Open Horizons Open Call #1

The Open Horizons Open Call #1 is a funding initiative under the Horizon Europe program specifically aimed at women-led, early-stage startups in the digital and deep-tech sectors across Europe. The program is designed to facilitate the growth of these startups by providing them with connections to leading corporations, enabling them to pilot innovative solutions that address real-world challenges.

Applicants must be startups established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. They need to qualify as early-stage startups according to Horizon Europe criteria, be led by women who are legally recognized founders or co-founders, hold executive roles, and possess at least 25% ownership. Ineligible entities include foundations, associations, and applicants with bankruptcy history.

The funding available totals €1.2 million in equity-free grants, structured over two phases. The Inception Stage lasts one month and provides a €10,000 grant to help co-develop a pilot roadmap. Following this, the Piloting Stage lasts five months, offering up to an additional €45,000 as startups implement their solutions with corporate partners. Each startup can receive a maximum of €55,000 across both phases, contingent on the completion of milestones.

The submission process is an open call through an online platform called Sploro, with applications divided into six sections that cover legal information, impact, excellence, implementation, ethics, and a declaration of honor. The application evaluates eligibility through five phases, including checks for alignment with program objectives and a remote evaluation by experts. The highest-ranked startups from the evaluations will be invited for interviews, and final selections will be made based on composite scores.

The program emphasizes the importance of real-world implementation, and selected participants will gain structured mentorship, corporate pilot opportunities, networking with investors, and support for scaling up their business strategies. The opening date for applications is June 11, 2025, and submissions will close on August 21, 2025, at 17:00 (Brussels time).

Overall, the Open Horizons project aims to provide women-led startups with the resources needed to thrive, offering not just funding but also essential support services designed to enhance their capabilities.

The Open Horizons Open Call #1 is a funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe programme, specifically targeting women-led, early-stage startups in the digital and deep-tech sectors across Europe. The project aims to accelerate the growth of these startups by connecting them with leading corporations to pilot innovative solutions to real-world challenges through an open innovation program.

The opening date for submissions is June 11, 2025, and the deadline for submission is August 21, 2025, at 17:00 (Brussels time). The submission process is single-stage and open for submissions. The total funding available for this call is €335,000.00. The project acronym is Open Horizons, and its full name is "A programme to open the access to women-led digital & deep tech startups to new opportunities under the umbrella of corporations in Europe". The grant agreement number is 101193231. The topic is HORIZON-EIE-2024-CONNECT-01-02 - Startup Europe.

The Open Horizons program will award a total of €1.2 million in equity-free funding over 26 months. Selected startups will participate in a two-phase program:

1. Inception Stage: A 1-month stage involving mentoring and a €10,000 grant to co-develop a pilot roadmap.
2. Piloting Stage: A 5-month stage involving the implementation of the solution with a corporate partner, with up to €45,000 in additional funding. Only half of the startups from the Inception Stage will progress to the Piloting Stage.

Each startup can receive up to €55,000 across both phases, contingent upon achieving milestones, submitting final reports, and participating in a Demo Day.

Eligible applicants must:

1. Be established in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country.
2. Qualify as early-stage startups according to Horizon Europe criteria.
3. Be led by women (cis or trans) who are legally recognized founders/co-founders, hold executive roles, and possess at least 25% ownership.
4. Operate within the digital or deep-tech domains, including but not limited to AI, advanced computing, life sciences, and robotics.

Ineligible entities include foundations, associations, and applicants with past convictions or bankruptcy procedures. Subcontracting of key tasks, such as external developers or research centers, is not allowed.

The program offers various services, including training, corporate matchmaking, mentoring, and investor exposure. Following the Piloting Stage, startups will enter a 3-month Follow-on Stage focused on scaling up through CVC engagement, strategic partnerships, and commercialization support provided by INNOVX and MIGROS.

The submission process will occur through the official online submission platform. Only applications received through this platform will be considered. Applicants should consult the Guidelines for Applicants for detailed information. The online form, accessible via the Sploro platform, is divided into six sections:

1. Legal and Contact Information of the applicants
2. Impact section
3. Excellence section
4. Implementation
5. Ethics self-assessment
6. Declaration of Honour

The evaluation process consists of five phases:

1. Eligibility check: A semi-automatic filter will assess 11 criteria to determine eligibility.
2. Automatic red flags: An automated filtering process will assess alignment with the program's objectives.
3. Experts’ remote evaluation: Proposals that pass the eligibility check will be evaluated remotely by external and independent evaluators with backgrounds in entrepreneurship, investment, or innovation. Two evaluators, one with a technical background and one with a commercial business background, will assess the proposals based on Impact, Excellence, and Implementation.
4. Score normalization: A method to ensure a balanced distribution of scores and reduce biases.
5. Interview: The 22 highest-ranked startups from the remote evaluation will be invited to an online interview.
6. Final Selection: All proposals are ranked based on their remote evaluation and interview scores. Tie-breaking rules will be applied in case of a tie.

Prior to contracting, the consortium will seek approval from the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), and the list of selected startups will be submitted to EISMEA for final screening.

For more information, visit www.openhorizonsprojects.eu. Inquiries can be sent to info@openhorizonsproject.eu.

In summary, the Open Horizons Open Call #1 is an EU-funded initiative under Horizon Europe designed to support women-led startups in the digital and deep-tech sectors. It offers equity-free funding, mentoring, corporate matchmaking, and investor exposure to help these startups grow and scale their businesses. The program involves a two-phased approach, starting with an Inception Stage focused on pilot roadmap development and progressing to a Piloting Stage involving implementation with corporate partners. The application process is online, and the evaluation involves multiple stages, including eligibility checks, remote evaluation by experts, and interviews. The goal is to connect promising startups with corporations to pilot innovative solutions and provide them with the resources and support needed to succeed in the market.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are early-stage startups led by women (cis or trans) who are legally recognized founders/co-founders, hold executive roles, and possess at least 25% ownership. Ineligible entities include foundations, associations, or applicants with past convictions or bankruptcy procedures.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically cascade funding, with equity-free funding awarded.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity is for single applicants, specifically individual startups.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Target Sector: The target sectors are digital and deep-tech, including areas like AI, advanced computing, life sciences, and robotics.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity is open to EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on the EU and associated countries.

Project Stage: The project stage targets early-stage startups.

Funding Amount: Each startup may receive up to €55,000 across both programme phases. A €10,000 grant is provided during the 1-month Inception Stage, and up to €45,000 in additional funding is provided during the 5-month Piloting Stage. The total funding available for the call is €335,000, while the overall program awards €1.2 million in equity-free funding.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with submissions happening through an official online submission platform.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive both money (grants) and non-monetary services, including training, corporate matchmaking, mentoring, and investor exposure.

Application Stages: The evaluation process consists of five phases: Eligibility check, Automatic red flags, Experts’ remote evaluation, Interview, and Final Selection.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but only half of the initial cohort progresses to the second stage, suggesting a significant drop-off between the first and second phases. The 22 highest-ranked startups from the remote evaluation are invited to an online interview.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding requirements are not explicitly mentioned, but the funding is equity-free, suggesting no direct co-funding requirement in the form of equity.

Summary:

The Open Horizons Open Call is a Horizon Europe project designed to accelerate the growth of women-led startups in the digital and deep-tech sectors. This initiative provides early-stage startups based in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries with a unique opportunity to participate in a tailored open innovation program. The program aims to upscale the capabilities of these innovative startups by offering structured pathways to access investment and growth opportunities.

The program spans 26 months and awards €1.2 million in equity-free funding. Selected startups will follow a two-phase path: a 1-month Inception Stage with mentoring and a €10,000 grant to co-develop a pilot roadmap, followed by a 5-month Piloting Stage involving the implementation of the solution with a corporate partner and up to €45,000 in additional funding. Only half of the initial cohort will advance to the second stage.

Eligible applicants must be early-stage startups led by women (cis or trans) who are legally recognized founders/co-founders, hold executive roles, and possess at least 25% ownership. They must operate within the digital or deep-tech domains, such as AI, advanced computing, life sciences, and robotics. Ineligible entities include foundations, associations, or applicants with past convictions or bankruptcy procedures. Key tasks cannot be subcontracted.

The program provides various services, including training, corporate matchmaking, mentoring, and investor exposure. Post-pilot, startups enter a 3-month Follow-on Stage to scale up through CVC engagement, strategic partnerships, and commercialization support.

The application process involves submitting an online form through the Sploro platform, divided into six sections: Legal and Contact Information, Impact, Excellence, Implementation, Ethics self-assessment, and Declaration of Honour. The evaluation process consists of five phases: Eligibility check, Automatic red flags, Experts’ remote evaluation, Interview, and Final Selection. The opening date for submissions is June 11, 2025, and the deadline is August 21, 2025, at 17:00 (Brussels time). The total funding available for this call is €335,000.