Open Call 1 - Short Term and Long Term Funding to support ICT standardisation

The StandICT.eu project is offering a funding opportunity for European standardisation specialists to engage in international and global Standards Development Organisations (SDOs). This initiative aims to enhance Europe's role in global standardisation processes. The first open call provides a total budget of €650,000, part of a larger budget of €4,200,000 distributed across six open calls scheduled to run until August 2027.

The application submission period for the first call is from November 17, 2025, until January 16, 2026. The opportunity is characterized as a single-stage submission process. Eligible applicants are European standardisation specialists, which likely include individual researchers and professionals rather than institutional consortiums.

Two types of financial support are available under this call:
1. Long-term contribution (up to €10,000 for a maximum of 9 months) aimed at specialists taking on leadership roles such as chairs or rapporteurs in ongoing standards development.
2. Short-term contribution (up to €5,000 for a maximum of 3 months) for specialists participating in activities like commenting on standards drafts or attending relevant meetings.

The evaluation process involves screening for eligibility followed by assessment by an external pool of evaluators, ensuring fairness and transparency in selection. Each application is reviewed and ranked by three evaluators, with an additional quality control step.

The project aligns with the overarching goal of building a comprehensive European Standardisation Ecosystem and aims to significantly involve European experts in critical ICT standardisation efforts. The funding supports contributions to the ongoing development of standards and helps cover related expenses such as meeting fees and membership costs. Thus, the StandICT.eu initiative represents a strategic investment in strengthening Europe's digital economy through enhanced participation in standardisation activities.

The StandICT.eu project is running its first open call to provide funding for European standardisation specialists to participate in international and global Standards Development Organisations (SDOs). The goal is to foster a fully integrated European Standardisation Ecosystem and strengthen Europe's role in global standardisation efforts. The total funding available for this first open call is 650,000 EUR. StandICT.eu will run a total of six open calls until August 2027, with a total of 4,200,000 EUR in direct funding.

The opening date for submissions is 17 November 2025, and the deadline for submission is 16 January 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. The submission process is single-stage.

Applicants can request two types of support:

1.  Long term contribution (LT): This supports contributions to ongoing standards development as a chair, convener, rapporteur, or member of an SDO WG. Activities include commenting on standards drafts, attending meetings as an observer, and paying membership fees. The fellowship covers a maximum of 9 months of activities, with funding up to 10,000 EUR.

2.  Short term contribution (ST): This supports contributions to standards documentation, such as liaison to WG, commenting on standards drafts, and participation at meetings, including paying membership fees. The fellowship covers a maximum of 3 months of activities, with funding up to 5,000 EUR.

The submission and evaluation process involves the following steps:

1.  Each call is open for 60 days for proposal submission via the TRUST-GRANTS™ platform.

2.  All proposals are screened for eligibility.

3.  An external pool of evaluators (EPE) evaluates, scores, and ranks the proposals.

4.  The evaluation process takes approximately 35 days.

5.  Applicants are notified of the evaluation results, including access to a Consensus Report compiled by the EPE.

To ensure fairness and transparency, each application is independently evaluated by three members of the EPE and undergoes quality control by a fourth member after consensus is reached. The decisions of the EPE are binding, and any redress requests or complaints are limited to procedural aspects of the evaluation, not the scientific or technical judgment of the experts. The qualifications of the EPE members are assessed through an open call process.

The full name of the EU funded project is ICT Standardisation Observatory and Support Facility in Europe. The grant agreement number is 101213612. The topic is HORIZON-CL4-2024-HUMAN-03-04 - Facilitate the engagement in global ICT standardisation development (CSA).

In summary, this opportunity provides funding for European experts to participate in international ICT standardisation activities. It aims to strengthen Europe's position in the global digital economy by supporting contributions to standards development. The funding is available through two tracks: a longer-term track for ongoing involvement in standards bodies and a shorter-term track for specific contributions to standards documentation. The application process is competitive and involves evaluation by external experts. The StandICT.eu project is a key initiative to promote European leadership in ICT standardisation.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity targets European standardisation specialists. The specific types of organizations or individuals eligible are not explicitly detailed, but the focus on "specialists" suggests that eligible applicants could include individuals, researchers, consultants, or employees of organizations involved in ICT standardisation.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically cascade funding, to support participation in standardisation activities. The funding is provided as fellowships.

Consortium Requirement: The information suggests that single applicants are eligible, as the focus is on supporting individual specialists. There is no explicit mention of a consortium requirement.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The opportunity is targeted at European standardisation specialists, implying that applicants should be based in the EU or associated countries.

Target Sector: The program targets the ICT sector, specifically focusing on ICT standardisation.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on European standardisation specialists and strengthening Europe’s position in global standardisation initiatives, implying a focus on EU member states and associated countries.

Project Stage: The opportunity supports participation in ongoing standards development, suggesting that the projects or activities to be funded are in the development or implementation phase. The support is for contributing to existing standards development efforts.

Funding Amount: The funding ranges from up to €5,000 for short-term contributions to up to €10,000 for long-term contributions. The total funding available for the first open call is €650,000. The total funding across all six open calls is €4,200,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of fellowships to support their participation in standardisation activities.

Application Stages: The application process appears to be single-stage, with a single deadline for proposal submission.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

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

Summary:

The StandICT.eu project is offering funding to European standardisation specialists to support their participation in international and global Standards Development Organisations (SDOs). The goal is to strengthen Europe's role in global ICT standardisation. The project will run six open calls until August 2027, providing a total of €4,200,000 in direct funding. The first open call, with a total funding of €650,000, offers two types of support: short-term contributions (up to €5,000 for a maximum of 3 months) and long-term contributions (up to €10,000 for a maximum of 9 months). The funding aims to enable specialists to contribute to standards development, attend meetings, comment on drafts, and pay membership fees. The application process involves submitting proposals through the TRUST-GRANTS™ platform, followed by evaluation by an external pool of experts. The opening date for the first call is 17 November 2025, and the deadline is 16 January 2026. This initiative aims to create a fully integrated European Standardisation Ecosystem by supporting the engagement of European experts in key international standardisation activities. The topic for this funding opportunity is HORIZON-CL4-2024-HUMAN-03-04 - Facilitate the engagement in global ICT standardisation development (CSA).