O-CEI 1st Open Call for Upscaling Projects
Funding support for SMEs to upscale innovative Cloud-Edge-IoT solutions enhancing O-CEI cross-domain pilots in strategic sectors
Type of projects to be funded: Upscaling projects extending functionalities of O-CEI pilots through testing components, developing edge solutions (apps and services), and providing added value (e.g., new models, data sharing, efficiency, performance, coverage). Applicants must address one specific challenge from an O-CEI pilot.
Sectors / domain: Energy grids, electromobility, software-defined vehicles, logistics, agriculture and agrifood, urban environments.
Individual or consortium: Only single entities may apply. Eligible applicants are SMEs, including startups.
Specific eligibility requirements: Applicants must be established in EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT), or Horizon Europe Associated countries. Entities under EU restrictive measures, O-CEI partners, affiliates, and employees are ineligible. Applicants must demonstrate alignment with EU goals and positive European impact.
Specific topics or challenges: Applicants must address one of the following eight domains:
1.- Electricity and heat pumps
2.- Energy flexibility with 5G telco operators
3.- Electric vehicle fleet management and EV charging
4.- Electromobility SDV and VaS
5.- Logistic hub efficiency via energy flexibility
6.- Farm-to-fork dairy energy tracking
7.- Sustainable yield and harvesting
8.- Smart Energy City
Applicants must address one challenge within a specific domain from one of the 8 O-CEI Project pilots. For a more detailed description of the pilots and the challenges, please check the Technical Guidelines Documens.
Projects duration: 7 months (linked to the O-CEI Support Programme).
Budget, funding rates and payment conditions:
Funding rate: 100% (lump sum)
Budget conditions / limitations: Maximum EUR 100,000 per beneficiary. Up to 24 projects will be funded, with a total budget of EUR 2.4 million.
Payments: Lump sum in 3 stages: up to EUR 10,000 after project design (Month 1), up to EUR 50,000 after prototype development (Months 2–4), up to EUR 40,000 after release and testing (Months 5–7). Payments depend on achieving deliverables and milestones.
Links
Closes
19/11/2025
Max funding per project
100.000€