Programme Category
Programme Name
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The FUTURAL Open Call for co-creating SS with rural communities aims to attract SMEs and other interested parties including start-ups, research organisations, rural communities (e.g., municipalities, regional authorities, development agencies, NGOs etc.) who can either develop and implement SS within the 5 domains or contribute to the expansion of the local ecosystem, capacity building of the community, and improvement of the livelihoods.
Detailed Call Description
The FUTURAL Open Call aims to expand its concept, demonstrating its benefits and impacts in other European rural regions beyond the current consortium geographical coverage (pages 5-7 of the Applicants Guide). FUTURAL Open Call will provide a significant opportunity to encourage SMEs and other interested parties (e.g., start-ups, research organisations and rural communities) to develop and apply their own Smart Solutions within the 5 FUTURAL following domains, therefore increasing the number of Smart Solutions available to rural communities. Development agencies, NGOs etc and proposed solutions must fall within one of the 5 domains:
- Circular bioeconomy, biodiversity and ecosystem management
- Resilience to shocks
- Citizen Engagement and Quality of Life
- Lifelong Education and Training
- Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
Applicants must develop a) a digital solution that can seamlessly be incorporated into FUTURAL and contribute to its growth and expansion and b) an inclusive and collaborative business model aiming to increase the uptake of the Superposed solutions must be different from the eight (8) existing SS developed within the FUTURAL project as described in section 1 of the Applicants Guide. Proposed solutions must demonstrate their innovative character at a high level of scientific and technological excellence. OC Smart Solutions are expected to start at TRL4 and reach TRL7 by the end of the project, while business models are expected to start at BRL4 and reach BRL.
The 12-month implementation period will be divided into 3 phases:
- Phase 1 – Design (Deliverable: Activity plan (June 2025 – September 2025)
- Phase 2 – Development (Deliverable: Digital smart solution demonstration (October 2025 – February 2026)
- Phase 3 – Validation (Deliverable: Report on market or community associated activities) (March 2026 – May 2026)
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
The minimum budget per project is €60.000 and the maximum is €120.000.
Thematic Categories
- New Entrepreneurship
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- Local Authorities
- NGOs
- Other Beneficiaries
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Semi-governmental organisations
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
FUTURAL will accept applications from small consortia consisting of two (2) to four (4) parties, involving ≥1 (at least one) technical party (e.g., SMEs, startups, research organisations) and ≥1 (at least one) rural community (e.g., Municipalities, Regional authorities, Development agencies, NGOs etc) and proposed solutions must fall within one of the 5 following domains:
- Circular bioeconomy, biodiversity and ecosystem management
- Resilience to shocks
- Citizen Engagement and Quality of Life
- Lifelong Education and Training
- Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
Proposed solutions must be different from the eight (8) existing SS developed within the FUTURAL project as described in section 1 of the Applicants Guide.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
EU Contact Point
All questions concerning the Call must be in writing and be stated on the FAQ section on the https://opencallhub.eu/ or sent by e-mail to futural@opencallhub.eu.