maximise relevance across geographies, repository types and maturity, and disciplines. This opportunity is well suited to practitioners in repositories and related services who can share concrete experiences on governance, policy, technical operations, security, user engagement, and training to advance the EOSC aligned network of trustworthy repositories.

This cascade funding opportunity under the FIDELIS project (Grant Agreement 101188078) provides financial support to individuals acting as mentors in peer-to-peer support activities focused on Trustworthy Digital Repositories (TDRs). The first open call allocates up to €120,000 from a total programme budget of €200,000 across two calls, enabling around 40 mentors overall.

Opportunity Overview

FIDELIS aims to establish a European network of TDRs within the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) ecosystem, harmonising practices and supporting upskilling through training and peer exchange. This call targets mentors to co-design and deliver virtual support activities sharing real-life experiences on tools, methods, and approaches for TDRs. Activities align with the Transparent Trustworthy Repository Attributes Matrix (TTRAM).

Key Dates:Opening: 27 February 2026; Deadline: 30 April 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time; Participation period: 10 days between 1 May and 31 December 2026, with delivery within June to October 2026 (max 5 months per activity).

Total Funding:€120,000 for this call, supporting up to 24 mentors at €5,000 each (€500/day for 10 days). Payment upon completion via invoice to Trust-IT.

Eligibility Criteria

Open exclusively to individuals residing and/or working in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries during the grant period. Applicants must not be affiliated with direct beneficiaries of the FIDELIS project. Separate applications required for multiple activities.

• Confirmation of eligible country residency/work
• Declaration of non-affiliation with FIDELIS beneficiaries
• Commitment to 10 days of effort

Support Activities and Topics

Five thematic activities, each led by FIDELIS mentors from partner institutions. Up to five external mentors per activity co-design virtual meetings/workshops with FIDELIS team.

1. 1Trustworthy at national and international levels (e.g., certifications like CoreTrustSeal, national policies; TTRAM 14; Leads: DANS, GESIS)
2. 2Data curation, access and preservation policies (e.g., policy development, transparency; TTRAM 14; Leads: DCC, GESIS, SIB)
3. 3Fostering engagement between repositories and end users (e.g., user requirements, promotion; TTRAM External Engagement; Leads: UiT, University of Belgrade, DCC)
4. 4Active Data Curation for technical repository staff (e.g., infrastructure, preservation workflows; TTRAM 28-30; Leads: French Ministry, Gdansk Tech, SIB, Belgrade)
5. 5Training approaches for repository staff and end users (e.g., skills mapping, professional development; TTRAM 17; Leads: SIB, DCC, Gdansk Tech, DANS)

Application Requirements

Submit via TRUST-Grants platform on the FIDELIS website (requires EDEN-FIDELIS account). Applications evaluated by three FIDELIS team members prioritising diverse experiences, geography, repository types, maturity levels, and disciplines.

• Specify support activity (separate apps for multiples)
• Experience brought to activity (max 200 words)
• Usefulness to others (max 200 words)
• Personal gains from participation (max 150 words)
• Optional additional info (max 100 words)
• Effort commitment and eligibility confirmations

Effort, Deliverables, and Support Provided

Effort:Max 10 days: preparation, delivery (virtual), promotion (June-December 2026). Full breakdown on FIDELIS website.

• Co-design programme with FIDELIS/external mentors
• Deliver virtual sessions
• Co-author Implementation Story for Zenodo publication
• Participate in FIDELIS-coordinated webinar

FIDELIS provides:technical/admin support, pedagogical guidance, templates, webinar coordination. Outcomes include bi-directional knowledge exchange with mentees (no payment to mentees).

Evaluation and Selection

Focus on diverse viewpoints for balanced representation. Successful applicants notified post-evaluation; listed on FIDELIS website.

Funding Conditions and Obligations

Application and Further Information

Apply via EU Funding & Tenders Portal and TRUST-Grants on FIDELIS site. Details/FAQs: FIDELIS Training & Support. Contact: training-fidelis@postit.csc.fi.

Note:FIDELIS partners ineligible for funding but may participate as unpaid mentors/observers if specified. Non-EU/Associated applicants ineligible for funding.

Footnotes

1. 1Primary source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal. FIDELIS project under HORIZON-INFRA.