Open Call 2 - Short Term and Long Term Funding to support ICT standardisation

StandICT.eu 2029 Open Call 2 offers cascade funding to support European standardisation specialists to contribute to international ICT standards development within Standards Development Organisations. The call opens 23 February 2026 and closes 24 April 2026 (single-stage submission via TRUST-GRANTS) with a total Open Call 2 budget of €650,000 and an overall programme allocation of €4.2 million across six open calls to August 2027. Funded modalities include Long Term contributions (up to €10,000 for up to 9 months), Short Term contributions (up to €5,000 for up to 3 months), and Organisation of Standardisation Meetings (pilot funding up to €50,000), subject to eligibility and evaluation. Priority topics for this call focus on Artificial Intelligence and technical topics from the EC Standardisation Request on high-risk AI systems, with eligibility and evaluation details provided on the StandICT.eu call page.

What it funds

Overview

Grants to support European standardisation specialists to participate in international and global Standards Development Organisations (SDOs). Funding supports contributions such as chairing, convening, reporting, commenting on drafts, liaison activities, meeting participation and membership fees, focused on ICT and AI standardisation priorities.

Priority topics:Artificial Intelligence (notably work contributing to CEN-CENELEC JTC 21) and technical topics from the EC standardisation request on high-risk AI systems, with urgent priorities including dataset governance and quality, accuracy, robustness, logging/record keeping, transparency/user information and human oversight; other priorities include risk management, cybersecurity and quality management systems ¹.

1. 1Short term contribution (ST): up to €5,000 for max 3 months
2. 2Long term contribution (LT): up to €10,000 for max 9 months
3. 3This call allocation: total funding available €650,000; series of six calls totals €4,200,000

Eligible applicants:European standardisation specialists (individuals or experts active in SDO working groups) seeking support to enable active participation in international standardisation work. Applications evaluated via TRUST-GRANTS; each proposal assessed by three external evaluators and quality-controlled by a fourth.

Apply and find guidelines, eligibility details and the application form on the StandICT.eu open call page StandICT Open Call 2.

Footnotes

1. 1The Commission implementing decision and related documents on the standardisation request for high-risk AI-systems provide context for the technical priorities: COM implementing decision on high-risk AI standardisation.

This is a cascade funding opportunity under the ICT Standardisation Observatory and Support Facility in Europe, implemented by StandICT.eu to facilitate European experts’ engagement in international and global ICT standardisation. Open Call 2 focuses on Artificial Intelligence, especially priorities aligned with the European Commission’s Standardisation Request on high-risk AI systems, and invites applications for short-term and long-term fellowships to contribute directly to Standards Development Organisations (SDOs).

Key Facts and Timeline

Scope and Priority Topics for Open Call 2

Open Call 2 prioritises contributions in Artificial Intelligence, with particular attention to CEN-CENELEC JTC 21 and to technical topics under the European Commission’s Standardisation Request on high-risk AI systems supporting Regulation (EU) 2024/1689. The priority breakdown is as follows:

Urgent priority areas:Governance and quality of datasets; accuracy specifications; robustness specifications; record keeping through logging capabilities; transparency and information provisions for users; human oversight.

Less urgent but important priority areas:Risk management systems; cybersecurity specifications; quality management systems.

The objective is to empower European standardisation specialists to contribute to an integrated European Standardisation Ecosystem and strengthen Europe’s role in global ICT standardisation initiatives.

Funding Modalities and Eligible Activities

Applicants can request two types of support to carry out standardisation work within SDOs and their working groups. The fellowships fund expert participation and concrete contributions to standards development and documentation.

Submission and Evaluation Process

1. 1Six StandICT.eu open call cycles are foreseen, each open for 60 days for proposal submission.
2. 2All proposals are submitted via the TRUST-GRANTS platform and screened for eligibility after the call closes.
3. 3Evaluation is performed by an External Pool of Evaluators (EPE). Each application is reviewed independently by three evaluators; after consensus, a fourth evaluator performs quality control.
4. 4Scoring and ranking determine funding decisions. The decision of the EPE is binding; redress is limited strictly to procedural issues, not to technical or scientific judgments.
5. 5The evaluation and notification process takes approximately 35 days from the close of the call. All applicants receive results and a Consensus Report prepared by the EPE.

Eligibility and Participation

Eligible Applicant Types:European standardisation specialists who actively contribute or will contribute to international and global ICT standardisation work, including working groups within SDOs. Based on the described roles, this is primarily aimed at individual experts who are or will be chairs, conveners, rapporteurs, or members of SDO working groups. The text does not provide further legal form restrictions or organisational categories.

Consortium Requirement:Single applicant. Fellowships are awarded to individual experts for their contributions; there is no consortium requirement indicated.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):European standardisation specialists. The text refers to participation of European experts; specific country lists or association statuses are not stated in the provided content.

Target Sector:ICT standardisation with a strong emphasis on Artificial Intelligence. Priority technical domains include data governance and quality, accuracy, robustness, logging, transparency and user information, human oversight, risk management, cybersecurity, and quality management systems in the context of high-risk AI systems.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are named in the text. The scope is described as European.

Project Stage and Expected Results

Project Stage:Implementation and contribution to standards development. Activities include drafting and commenting on standards, participation in SDO working group meetings, and related documentation and liaison tasks. This is not a research, development, or demonstration R&I action; it is targeted expert engagement in standardisation.

Financials and Support

Funding Amount:For Open Call 2, the total available funding is €650,000. Individual fellowships provide up to €10,000 for long-term contributions over a maximum of 9 months, and up to €5,000 for short-term contributions over a maximum of 3 months. Across six calls until August 2027, the programme allocates €4,200,000 in direct funding.

Funding Type:Grant via cascade funding fellowships disbursed by StandICT.eu to selected applicants.

Nature of Support:Monetary support to cover eligible costs linked to standardisation contributions, including meeting participation and membership fees, as described.

Co-funding Requirement:Not stated in the provided text. No explicit co-financing percentage or requirement is indicated.

Application Specifics

Application Type:Open call with single-stage submission and evaluation through the TRUST-GRANTS platform.

Application Stages:1 stage. Proposals are submitted once and evaluated by three EPE reviewers with a subsequent quality control step; results are communicated after approximately 35 days.

Success Rates:Not provided in the available information.

How to Apply and Where to Find Documents

Guidelines and the application form are provided on the StandICT.eu website. Applicants should consult the official call page for Open Call 2 for instructions, templates, and access to the TRUST-GRANTS submission platform.

• Official Open Call 2 page with guidelines and application form: standict.eu
• EU Funding & Tenders Portal competitive call listing: ec.europa.eu

Templates:The specific application templates are not included in the scraped text. The call page indicates that guidelines and the application form are available at the StandICT.eu link provided. Applicants should expect to supply information on their standardisation role and workplan, the targeted SDO working group, the alignment with Open Call 2 AI priority topics, expected contributions to standards or drafts, meeting participation plan, and a budget consistent with the short-term or long-term modality.

Evaluation and Transparency Measures

StandICT.eu applies a structured and transparent evaluation process. Each application is independently reviewed by three experts from the External Pool of Evaluators. After a consensus is reached, a fourth expert performs quality control. Decisions are binding and complaints are only admissible on procedural grounds, not on scientific or technical merit. All applicants receive a Consensus Report summarising the evaluation outcome.

Contact and Reference Framework

This open call operates under the Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action HORIZON-CL4, with Grant Agreement 101213612, supporting the European Commission objective to facilitate engagement in global ICT standardisation development. Priority alignment references the Commission’s Standardisation Request on high-risk AI systems underpinning Regulation (EU) 2024/1689.

Comprehensive Categorisation Answers

Eligible Applicant Types:Individual European standardisation specialists engaged in ICT standardisation in SDO working groups. The text emphasises roles such as chair, convener, rapporteur, or member of SDO WGs. Organisational categories beyond individual experts are not specified in the provided content.

Funding Type:Grant via cascade funding fellowships.

Consortium Requirement:Single applicant; no consortium required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):European specialists. The provided text refers to European participation but does not enumerate eligible countries.

Target Sector:ICT standardisation with emphasis on Artificial Intelligence standards and the technical areas linked to high-risk AI systems: dataset governance and quality, accuracy, robustness, logging, transparency and user information, human oversight, risk management, cybersecurity, and quality management systems.

Mentioned Countries:None explicitly mentioned; the call is European in scope.

Project Stage:Standards contribution and implementation activities within SDOs; not an R&D project stage.

Funding Amount:Short-term: up to €5,000 for up to 3 months. Long-term: up to €10,000 for up to 9 months. Total budget for this call: €650,000. Overall programme: €4,200,000 across six calls to August 2027.

Application Type:Open call, single-stage, via TRUST-GRANTS platform.

Nature of Support:Money; direct financial support through fellowships for eligible standardisation work.

Application Stages:1 stage; evaluation by three EPE reviewers plus quality control, with results in approximately 35 days after call closure.

Success Rates:Not available in the provided information.

Co-funding Requirement:Not specified in the provided text.

Where to Learn More

• StandICT.eu Open Call 2 page with guidelines and application form: StandICT.eu Open Call 2
• EU Funding & Tenders competitive call entry: EU Funding & Tenders Portal listing
• Related policy reference: Commission Implementing Decision on a standardisation request to CEN and CENELEC regarding high-risk AI systems supporting Regulation (EU) 2024/1689: Register of Commission Documents

Summary

Open Call 2 under StandICT.eu provides short-term and long-term cascade funding fellowships to European standardisation specialists working on ICT standards, with a strong emphasis on Artificial Intelligence topics aligned to the European Commission’s standardisation priorities for high-risk AI systems. Applicants propose either a focused short-term contribution or an extended long-term engagement in SDO working groups, undertaking activities such as commenting on drafts, participating in meetings, liaising with working groups, and covering membership fees. The call is single-stage, operates through the TRUST-GRANTS platform, and employs a transparent evaluation procedure by an External Pool of Evaluators, delivering results in about 35 days after closure. Individual awards are up to €5,000 for three-month short-term actions and up to €10,000 for nine-month long-term actions, within a call budget of €650,000 and an overall programme allocation of €4.2 million across six calls running to August 2027. The opportunity is designed to strengthen a fully integrated European Standardisation Ecosystem and reinforce Europe’s leadership in global ICT standardisation.

Funding Opportunity Overview

Open Call 2 of StandICT.eu 2029 provides cascade funding to support European standardisation specialists in contributing to international ICT standards development within Standards Development Organisations (SDOs) and global standardisation initiatives. The programme aims to strengthen Europe's strategic position in global standards development by enabling experts to participate actively in standards creation and documentation across key domains. ¹

Call Timeline and Submission Details

The call will be open for 60 days from the opening date. All proposals will be screened for eligibility and evaluated by an external pool of evaluators (EPE). Each application will be independently evaluated by three members of the EPE, with quality control by a fourth member after consensus is reached. ²

Funding Amounts and Proposal Types

Three types of proposals can be funded under this call, each with distinct funding limits, durations, and objectives. Applicants may apply for one or multiple proposal types across the open call cycles, subject to cumulative funding limits.

Long Term Contributions (LT):Support for ongoing standards development work in roles such as chair, convener, rapporteur, or working group member of an SDO. Eligible activities include commenting on standards development and drafts, attending meetings as an observer, and paying membership fees. Maximum funding: €10,000. Maximum duration: 9 months.

Short Term Contributions (ST):Support for contributions to standards documentation, liaison activities with working groups, comments on standards drafts, and meeting participation with associated membership fees. Maximum funding: €5,000. Maximum duration: 3 months.

Organisation of Standardisation Meetings (SM):Pilot-type funding to support hosting of strategic international standardisation meetings in Europe that are endorsed by an international SDO, global forum, or consortium. Eligible costs include venue and equipment rental, catering, communication materials, and travel and accommodation for key participants. Maximum funding: €50,000. Maximum duration: 6 months depending on meeting scale and timing. Note: Each organisation may be awarded funding under this scheme only once during the programme duration. ³

Call Budget Allocation

The programme distributes €4,200,000 of direct funding across six open calls running until August 2027. Individual applicants can be awarded a maximum of €50,000 cumulatively across all StandICT.eu 2029 open calls. ⁴

Priority Topics for Open Call 2

Open Call 2 emphasises applications addressing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and high-risk AI-systems, reflecting the strategic priorities outlined in the EC Standardisation Request linked to the EU Artificial Intelligence Act.

Priority Topic Areas:

• Artificial Intelligence, with particular focus on contributing to CEN-CENELEC JTC 21
• Technical topics covered by the EC Standardisation Request on high-risk AI-systems

Urgent Priority Areas within AI Standardisation:

• Governance and quality of datasets
• Accuracy specifications
• Robustness specifications
• Record keeping through logging capabilities
• Transparency and information provisions for users
• Human oversight

Less Urgent but Important Priority Areas:

• Risk management systems
• Cybersecurity specifications
• Quality management systems

Beyond these priority areas, applications addressing topics from the Multi-Stakeholder Platform Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation are also eligible, covering foundational drivers (data economy, cybersecurity, ePrivacy), key enablers (5G, cloud, IoT, AI, quantum), societal challenges (digital health, eGovernment, pandemic preparedness), digital market innovation (e-procurement, blockchain), and sustainable growth (smart grids, intelligent transport systems, robotics). ⁵

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet specific geographic, professional, and substantive requirements to be eligible for funding.

Geographic Eligibility:For Long Term and Short Term contributions, applicants must be individuals or natural persons residing in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. For Organisation of Standardisation Meetings proposals, eligible applicants are organisations based in an EU Member State or Associated Country. ⁶

Professional Qualifications:Applicants must be standardisation specialists defined as professionals with proven expertise and experience in standardisation activities, including previous contributions to standards development, participation in SDO groups, and experience as chairs or conveners. Expertise in the respective priority area is essential.

Organisational Background:Applicants from public and private sectors, industry and service companies, SMEs and start-ups, academia and research institutions, and national and European associations including NGOs representing consumer interests are eligible. For SM contributions, organisations must have a demonstrable role in coordinating or supporting the organisation of meetings on behalf of international SDOs, global fora, or consortia.

Funding Restrictions:Applicants must not be receiving support from other instruments (Public-Private Partnerships, EU or national research and innovation projects) for the proposed activities and must not be funded from other sources for an identical activity. Co-funding from other sources is permitted for SM contributions, provided that StandICT.eu-supported activities are clearly identified and not double-funded.

Evaluation Criteria and Process

Proposals will be evaluated using four core criteria, each scored on a scale of 1 to 10, with the following weighted distribution:

Proposals must clearly demonstrate added value to existing SDO activities, impact on European interests and the relevant standards, applicant expertise in the priority area, and standardisation experience such as previous contributions to standards developments or participation in related working groups. ⁷

Key Requirements for Applicants

• Demonstrate profound knowledge in one of the identified priority areas
• Provide evidence of experience in standards development work, including participation in SDO groups or European and open source development frameworks
• Confirm that no identical activities are being funded from other sources or EU funded projects
• For SM proposals, ensure endorsement by an international SDO, global forum, or consortium and alignment with call objectives
• Submit proposals exclusively through the TRUST-GRANTS platform
• Comply with maximum funding limits specific to each proposal type
• Adhere to maximum duration limits for proposed activities

Funding Rate and Payment Structure

Funding is provided as a 100 percent lump sum. Payments are processed based on delivered and validated results, with prepayment options available under valid justification linked to a milestone and evidence of early request. The maximum funding requested per proposal cannot exceed the specified limits for the respective proposal type (LT, ST, or SM), nor can project duration exceed the maximum periods indicated. ⁸

Programme Context and Strategic Importance

StandICT.eu 2029 is the third edition of this funding programme for European standardisation experts in the ICT domain. The initiative is funded under the Horizon Europe framework through a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) with grant agreement number 101213612, under the call HORIZON-CL4. The programme reflects Europe's commitment to maintaining strategic leadership in global ICT standardisation development and supporting the implementation of EU regulatory priorities, particularly the AI Act.

Contact and Further Information

For enquiries regarding this call, applicants can contact the EU contact point at t.ridolfi@trust-itservices.com. Detailed guidelines, application forms, and additional information are available at the StandICT.eu website. Applicants should refer to the latest EU Grants List of Participating Countries (Horizon Europe) to confirm their eligibility based on their country of residence or organisation location.

Footnotes

1. 1The objective is to enable specialists to contribute to and help create a fully integrated European Standardisation Ecosystem, thereby strengthening Europe's position in global standardisation initiatives.
2. 2The evaluation process ensures maximum fairness and transparency through independent evaluation by three EPE members and quality control by a fourth member. EPE decisions are binding and redress requests are limited to procedural aspects only.
3. 3The SM funding type is pilot-type support introduced under this edition to encourage hosting of international standardisation meetings in Europe, supporting the broader ecosystem development objective.
4. 4The €4.2 million programme budget is distributed across six open call cycles running until August 2027, with estimated allocations of approximately €4 million for LT and ST contributions and €200,000 for SM proposals.
5. 5The Multi-Stakeholder Platform Rolling Plan topics span five thematic areas covering foundational ICT drivers, key digital enablers, societal challenge applications, digital market innovation, and sustainable growth applications, providing comprehensive coverage of EU ICT standardisation priorities.
6. 6The list of eligible countries corresponds to EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries as defined in the latest European Commission list of participating countries.
7. 7Evaluation criteria emphasise both the quality and relevance of the proposed standardisation work and the demonstrated expertise and track record of the applicant in standards development activities.
8. 8Payment structure is based on lump sum methodology with flexibility for prepayment under justified circumstances related to project milestones and early request evidence.