JARVIS Open Call #2 - External Pilots Track

JARVIS Open Call #2 (External Pilots) is a Horizon Europe cascade funding opportunity to validate AI-enabled human–robot interaction pilots at TRL7 by integrating at least one JARVIS module via ROS2 in real operational environments. The call has a total budget of €650,000, plans to fund up to 5 projects with a maximum lump-sum of €130,000 per project (paid in three instalments), and projects run for 10 months structured in three sprints. Eligible consortia must include a mandatory lead technology-developing startup or SME and a mandatory use case provider (industrial company or infrastructure owner), with an optional integrator, and must be legal entities established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Proposals must be submitted in English via the F6S portal by 10 July 2026, 21:00 Brussels time, and will be evaluated against concept/innovation, implementation approach, impact, and consortium quality by two external evaluators.

What it funds

Pilot validation of AI-enabled HRI solutions (TRL7)

Supports real-world pilot projects that design, integrate and validate AI-driven human–robot interaction solutions in industrial or public environments. Pilots must integrate at least one JARVIS module via ROS2-compatible interfaces and demonstrate validation against defined KPIs.

Who can apply:Consortia of 2 to 3 legal entities established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries: mandatory lead technology developer (startup or SME) and a mandatory use case provider (industrial company or infrastructure owner). Optional third partner: technology integrator (SME, startup or RTO). SMEs/startups must be at least 1 year old. Applications and execution in English only Apply via F6S ¹ .

1. 1Eligible topics: worker-centric collaborative robotics; adaptive human–robot interaction; remote HRI for inspection and maintenance; inspection and maintenance of industrial/public assets; HRI in emerging strategic domains
2. 2Projects must deliver a TRL7 functional pilot, KPI-based validation results, integration documentation and exploitation pathway
3. 3Work plan: 10-month duration structured in three sprints: design, development & deployment, integration & validation

Submission is single-stage via the JARVIS F6S portal only. Only one proposal per entity across JARVIS open calls; cumulative cap per entity €200,000. Proposals will be evaluated by two external experts against concept and innovation, implementation approach, impact and consortium quality.

Footnotes

1. 1Applications must be submitted through the F6S page and follow the JARVIS Guidelines for Applicants available on the project website JARVIS Open Call 2.

Call identity and timing

Call title:JARVIS Open Call #2 - External Pilots Track. Project acronym: JARVIS. Grant agreement number: 101135708. Programme: Horizon Europe HORIZON-CL4. Opening date: 01 April 2026. Submission deadline (single-stage): 10 July 2026, 21:00 Brussels time. Expected start of selected projects: after contracting, estimated 1 January 2027. Expected duration of participation: 10 months.

Total and per-project funding:Total funding available for OC2: €650,000. Maximum funding per project: €130,000. The OC2 External Pilots track plans to select 5 projects. Payments to selected projects are provided as lump sums in three instalments: 25% at first milestone, 40% at second milestone, 35% at final milestone.

Purpose, scope and expected outcomes

Purpose:fund and validate AI-enabled human-robot interaction (HRI) pilot solutions at TRL7 in real industrial or public operational environments and to validate integration of JARVIS modules in new application domains. Applicants must address one of five specified challenge topics and integrate at least one JARVIS module via ROS2-compatible interfaces. Selected pilots will design, deploy and validate a functional TRL7 pilot, produce KPI-based validation results, document integration with JARVIS components and provide a clear exploitation and scaling pathway.

1. 1Worker-Centric Collaborative Robotics Applications for Physically Demanding Tasks in Manufacturing Environments
2. 2Adaptive Human–Robot Interaction in Complex Manufacturing Processes
3. 3Remote Human-Robot Interaction for Inspection and Maintenance of Plants, Infrastructure Areas and Linear Infrastructure
4. 4Inspection and Maintenance of Industrial and Public Sector Assets and Equipment
5. 5Human–Robot Interaction in Emerging and Strategic Domains

Who should apply and eligible applicant types

Target applicants:European technology adopters (use case providers) in collaboration with technology developers (mandatory lead startup or SME) and optionally a technology integrator (startup, SME or Research and Technology Organisation). Eligible applicant entity types include: startups, SMEs, industry (industrial companies), infrastructure owners, Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) and research organisations, public organisations acting as use-case providers. Consortium composition requirement enforces roles (Lead Technology Developer and Use Case Provider mandatory; Integrator optional).

Eligibility narrow details:Legal status and geography: applicants must be legal entities established and based in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country. Mandatory lead partner: technology-developing startup or SME (must have been established at least one year prior to submission). Minimum consortium size: 2 entities; maximum: 3 entities. Applicants must pass financial capacity checks and must not be under liquidation or considered 'in difficulty' under Commission Regulation No 651/2014 article 2.18 nor convicted for fraud or related irregularities. Each entity may submit only one proposal across JARVIS Open Calls and cumulative funding to a single entity across JARVIS Open Calls is capped at €200,000.

Consortium requirement and roles

Consortium requirement:minimum two entities and maximum three. Required roles: 1) Lead Partner: Technology Developer (mandatory) — must be a technology-developing startup or SME, lead developer and primary exploiter. 2) Partner 2: Use Case Provider (mandatory) — industrial company or infrastructure owner providing the operational environment and defining the use case and validation. 3) Partner 3: Technology Integrator (optional) — additional startup, SME or RTO supporting integration of JARVIS modules and deployment.

Funding type, modality and financial conditions

Primary funding mechanism:grant (cascade funding model managed by the JARVIS project). Financial modality: lump-sum payments divided into three instalments: 25% + 40% + 35%. Maximum funding per project: €130,000. Total available under this track: €650,000. The call expects to fund 5 external pilot projects. No mandatory co-funding is stated in the call documents; applicants should verify the Guidelines for Applicants for any detailed co-funding or eligible cost rules. Payments are disbursed by JARVIS as part of the cascade scheme upon achievement of milestones and deliverables.

Application and submission process

Application channel:electronic submission only via the F6S platform using the JARVIS Online Submission Service: f6s.com. Proposals submitted by any other means will not be evaluated. Official language: English for submission and for the whole execution period. Submission model: single-stage call. Applicants must submit a complete application with all required annexes and supporting documents in PDF, following the provided Guidelines for Applicants and templates. Deadline: 10 July 2026, 21:00 Brussels time.

Application timing and start:Submission opens 01 April 2026 and closes 10 July 2026. Selected projects are expected to begin after contracting, estimated from 1 January 2027 and run for 10 months divided in three Sprints.

Evaluation and selection

Each proposal will be evaluated by two independent external evaluators against four scoring criteria: 1) Concept and Innovation, 2) Technology Implementation Approach, 3) Impact, 4) Consortium/Applicant Team. The evaluation is performed on submitted material in English and proposals must conform to template structure. Selected proposals will enter into contracting with JARVIS and receive the lump-sum payments on milestones.

1. 1Submission through F6S (single-stage)
2. 2Independent evaluation by two external evaluators
3. 3Selection and contracting
4. 4Project execution (10 months, 3 Sprints) with milestone-based lump-sum payments

Project structure and expected deliverables

Project timeline is organised into three Sprints:Sprint 1 Design (system architecture, integration approach with selected JARVIS module, demonstration scenarios, validation strategy, KPIs), Sprint 2 Development & Deployment (solution development and initial deployment), Sprint 3 Integration & Validation (full integration, testing and validation in real conditions). Applicants are expected to deliver: a functional TRL7 pilot, validation results based on defined KPIs, documentation of integration with JARVIS components (ROS2-compatible interfaces), and an exploitation and scalability plan.

Technical integration and platform expectations

Technical requirement:selected pilots must integrate at least one JARVIS module via ROS2-compatible interfaces. Solutions must be compatible with JARVIS objectives and demonstrate added value in productivity, flexibility, safety, human-robot collaboration or other improvements to existing processes. Pilot systems are expected to validate JARVIS modules in new industrial contexts and public sector environments.

Eligibility, constraints and additional rules

1. 1Applicants must be legal entities in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries.
2. 2Lead partner must be a technology-developing startup or SME established at least one year before submission.
3. 3Minimum two and maximum three partners per proposal.
4. 4Each entity can submit only one proposal across JARVIS Open Calls.
5. 5Cumulative funding cap per entity across JARVIS Open Calls: €200,000.
6. 6Maximum funding per project in External Pilots track: €130,000.
7. 7Proposals and supporting documents must be provided in English.
8. 8Applications must be complete and submitted via F6S; other submission channels are not accepted.

Applicant responsibilities and checks

Applicants must demonstrate financial stability and pass any financial capacity assessment required by the European Commission. Applicants must not be enterprises under liquidation or in difficulty per Commission Regulation No 651/2014 article 2.18 and must not have convictions for fraud or unethical business practices. All contractual and reporting requirements in the JARVIS cascade funding agreements must be respected.

Application templates and structure

Proposals must follow the Guidelines for Applicants and use provided templates (available on the JARVIS open call page and on the F6S submission portal). Required submission elements typically include: project summary, detailed technical description (including chosen JARVIS module and ROS2 integration approach), pilot use-case definition from the Use Case Provider, workplan with Sprint deliverables and timeline, KPI and validation methodology, consortium description and roles, risk assessment and mitigation, exploitation and scaling plan, budget breakdown and declarations of legal and financial status, and annexes (CVs, letters of commitment from use case provider, technical diagrams, ethical/privacy compliance where applicable). All annexes and supporting documents must be uploaded as PDFs.

Where to find templates and guidance:Guidelines for Applicants, templates and the official open call page are published on the JARVIS website and the F6S submission page. See the open call webpage: JARVIS Open Call 2 and the project website JARVIS project for guidance and helpdesk contact oc@jarvis-project.eu ¹.

Application type, stages and selection flow

Application type:open call (competitive cascade funding) with single-stage submission. Evaluation and selection flow consists of submission, independent evaluation by two external evaluators, selection, contracting and project execution. From an applicant perspective this represents a two-step decision pipeline (submission then evaluation/selection), followed by contracting and project implementation with milestone reporting.

Nature of support and co-funding

Nature of support:monetary grant distributed as lump sum instalments for selected projects plus non-financial support from JARVIS (technical mentoring and access to the JARVIS technology ecosystem, visibility and promotion, testing and validation opportunities). The call documentation does not explicitly require co-funding; applicants should consult the Guidelines for Applicants for definitive requirements. Financial support is a lump-sum grant; beneficiaries must deliver defined outputs to trigger instalments.

Success rates and selection numbers

Planned number of funded projects in this track:5. The call does not publish an expected number of applications; therefore the success rate (percentage of applicants funded) is not provided in the call text and cannot be calculated from available information.

Geographic and sector scope

Geographic eligibility:EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries (per Horizon Europe rules). Target sectors and technology areas: advanced human-robot interaction, artificial intelligence for robotics, robotics and automation, manufacturing and industrial automation, inspection and maintenance of infrastructure and public assets, remote operation and teleoperation, safety and human-centric collaborative robotics, and adjacent strategic or emerging domains where HRI can be applied.

Mentioned countries and links

The call text refers to EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries but does not list specific countries by name. The open call webpage and project website contain further documentation and application portal links. Visit jarvis-project.eu and f6s.com for submission and details.

Project maturity and expected TRL

Target project maturity:pilot validation at Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL7) — system prototype demonstration in an operational environment.

Useful contacts and support

Open call webpage:JARVIS Open Call 2. Project website: JARVIS project. Submission portal: F6S submission page. Helpdesk email: oc@jarvis-project.eu.

Quick checklist for applicants

1. 1Form a consortium with minimum two legal entities (mandatory lead: tech-developing startup/SME; mandatory use case provider: industrial company/infrastructure owner).
2. 2Ensure lead startup/SME has been established at least one year before submission.
3. 3Prepare technical description specifying which JARVIS module will be integrated and the ROS2 integration strategy.
4. 4Define pilot KPIs, validation plan and operational environment provided by the Use Case Provider.
5. 5Complete financial and legal declarations and ensure eligibility per Horizon Europe associated country rules.
6. 6Upload all required annexes as PDFs onto the F6S submission portal before the deadline (10 July 2026, 21:00 Brussels time).
7. 7Limit funding request to a maximum of €130,000 and ensure cumulative caps are respected across JARVIS Open Calls.

Summary:This open call funds short (10-month) real-world pilot projects that implement and validate TRL7 human-robot interaction solutions integrating JARVIS modules. It is designed for consortia that pair technology-developing SMEs or startups with industrial use case providers; optional integrator partners or RTOs may be included. Funding is provided as a lump-sum grant (cascade funding) and projects receive technical mentoring and ecosystem access from the JARVIS consortium. Applications must be submitted in English via F6S following the JARVIS applicant guidelines and templates. Selected pilots must demonstrably improve productivity, safety, flexibility or human-robot collaboration and provide a clear route to exploitation and scale-up.

Footnotes

1. 1For official call documents, templates and the Guidelines for Applicants consult the JARVIS open call page at jarvis-project.eu and the F6S submission portal f6s.com. Contact oc@jarvis-project.eu for open call support.

Opportunity Overview

This is a cascade funding opportunity under the EU-funded JARVIS project (Grant Agreement 101135708), part of Horizon Europe HORIZON-CL4. The External Pilots track aims to validate innovative AI-enabled solutions at TRL7 in real industrial environments by integrating JARVIS modules via ROS2-compatible interfaces. Proposals must address exactly one of five specified challenges and demonstrate improvements in productivity, flexibility, safety, or human-robot collaboration.

Key Challenges

1. 1Worker-Centric Collaborative Robotics Applications for Physically Demanding Tasks in Manufacturing Environments
2. 2Adaptive Human-Robot Interaction in Complex Manufacturing Processes
3. 3Remote Human-Robot Interaction for Inspection and Maintenance of Plants, Infrastructure Areas and Linear Infrastructure
4. 4Inspection and Maintenance of Industrial and Public Sector Assets and Equipment
5. 5Human-Robot Interaction in Emerging and Strategic Domains

Timeline and Funding

Opening Date:1 April 2026, 00:00 CET (Brussels time).

Deadline:10 July 2026, 21:00 Brussels time. Single-stage submission.

Project Duration:10 months, structured in three sprints, with start estimated for 1 January 2027 after contracting.

Total Budget:€650,000. Up to 5 projects funded at maximum €130,000 per project as lump sum, paid in three instalments (25% + 40% + 35%).

Eligibility and Consortium Requirements

Legal entities established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Must prove financial stability and pass EC checks. No convictions for fraud, no enterprises in difficulty per Commission Regulation No 651/2014 art. 2.18. SMEs/startups must be established at least one year before submission. Maximum 3 entities per consortium; minimum 2.

Mandatory Roles

• Lead Partner: Technology Developer (startup or SME, mandatory).
• Partner 2: Use Case Provider (industrial company or infrastructure owner providing real operational environment, mandatory).
• Partner 3: Technology Integrator (startup, SME, or RTO; optional).

Only one proposal per entity across all JARVIS Open Calls. Cumulative funding cap of €200,000 per entity across calls. RTOs/research organisations eligible only with one technology adopter and one SME provider already in consortium.

Project Activities and Deliverables

Projects must design/implement a pilot solution integrating one JARVIS module, deploy/validate in real environment, and demonstrate added value. Work divided into three sprints: Sprint 1 (Design: architecture, integration, scenarios, KPIs); Sprint 2 (Development & Deployment); Sprint 3 (Integration & Validation).

• Functional TRL7 pilot.
• Validation results based on KPIs.
• Documentation of JARVIS integration.
• Pathway for exploitation and scalability.

Evaluation Criteria

• Criterion 1: Concept and Innovation.
• Criterion 2: Technology Implementation Approach.
• Criterion 3: Impact.
• Criterion 4: Consortium/Applicant Team.

Two external evaluators per proposal. Submissions must follow Guidelines for Applicants and templates, in English only, via F6S platform: Apply via F6S. Other means not evaluated.

Key Resources

• EU Portal: EU Funding Portal
• Project Website: JARVIS Project
• Open Call Page: Open Call #2
• Helpdesk: oc@jarvis-project.eu

All solutions must align with JARVIS objectives for new industrial contexts. Access technical mentoring, JARVIS ecosystem/tools, testing opportunities, and promotion via JARVIS network¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Detailed guidelines available via open call webpage and F6S platform.