Open Horizons Open Call #2

The Open Horizons Open Call #2 is a funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe program aiming to support women-led, early-stage startups in the digital and deep-tech sectors. It focuses on providing a structured program to help accelerate these startups and grant them access to investment and growth opportunities. Eligible applicants must be established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country, be early-stage startups, and be led by women (cis or trans) who are recognized as founders/co-founders, hold at least 25% ownership, and have executive roles. Ineligible entities include foundations or organizations with past legal issues. Startups must operate within sectors such as artificial intelligence, advanced computing, life sciences, and robotics. The total funding available for this call is €440,000, with each startup potentially receiving up to €55,000. This is structured as follows: €10,000 for an inception phase lasting one month, which includes mentoring and technical support, followed by a piloting stage of five months with additional funding of up to €45,000 for implementation within corporate ecosystems. The program not only offers financial support but also non-monetary services such as mentoring, corporate matchmaking, training programs, and investor exposure. The application process is single-stage, with submissions conducted via the online Sploro platform. The evaluation consists of multiple phases including checks for eligibility, alignment with corporate challenges, external expert evaluations, and interviews with top-ranked applicants. The application deadline is set for January 29, 2026, and the call is open for submissions starting November 19, 2025. This initiative aims to bridge the existing funding and networking gaps faced by women entrepreneurs and to enhance their potential in scaling their innovations through collaboration with established corporations. The program emphasizes achieving real-world applications for the selected startups' solutions within corporate environments, thereby facilitating commercialization pathways. The Open Horizons project is significant for addressing barriers women-led startups face in accessing necessary resources for growth in competitive markets.

The Open Horizons Open Call #2 is a funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting women-led, early-stage digital and deep-tech startups in Europe. The call aims to identify and select promising startups and provide them with a tailored open innovation program to upscale their capabilities and access investment and growth opportunities. The project acronym is Open Horizons, and the full name of the EU-funded project 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, and the topic is HORIZON-EIE - Startup Europe.

The opening date for submissions is 20 November 2025, and the deadline for submissions is 29 January 2026 at 17:00 (Brussels time). The deadline model is single-stage. The total funding available for this call is 440,000.00 €. The expected duration of participation is not specified.

The submission process will occur through the official online submission platform (Sploro). Only applications received directly through the online submission platform will be considered eligible. The submission process is supported by the following documents: Guideline for applicants and all its annexes, and an Online Form. The Online Form 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, and (6) Declaration of Honour.

The evaluation process consists of six phases:

1. Eligibility check:A semi-automatic filter will consider 11 criteria that all applicants must comply with to be eligible.

2. Automatic red flags:This step involves an automated filtering process to assess whether startups align with the programme's objectives.

3. Alignment check by corporates:In this step, the corporates check the alignment of the application with the challenge they proposed.

4. Experts’ remote evaluation:The proposals that pass the eligibility and alignment check will move to the remote evaluation stage. Applications will be assessed by a group of external and independent evaluators with an entrepreneurial, investment, or innovation background. Two evaluators, one with a technical and another one with a commercial business background, will assess the proposals based on 3 different evaluation criteria (Impact, Excellence, and Implementation).

5. Score normalisation:This method ensures a more balanced distribution of scores and reduces the possibility of biases and distortions.

6. Interview:Up to the 34 highest-ranked startups from the remote evaluation will be invited to an online interview.

7. Final Selection:All proposals are ranked based on their remote evaluation and interview scores. In the event of a tie, a series of rules will be followed that will make it possible to reach a tiebreaker.

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

The Open Horizons project will award €1.2 million in equity-free funding over 26 months. Selected startups will follow a two-phase path: (1) a 1-month Inception Stage, with mentoring and a €10,000 grant to co-develop a pilot roadmap; and (2) a 5-month Piloting Stage, involving the implementation of the solution with the corporate partner and up to €45,000 in additional funding. Only half of the initial cohort progresses to the second stage.

Eligible applicants must:

1. Be established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.

2. Qualify as early-stage startups by the Horizons Europe criteria.

3. Be led by women (cis or trans) who are legally recognised founders/co-founders, hold executive roles, and possess at least 25% ownership.

4. Operate within the digital or deep-tech domains (e.g., AI, advanced computing, life sciences, robotics, etc.).

Ineligible entities include foundations, associations, or applicants with past convictions or bankruptcy procedures. Key tasks cannot be subcontracted (e.g., external developers or research centres).

Programme Services include 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 commercialisation support led by INNOVX and MIGROS.

Each startup may receive up to €55,000 across both programme phases, with funding linked to milestone achievement, final reporting, and Demo Day participation.

For any questions about the process, a general email address is available at info@openhorizonsproject.eu. More detailed information can be found in the Guidelines of the call available on the project website.

In summary, the Open Horizons Open Call #2 is a Horizon Europe initiative designed to support women-led, early-stage startups in the digital and deep-tech sectors. It offers a comprehensive program that includes funding, mentoring, corporate matchmaking, and investor exposure. The program is structured in two phases: an Inception Stage focused on roadmap development and a Piloting Stage for solution implementation with corporate partners. Eligible startups can receive up to €55,000 in equity-free funding. The call aims to accelerate the growth of these startups by connecting them with leading corporations and providing them with the resources and support they need to scale up and commercialize their innovations. The application process involves a detailed online form and a multi-stage evaluation process, including eligibility checks, alignment assessments, expert evaluations, and interviews. The initiative is a significant opportunity for women entrepreneurs in the digital and deep-tech space to access funding, mentorship, and corporate partnerships to drive their startups forward.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicant types are early-stage startups that are led by women (cis or trans) who are legally recognised 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. Key tasks cannot be subcontracted (e.g., external developers or research centres).

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

Consortium Requirement:The opportunity is for single applicants, specifically 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 domains, including AI, advanced computing, life sciences, and robotics.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are mentioned, but the eligibility extends to EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Therefore, the relevant region is EU and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

Project Stage:The project stage is early-stage startups, implying idea, research, development, or validation stages. The program supports startups in the inception and piloting stages.

Funding Amount:The funding amount is up to €55,000 per startup across both programme phases. The total funding available for the call is €440,000. The overall program awards €1.2 million in equity-free funding. Inception stage provides €10,000 and Piloting stage provides up to €45,000.

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. Post-pilot, startups enter a 3-month Follow-on Stage to scale up through CVC engagement, strategic partnerships, and commercialisation support.

Application Stages:The application process consists of six phases: Eligibility check, Automatic red flags, Alignment check by corporates, Experts’ remote evaluation, Score normalisation, Interview, and Final Selection.

Success Rates:The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the text indicates that up to 34 highest-ranked startups will be invited to an online interview, and only half of the initial cohort progresses to the second stage, suggesting a competitive selection process. Therefore, the success rate is likely below 10%.

Co-funding Requirement:Co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned, but the funding is equity-free, suggesting that co-funding is not a strict requirement.

Summary:

The Open Horizons Open Call #2 is a Horizon Europe project aimed at accelerating the growth of women-led startups in the digital and deep-tech sectors. The program provides equity-free funding, training, mentoring, and corporate matchmaking opportunities to early-stage startups established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. To be eligible, the startup must be led by women who are legally recognized founders/co-founders, hold executive roles, and possess at least 25% ownership. The selected startups will participate in a two-phase program: a 1-month Inception Stage with a €10,000 grant and a 5-month Piloting Stage with up to €45,000 in additional funding. The application process involves six stages, including eligibility checks, alignment checks, remote evaluation by experts, and an interview. The total funding available for this call is €440,000, and each startup may receive up to €55,000 across both phases. The program also includes a 3-month Follow-on Stage for scaling up through CVC engagement, strategic partnerships, and commercialisation support. The opening date for submission is 20 November 2025, and the deadline is 29 January 2026 at 17:00 (Brussels time). The application must be submitted through the official online submission platform, and applicants should consult the Guidelines for applicants and the online form for detailed information. The Open Horizons project aims to connect startups with leading corporations to pilot tailored solutions to real-world challenges, providing a unique opportunity for women-led startups to access investment and growth opportunities.