HERIFORGE 1st Open Call

The HERIFORGE 1st Open Call is an EU funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe program aimed at fostering innovation in the cultural heritage sector through the development of technical solutions using immersive technologies, particularly XR technologies. This call is part of the HERIFORGE project, which focuses on innovation hubs located in Cyprus, Poland, and Turkey.

The total budget for this initiative is €300,000, intended to support up to six proposals, with each applicant eligible for a grant of up to €50,000. The application period is open from August 27, 2025, until October 27, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time, and projects are expected to be completed within a maximum duration of six months.

Eligible applicants include individual SMEs, NGOs, and natural persons based primarily in Cyprus, Poland, or Turkey. Moreover, entities from other EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories, and Horizon Europe Associated Countries can also apply if they demonstrate a local footprint in the specified regions, such as having local staff or a business presence.

The application process involves submitting a proposal through the Fundingbox Platform. The selection procedure consists of six stages that include eligibility checks, evaluation against project objectives, independent expert reviews, a pitching session, selection by the HERIFORGE consortium, and a review of legal documentation before finalizing the Sub Grant Agreement.

Successful projects will receive financial support along with technical mentoring, structured across three phases: a Plan Phase lasting one month, a Development Phase spanning three months, and a Release Phase lasting two months. Each phase has specific deliverables, with funding released in installments according to the completion of predetermined milestones.

Overall, the HERIFORGE 1st Open Call aims to create an interregional ecosystem of innovation that leverages advanced technologies in cultural heritage, while encouraging grassroots initiatives from smaller organizations and individuals. This funding mechanism is focused on generating tangible technological solutions that address contemporary challenges in cultural heritage preservation and interpretation. The call represents a critical opportunity for innovators in this sector to access both financial and technical support.

The HERIFORGE 1st Open Call is an EU funding opportunity focused on cultural heritage and immersive technologies. The call aims to finance up to 6 proposals that address specific challenges defined by the HERIFORGE Hubs. The project acronym is HERIFORGE, and its full name is "Cultural heritage and immersive technologies for innovation forge." The grant agreement number is 101186573. The topic is HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-07-01 - Excellence Hubs.

The opening date for the call is August 27, 2025, and the deadline is October 27, 2025, at 17:00 (Brussels time). The expected duration of participation is up to 6 months. The total funding available is 300,000.00 €. Successful applicants will receive financial support of up to €50,000, along with technical mentoring.

The submission process involves an application form available on the Fundingbox Platform. The selection process consists of six steps:
1. Checking proposals against eligibility criteria.
2. Checking the alignment of the proposal with the project objectives and scope (if necessary).
3. Independent experts' evaluation based on criteria described in the Open Call Terms & Conditions.
4. Top-scoring applicants invited to pitch their project during an online Jury Day.
5. The HERIFORGE consortium chooses proposals based on external evaluation results, pitching day evaluation, and the objectives of the HERIFORGE project.
6. Review of legal documents before the Sub Grant Agreement signature.

HERIFORGE seeks to utilize the expertise of three excellence hubs in Cyprus, Poland, and Türkiye. These hubs specialize in XR technologies, advanced IT, digital humanities infrastructures, and cultural heritage resources. The goal is to create an interregional ecosystem of innovation. The call is specifically looking for innovative projects that develop technical solutions using immersive technologies for cultural heritage.

Eligible applicants include individual SMEs (including startups), NGOs, or natural persons located in Cyprus, Poland, or Türkiye. Applicants from any other EU Member State and its Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) and Horizon Europe Associated Countries are also eligible if they demonstrate a local footprint in Cyprus, Poland, or Türkiye (e.g., local staff, business record).

The 6-month project is divided into three stages:

Stage 1: Plan Phase (up to 1 month). Beneficiaries must deliver an Individual Mentoring Plan, including a design, challenges, activities planned, and a budget. Upon completion, the beneficiary receives 20% of the requested grant (up to €15,000).

Stage 2: Development Phase (3 months). This stage should result in a Technical Report of the Prototype Release (minimal requirement). Upon completion, the beneficiary receives 50% of the requested grant (up to €25,000).

Stage 3: Release Phase (2 months). This stage should result in a Technical Report on the Conducted Demonstration (minimal requirement). Upon completion, the beneficiary receives 30% of the requested grant (up to €15,000).

The Open Call application form is available on the FundingBox Platform. The helpdesk email is heriforge.help@fundingbox.com, and the project website is https://heriforge.eu/.

In summary, the HERIFORGE 1st Open Call is a funding opportunity for projects that leverage immersive technologies to address challenges in the cultural heritage sector. It targets SMEs, NGOs, and individuals primarily from Cyprus, Poland, and Türkiye, but also welcomes applicants from other EU member states and associated countries who can demonstrate a local connection to the aforementioned regions. The selected projects will receive up to 50,000 EUR in funding and technical mentoring over a 6-month period, divided into three stages with specific deliverables and payment milestones. The call aims to foster innovation and collaboration within an interregional ecosystem focused on XR technologies, advanced IT, and digital humanities in the context of cultural heritage.

Eligible Applicant Types: Eligible applicants are individual SMEs (including startups), NGOs, or Natural persons.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, with financial support and technical mentoring provided to successful applicants. It is also cascade funding.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity is open to single applicants.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Applicants must be located in Cyprus, Poland, or Türkiye. Applicants from any other EU Member State and its Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) and Horizon Europe Associated Countries will be eligible if they demonstrate, in the application, local footprint in those regions (i.e. local staff, business record).

Target Sector: The target sector is cultural heritage, with a focus on innovative projects developing technical solutions in the use of immersive technologies, XR technologies, advanced IT, and digital humanities infrastructures.

Mentioned Countries: Cyprus, Poland, Türkiye, EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be development and demonstration, as the funding is structured around delivering a prototype release and a conducted demonstration.

Funding Amount: The funding amount is up to €50,000 per project. A total of €300,000 is available, implying that up to 6 proposals will be funded.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with submissions through the application form available on the Fundingbox Platform.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive both money (financial support up to €50,000) and non-monetary services (technical mentoring for up to 6 months).

Application Stages: The selection process involves six steps: 1) eligibility check, 2) alignment with project objectives and scope, 3) independent expert evaluation, 4) online Jury Day pitch, 5) selection by the HERIFORGE consortium, and 6) review of legal documents.

Success Rates: The success rate is not explicitly stated, but given that up to 6 proposals will be funded out of all applications, the success rate is likely to be below 10%.

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

Summary:

The HERIFORGE 1st Open Call is a funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting the HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-07-01 - Excellence Hubs topic. It aims to foster innovation in the cultural heritage sector by supporting projects that develop technical solutions using immersive technologies. The call is managed by the HERIFORGE consortium, which comprises excellence hubs in Cyprus, Poland, and Türkiye. The goal is to create an interregional ecosystem of innovation by leveraging XR technologies, advanced IT, and digital humanities infrastructures.

The open call is looking for projects that address specific challenges defined by the HERIFORGE Hubs. Eligible applicants include individual SMEs (including startups), NGOs, and natural persons located in Cyprus, Poland, or Türkiye. Applicants from other EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT), and Horizon Europe Associated Countries are also eligible if they can demonstrate a local footprint in those regions.

Successful applicants will receive up to €50,000 in financial support, along with technical mentoring for a maximum duration of 6 months. The mentoring is divided into three stages: a Plan Phase (1 month), a Development Phase (3 months), and a Release Phase (2 months). Each stage requires the delivery of specific outputs, such as an Individual Mentoring Plan, a Technical Report of the Prototype Release, and a Technical Report on the Conducted Demonstration. Funding is disbursed in installments upon completion of each stage (20%, 50%, and 30% respectively).

The application process involves submitting a proposal through the Fundingbox Platform. The selection process consists of six steps, including eligibility checks, alignment with project objectives, expert evaluation, a pitching day, selection by the HERIFORGE consortium, and a review of legal documents. The deadline for applications is October 27, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The expected duration of participation is up to 6 months. The total funding available for this call is €300,000, which will be distributed among up to 6 selected projects. This initiative provides a valuable opportunity for innovators in the cultural heritage sector to develop and demonstrate their solutions with financial and technical support from the HERIFORGE consortium.