UPRAISE: Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) call for International Mobility, Type of financial support: Students Outgoing, Cycle 1 – Academic Y...

The UPRAISE Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) call administered by the University of Patras funds outgoing international learning and mobility activities for enrolled UNIPAT students linked to Virtual Worlds and advanced digital skills. Cycle 1 total budget is €15,000 with up to three mobility streams and a ceiling of €5,000 per award, with final amounts subject to eligible costs and available funding. Single-stage applications in English must be submitted by 27 November 2026 at 22:00 Brussels time to dtsolis@upatras.gr and include the completed application form, CV, transcript, motivation letter, mobility plan and estimated budget. Selection is merit-based with a 70/100 minimum threshold and scores weighted 65 for academic background, 25 for motivation/proposed activity and 10 for CV, and successful applicants must sign grant and learning agreements and provide evidence of participation and eligible expenditure.

What it funds

Short-term outgoing international learning and mobility activities for University of Patras students linked to UPRAISE themes (Virtual Worlds, XR, AI, digital twins, innovation/entrepreneurship) including enrolment/participation fees, travel and accommodation, and living expenses.

Who can apply

Students formally enrolled at the University of Patras (undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral) with an academic profile aligned to UPRAISE areas, adequate language proficiency (normally B2 English or host language), and nationality eligible under the Digital Europe Programme rules.

Selection is merit-based (minimum 70/100) with prioritisation for underrepresented genders in ICT, applicants from low socio-economic backgrounds, persons with disabilities or other vulnerable groups, and geographic widening; successful candidates must sign grant and learning agreements and provide evidence of participation and eligible expenditure.

Key facts and timeline

Summary

The University of Patras (UNIPAT) launches a Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) call under the UPRAISE project (Grant Agreement 101225920, Digital Europe Programme). The call supports outgoing international learning and mobility activities for enrolled University of Patras students that contribute to UPRAISE themes (Virtual Worlds, XR, AI, digital twins, innovation/entrepreneurship) and specifically encourages applications in healthcare, education and creativity, and food-related digital applications. The call provides direct grants to individual students for approved mobility activities. This scheme is managed and awarded by UNIPAT and is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for visibility only 1.

Eligibility and target applicants

Eligible applicants must be formally enrolled at the University of Patras in an appropriate program (undergraduate, postgraduate/master, or doctoral) suitable for the selected mobility stream (student mobility, PhD mobility, or winter/summer school). Applicants must meet host-institution academic/administrative requirements, have an academic profile aligned with UPRAISE themes (Virtual Worlds, XR, AI, digital twins, advanced digital innovation, entrepreneurship) and normally have English competence at least at B2 or the language required by the host activity. Applicants must hold the nationality of an EU Member State or another country eligible under the Digital Europe Programme in accordance with applicable call rules.

Structured extraction: categorisation and requirements

Below are the explicit structured answers derived from the call documentation and webpage content.

Evaluation, selection and award conditions

Applications first pass administrative and eligibility checks. Eligible applications are then scored by an independent Selection Committee with a maximum of 100 points. Applicants must score at least 70/100 to be recommended for funding, subject to ranking and the available budget. A reserve list may be established.

Application submission and required documents

Submission must be electronic by email to the designated University of Patras address and received by the deadline applicable to the selected mobility stream. The application package must be in English and submitted as one PDF file or clearly named PDF attachments. Late, incomplete or unsigned applications may be declared ineligible.

Award, payment, monitoring and obligations

Successful applicants will be notified and must accept the award within the stated period. Pre-payment requirements may include signing a grant agreement, learning agreement, declaration of honour and other UNIPAT documents. Recipients must implement the approved activity, provide evidence of participation and eligible expenditure, and cooperate with monitoring, reporting, audits and checks. Failure to implement the activity or meet eligibility may trigger reimbursement of funds. The selected activity should be academically recognised through ECTS or other appropriate certification where applicable.

Inclusion, prioritisation and data protection

Redress and complaint process

Applicants may request a review only for alleged procedural or administrative errors affecting evaluation. Redress requests must be submitted to dtsolis@upatras.gr within 10 calendar days of notification. Academic judgement cannot be challenged unless a procedural irregularity is claimed that could have influenced the result.

Administrative and legal notes

This call is launched and administered solely by the UPRAISE project/University of Patras. Although the project is co-funded by the Digital Europe Programme, the call and any financial support awarded are NOT EU actions and are awarded directly by UPRAISE/UNIPAT in their own name and under their sole responsibility. Publication on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal is for visibility and does not imply EU approval of the call conditions 1.

How to prepare a competitive application (practical checklist)

Applicants should ensure timely submission as one PDF or clearly named PDF attachments by email to dtsolis@upatras.gr with the prescribed subject line. Late or incomplete applications risk ineligibility.

Concluding summary

Footnotes

1. 1Official UPRAISE project site and University of Patras pages: upraiseproject.eu and upatras.gr. EU Funding & Tenders Portal entry for visibility: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity overview

The UPRAISE Financial Support to Third Parties call provides financial support for outgoing international learning and mobility activities undertaken by eligible University of Patras students during Cycle 1 of the 2026/2027 academic year. The opportunity forms part of the UPRAISE project, Virtual Worlds Innovation Masters: Shaping Future Digital Skills Europe, funded under the Digital Europe Programme. The call is designed to strengthen advanced digital skills, international academic collaboration, practical experience, employability, entrepreneurship and participation in specialised education related to Virtual Worlds and other advanced digital technologies. 1

The call particularly encourages activities connected with Virtual Worlds, extended reality, artificial intelligence, digital twins, advanced digital innovation, healthcare, education and creativity, and food-related applications of advanced digital technologies.

This is a cascade funding opportunity administered by the University of Patras. It is not a direct European Commission grant action for individual applicants. Support is awarded directly by UPRAISE to selected applicants under the responsibility of the University of Patras.

Key facts

Purpose and strategic focus

The funding supports outgoing mobility from the University of Patras to an eligible foreign host institution or organisation. The proposed activity should provide a clear academic or professional learning benefit and should contribute to the applicant's development in advanced digital skills.

Eligible proposals may involve an academic programme, course, module, summer school, winter school, internship, practical learning activity or other approved international learning activity. The activity should be linked to the applicant's programme and, where appropriate, result in ECTS credits, a certificate or another form of academic recognition.

Applications are expected to demonstrate a credible connection with one or more UPRAISE priorities, including artificial intelligence, generative artificial intelligence, digital twins, Virtual Worlds, extended reality, innovation, entrepreneurship, healthcare, education, creativity and food applications.

Eligible applicants

Applicants must satisfy all applicable eligibility conditions before their application can be evaluated on merit.

Eligible applicant profile

Applicants must be formally enrolled at the University of Patras in an undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral programme appropriate to the proposed mobility activity.

Applicants must meet the academic, administrative and admission requirements of the proposed host institution, programme, school, internship or other learning activity.

Applicants must demonstrate an academic profile and proposed activity aligned with the UPRAISE themes and advanced digital skills objectives.

Applicants must normally have English proficiency at level B2 or higher, or possess the language competence required by the host institution or activity.

Applicants must hold the nationality of an EU Member State or another country eligible under the applicable Digital Europe Programme rules.

Applicants must be able to complete the approved activity within the eligibility period specified in the award documentation.

Host activity requirements

The proposed host institution or organisation should be clearly identified. The application should state the destination, planned dates, activities, expected learning outcomes and anticipated ECTS or other certification.

An invitation, acceptance letter or other confirmation from the host institution or organiser should be submitted where available or where required for the relevant mobility stream. Applicants should not assume that funding approval replaces the host institution's admission or acceptance requirements.

Eligible activities and costs

Financial support may cover only costs that are directly connected with the approved mobility activity and fall within the categories specified by the call.

Eligible cost categories

Enrolment or participation fees for an eligible programme, module, summer school, winter school or other approved learning activity.

Travel costs associated with travelling to and from the host destination.

Accommodation costs during the approved mobility period.

Living expenses and subsistence during the approved mobility period, including local transport where permitted under University of Patras rules.

Funding level and conditions

The €5,000 maximum is a ceiling rather than an automatic entitlement. The final award may be lower depending on the approved activity, the actual eligible costs, complementary funding, institutional procedures and the available Cycle 1 budget.

The call does not specify a fixed funding percentage or standard unit-cost rate. Applicants should therefore prepare a realistic itemised budget and request only the amount required for eligible costs that are not covered by other funding.

There is no indication that the grant covers general tuition, personal expenses unrelated to the approved mobility, costs incurred outside the approved period or costs that cannot be documented under the University of Patras procedures.

Double funding

Double funding of the same expense is prohibited. The UPRAISE support may potentially be combined with another compatible source, such as Erasmus+, only where the funding sources cover different eligible costs and all applicable institutional rules are respected.

Applicants must declare any other funding requested or received for the same activity and sign the required declaration on double funding. Failure to disclose overlapping support may result in ineligibility, reduction of the award or recovery of funds.

Application documents

The application must be completed in English and submitted electronically as one PDF file or as clearly named PDF attachments. The required package includes the following documents:

Required documents

Completed and signed UNIPAT UPRAISE Application Form.

Curriculum vitae of no more than three pages. A photograph is not required.

Official transcript of records or equivalent academic record.

Motivation letter of no more than three pages explaining the academic background, expected learning outcomes, relevance to UPRAISE and the proposed mobility activity.

Copy of a valid passport or national identity card.

Proof of current enrolment at the University of Patras.

Mobility or learning plan identifying the host institution or organisation, destination, proposed dates, planned activities and expected ECTS or other learning outcomes.

Invitation, acceptance or confirmation from the host institution or organiser where available or required.

Estimated budget and declaration of other funding requested or received for the same activity.

Signed declaration on double funding included in the application form.

Evidence of language proficiency where requested by the host activity.

Late, incomplete or unsigned applications may be declared ineligible. Applicants should verify that every document is legible, current, signed where required and consistent with the information in the application form.

Submission procedure

Applications must be sent electronically to dtsolis@upatras.gr and received by 27 November 2026 at 22:00 Brussels time.

The recommended email subject is UPRAISE-UNIPAT-C1-2026-OUT - Applicant Name.

The contact person is Dimitrios Tsolis, Professor, University of Patras. The listed telephone number is +302610996900.

Selection and evaluation

Applications first undergo an administrative and eligibility check. Applications that pass this stage are assessed by an independent Selection Committee using a maximum score of 100 points.

Evaluation criteria

Applicants should obtain at least 70 points out of 100 to be recommended for funding. Reaching the threshold does not guarantee an award because selection remains subject to ranking, eligibility, budget availability and the final decision of the Selection Committee.

A reserve list may be established. Any use of the reserve list or reallocation affecting the call must be documented and remain within the approved Cycle 1 FSTP budget.

Priority and inclusion considerations

Priority considerations apply only after eligibility and academic qualification have been established. They do not replace the merit-based evaluation and are intended to support an inclusive and balanced cohort.

Relevant priority categories include women and other genders underrepresented in ICT-related fields, applicants from low socio-economic backgrounds or experiencing significant financial hardship, applicants with disabilities, applicants belonging to minority, migrant, refugee or other vulnerable groups, and applicants from countries or regions with lower advanced digital skills capacity.

Applicants may belong to more than one priority category. In the event of equal final scores, the Selection Committee may consider these factors, financial need and overall cohort balance as tie-breakers. The rationale for any tie-break decision must be documented.

Information provided for priority consideration is voluntary and should be limited to the minimum information necessary. Applicants are not required to disclose medical diagnoses, detailed health information, ethnicity, religion or other sensitive information beyond what is necessary to establish a relevant category.

Award, payment and implementation obligations

All applicants should be informed of the outcome. Successful applicants must accept the award within the period specified in the notification.

Before payment, selected applicants may be required to sign a grant agreement, learning agreement, declaration of honour, double-funding declaration and other University of Patras documents.

Recipients must implement the approved activity substantially as described in the application and provide evidence of participation and eligible expenditure when requested.

Recipients must cooperate with monitoring, reporting, audit and compliance checks. The selected activity should be academically recognised through ECTS or another appropriate certification where applicable, in accordance with the rules of the University of Patras and the host institution.

Recipients must promptly notify the University of Patras in writing of withdrawal, cancellation, material changes or inability to complete the activity. Financial support already paid may have to be reimbursed if the activity is not implemented or eligibility conditions are not fulfilled.

Redress and complaints

Applicants may request a review only where they allege a procedural or administrative error that affected the evaluation. A redress request cannot challenge the academic judgement of evaluators unless a procedural irregularity may have influenced the result.

A redress request must be submitted to dtsolis@upatras.gr within 10 calendar days after notification of the result.

Data protection

The University of Patras acts as data controller for personal data processed in connection with the call. Data may be used for application management, evaluation, award administration, project monitoring, reporting, audit and compliance in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and applicable national legislation.

Applicants should review the University of Patras privacy notice before submitting personal, identity, financial or priority-category information.

Applicant assessment

This opportunity is most suitable for University of Patras students who already have a credible international host activity in preparation and can demonstrate a strong academic record, a clear advanced digital skills rationale and a realistic budget.

The main competitive factor is academic performance, which represents 65 percent of the score. A well-developed mobility concept and motivation account for a further 25 percent, while the curriculum vitae accounts for 10 percent. Applicants with a strong academic record should therefore ensure that the proposed activity is sufficiently specific, feasible and clearly linked to UPRAISE rather than relying on general international mobility benefits.

The principal financial risk is that the €5,000 maximum may not cover all costs for a full semester abroad. Applicants should identify Erasmus+, host institution support or other compatible funding where available, clearly separate cost coverage between funding sources and avoid requesting support for expenses that are already financed elsewhere.

The call does not state a detailed payment schedule, advance payment percentage, reimbursement timetable, eligible travel distance bands or exchange-rate methodology. These matters should be confirmed through the award documentation and University of Patras procedures before committing to non-refundable expenditure.

Recommended applicant checklist

Confirm current enrolment at the University of Patras and eligibility of nationality under the applicable Digital Europe rules.

Secure or document host institution acceptance, invitation or confirmation where required.

Design a one-semester mobility plan with clear dates, activities, learning outcomes and ECTS or certification arrangements.

Explain the direct relationship between the proposed activity and UPRAISE advanced digital skills themes.

Prepare a concise motivation letter addressing academic value, feasibility, employability and expected results.

Prepare an itemised budget covering only eligible costs and identify all other funding sources.

Complete and sign the application form and double-funding declaration.

Submit the complete English-language application to dtsolis@upatras.gr before the stated deadline.

Retain copies of all submitted documents and evidence of submission.

Official information and contact

The official opportunity record is available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal EU Funding and Tenders Portal. The UPRAISE project website is UPRAISE project website. The University of Patras website is University of Patras.

For call-specific clarification, applicants should contact Dimitrios Tsolis at dtsolis@upatras.gr or +302610996900.

1

Footnotes

1. 1The official EU Funding and Tenders Portal record identifies the call as a UPRAISE cascade funding opportunity linked to Grant Agreement 101225920, with an opening date of 26 September 2026, a deadline of 27 November 2026 at 22:00 Brussels time, a one-semester expected duration and €15,000 total funding. The detailed eligibility, evaluation, cost and implementation conditions are stated in the University of Patras call information published through the project and portal materials. Official record: EU Funding and Tenders Portal