StandICT.eu 2026 - 9th Open Call

The StandICT.eu project is inviting applications for its 9th Open Call, which aims to support European specialists in ICT standardization. This call is designed to enhance participation in ongoing standards development and related activities, opening on May 2, 2025, with a deadline of June 27, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The total funding available for this call is 325,000 EUR, part of the HORIZON-CL4-2022-RESILIENCE-01-21 initiative, which focuses on digital technologies.

Eligible applicants include standardization specialists with proven expertise and experience in standardization activities. Applicants must be individuals residing in European Member States and Associated Countries, and they should not be receiving support from other public or private research instruments for the proposed activities. The call specifically targets representatives from SMEs and academia.

The funding structure offers three types of contributions:

1. Long-Term (LT) contributions, with a maximum duration of six months and funding up to 10,000 EUR. These contributions involve active participation in the development of standards as a member or leader within a Standards Development Organization (SDO).
 
2. Short-Term (ST) contributions, lasting up to three months, with funding available up to 5,000 EUR. This includes activities related to standards documentation and participation in meetings.
 
3. One-Shot (OS) contributions, with also a maximum duration of three months, providing up to 3,000 EUR for attending workshops or events.

The application process consists of a single-stage submission, followed by eligibility screening and evaluation by an External Pool of Evaluators (EPE). Proposals will be assessed based on soundness, technical excellence, the applicant's experience, and economic viability. Specific criteria will impact the scoring, including the significance of the proposal and its relevance to ICT standardization.

Eligible expenses can cover personal working effort, travel costs, registration fees, and membership fees for relevant organizations, with all costs adhering to specified limits. The decision made by the evaluation panel is final, with any disputes focused on the procedural aspects of the evaluation rather than the merits of the proposals.

Overall, this call represents a significant opportunity for individuals and organizations in Europe to financially support their contributions to international ICT standardization efforts.

The StandICT.eu project is launching its 9th Open Call cycle to support European specialists in ICT standardisation. The call aims to foster contributions to ongoing standards development and participation in standardisation activities. The call opened on May 2nd, 2025, and has a deadline of June 27th, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time.

The total funding available for this call is 325,000 EUR. The call is part of the HORIZON-CL4-2022-RESILIENCE-01-21 topic, which focuses on leveraging standardisation in Digital Technologies (CSA). The Grant Agreement number for the project is 101091933.

The StandICT.eu project will run 9 Open Call cycles, each open for 60 days for proposal submission. After the 60-day period, all proposals submitted through the StandICT.eu grants platform will be screened for eligibility, evaluated by an External Pool of Evaluators (EPE), scored, and ranked for funding. This process typically takes about 35 days. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their proposal and provided with access to a Consensus Report compiled by the EPE by the end of July 2025. Each application is independently evaluated by three members of the EPE and undergoes quality control by a fourth member after consensus is reached. The decision of the EPE is binding, and any redress requests or complaints will be dealt with strictly in relation to the procedural aspects of the evaluation, not on the merits of scientific or technical judgement.

Potential applicants are standardisation specialists with proven expertise and experience in standardisation activities, such as previous contributions to standards developments, participation in various SDO groups, or previous or current chairs in the respective priority area. The target of StandICT.eu 2026’s Open Calls are European Specialists who: have profound knowledge in one of the priority areas supported by the open calls; have experience regarding developments of standards, e.g., in SDOs, in reputable organisations and Standardisation communities, or when creating harmonised standards in open source developments; are individuals or natural persons residing in European Member States and Associated Countries; are not receiving support from other instruments (PPPs, EU or national R&I projects) for the proposed activities. The open calls will target representatives from SMEs and academia.

Three types of proposals can be funded:

1. LT – Long term contribution (with travel option): Contribution to ongoing standards development as a chair, convener, rapporteur, or member of an SDO WG. Examples include commenting on standards development and drafts, attending meetings (also as an observer), and paying membership fees. The maximum contract duration is 6 months, and the funding range is up to 10,000 EUR.

2. ST – Short-Term contributions (with travel option): Contribution to standards documentation, such as liaison to WG, comments on standards drafts, participation at meetings, and paying membership or registration fees. The maximum contract duration is 3 months, and the funding range is up to 5,000 EUR.

3. OS – One-Shot contributions: Support to ensure participation at a workshop or event (e.g., participant, observer, presentation). The maximum contract duration is 3 months, and the funding range is up to 3,000 EUR.

The maximum funding requested per proposal cannot exceed the indicated amount for each type of application, and the duration cannot exceed the indicated duration.

The initial eligibility screening will be undertaken by the Consortium to assess compliance with the call criteria. Ineligible proposals will be automatically rejected, and the applicant will receive a notification. Eligible proposals will be submitted to external evaluators from the External Pool of Evaluators (EPE) for formal evaluation.

Proposals must clearly demonstrate: added value to existing SDO activities; impact of work on European interests and the standard in question; expertise of the applicant in the respective priority area; expertise of the applicant in standardisation, e.g., previous contributions to standards developments, participation in other groups working on architectures, APIs, and guidelines in the respective priority area.

Eligible costs include: personal working effort (cannot exceed the EU maximum daily rate of 450 EUR), travel costs, event registration fees, and membership fees for SDO & SSO organisations.

Evaluations will be performed using the following criteria: Criterion 1: Soundness of the proposal and foreseen impact on ICT Standardisation (30%); Criterion 2: Technical excellence & relevance of the activities proposed (30%); Criterion 3: Experience and qualifications of the applicant (20%); Criterion 4: Economics of the proposal (20%). Each criterion will be scored from 1 to 10.

The final scoring and ranking will be determined by averaging the scores provided by the three independent members of the External Pool of Evaluators. In the event of a tie, the proposal with the earliest submission timestamp will be eligible for funding.

In summary, this opportunity is a call for proposals from the StandICT.eu project, seeking to fund European specialists to contribute to ICT standardisation activities. The call offers three types of funding based on the duration and scope of the contribution: long-term, short-term, and one-shot contributions. The goal is to support participation in standards development organisations (SDOs), working groups, and relevant events to advance European interests in digital technologies. The evaluation process involves assessment by external experts based on the soundness of the proposal, technical excellence, applicant experience, and economic considerations. The call targets SMEs, academia, and individual experts residing in European Member States and Associated Countries.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are standardization specialists, defined as professionals with proven expertise and experience in standardization activities. The open calls target European specialists who have profound knowledge in one of the priority areas supported by the open calls, have experience regarding developments of standards (e.g., in SDOs, in reputable organizations and standardization communities, or when creating harmonized standards in open source developments), are individuals or natural persons residing in European Member States and Associated Countries, and are not receiving support from other instruments (PPPs, EU or national R&I projects) for the proposed activities. The open calls specifically target representatives from SMEs and academia.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically cascade funding.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity is for single applicants.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility for applicants is European Member States and Associated Countries.

Target Sector: The target sector is ICT, specifically leveraging standardization in digital technologies.

Mentioned Countries: European Member States and Associated Countries are mentioned.

Project Stage: The project stage targets contributions to ongoing standards development, documentation, and participation in workshops or events, suggesting a focus on development, validation, and demonstration stages.

Funding Amount: The funding range varies depending on the type of contribution: up to €10,000 for long-term contributions (LT), up to €5,000 for short-term contributions (ST), and up to €3,000 for one-shot contributions (OS). The total funding available is €325,000.00.

Application Type: The application type is an open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage submission, eligibility screening by the Consortium, evaluation by an External Pool of Evaluators (EPE), scoring, ranking, and notification of outcome.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is not explicitly mentioned as a requirement. However, applicants must not be receiving support from other instruments for the proposed activities.

The StandICT.eu 2026 initiative is launching its 9th Open Call to support European standardization specialists in the ICT sector. This call aims to bolster European presence and impact in international ICT standardization activities. The program provides financial support to individuals from European Member States and Associated Countries who possess expertise in ICT standardization. The call is structured around three types of contributions: Long-Term (LT), Short-Term (ST), and One-Shot (OS), each with varying durations and funding ranges, up to a maximum of 10,000 EUR for the LT contributions. The goal is to enable experts to actively participate in standards development organizations (SDOs), contribute to standards documentation, and attend relevant workshops and events. The application process involves a single-stage submission, followed by eligibility checks and evaluation by an external pool of experts. Proposals are evaluated based on their soundness, technical excellence, applicant's experience, and economic viability. This initiative is part of the broader HORIZON-CL4 program, focusing on leveraging standardization in digital technologies to enhance resilience. The call is open from May 2, 2025, to June 27, 2025, and the total funding available for this call is 325,000 EUR.